Welcome to our 40 Lenten journey!  We begin with a short week. For the rest of this week we will…

1.  Pray the Lord’s Prayer daily (see below).  
2. Read Galatians 3:26-4:7 (see below)

The Lord’s Prayer

While we will pray the whole Lord’s Prayer daily, we will focus weekly on one specific phrase.  I want to encourage you in these next few days to linger on what it means to pray “Our Father, who art in heaven”.  How does it change your prayer and your perspective to pray “Our Father” and not “Dear God”? Do you know that you are His precious child and that He loves you very much?  Why must this be settled before you pray the rest of the prayer?

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.  Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.  For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever. Amen.  

Scripture for February 27-29

When we read Scripture, we are often trying to read quickly and check it off the box.  Each week you will only have 1 passage of Scripture. We don’t want you to rush, we want you to sit and soak.  Take your time and give the Holy Spirit an opportunity to impress upon your heart the Word that God would speak to you.  While we have printed the whole passage below, what we are talking about is best done by reading out of your own bible, journaling, and underlining and highlighting particular words or phrases the Spirit is emphasizing to you.  

Fasting

What about the fasting you say?  Look for me to send you a word about that on Monday!  The day you fast and the particularities of your fasting may need to vary based on your particular situation.  For those who can, I invite you to join me on a Tuesday fast (skip breakfast and lunch) so that we might be joined together as a body on this day.

Galatians 3:26-4:7 New International Version (NIV)

26 So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, 27 for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.4 What I am saying is that as long as an heir is underage, he is no different from a slave, although he owns the whole estate. 2 The heir is subject to guardians and trustees until the time set by his father. 3 So also, when we were underage, we were in slavery under the elemental spiritual forces of the world. 4 But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship. 6 Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.” 7 So you are no longer a slave, but God’s child; and since you are his child, God has made you also an heir.