Lenten Devotions

As a protestant, I’ve felt at times like more of an observer than a participant in Lent. This is fitting to a point—the practice of giving things up for Lent—though certainly meaningful for some people—leans a little closer to legalism than I’m usually comfortable. Still, I recognize that great meaning can come from preparing our hearts for Easter, in a similar way to Advent preparing us for Christmas. Properly done, Lent can be a meaningful time to set aside distractions and remember the suffering and sacrifice of our Savior. 

One way to do this is through family devotions. I put together this list of Lenten devotionals for my church and thought I would share it here as well. I tried to give a variety of options, so hopefully there's something for everyone. Quick note before you read about the different resources: Remember that Lent is 40 days or 46 days if you count the Sundays. The Sundays during Lent are meant to be "little Easters" and so they usually aren't counted. So you have about 40-46 days to work with when considering Lenten devotions.

The Bible! One of the best suggestions I have is to read through the Bible. All of the gospels are under 40 chapters, so if you read a chapter a day you can read an entire gospel during Lent. If you read on Sundays as well, (which gives you a total of 46 days) you can read through both Mark and John during the season of Lent. 

Click on the image to the left to access the Bible reading plan I put together for my church.

The Jesus Storybook Bible by Sally Loyd-Jones: We read through this children's Bible several times a year. It's definitely a favorite of our family's--I can't recommend it enough. The writing is fantastic--simple enough that my 3-year-old can track with it, but so full of meaning that most evenings I get as much from the reading as my kids. You can also buy an audio version, which is beautifully narrated. Sally Lloyd-Jones has a free printable schedule on her website for those that sign up for her newsletter. If you already receive her newsletters, you should have gotten an email this past Monday with a link to the download.

Seven Last Words Devotional Guide & Coloring Pages by Illustrated Children’s Ministry: I've purchased this devotional for my church the last two years. It's a great, simple weekly devotional that has accompanying fun coloring pages (think adult coloring). This year the devotional goes through the last seven sayings of Christ, focusing those sayings into seven last words. This devotional can be used with any age; it was actually written for an intergenerational audience this year and is meant to be used by adults and children alike. You can purchase this devotional here and the coloring pages here. (Note: this is a download that you would need to print out.)

The Passion of the King of Glory by Russ Ramsey: I read through volume 1 of this set during Advent and loved it. This is one of three books Ramsey has written to retell the story of the Bible. This book, volume 2, has 40 chapters and is meant to be read throughout Lent. Please note, though, that this is not to be read as Scripture. Rather, similar to the Jesus Storybook Bible, it’s a retelling of Bible stories with Ramsey’s imagination filling in some of the details we don’t have in Scripture. This would be a great option for children that have outgrown children’s Bibles, but aren’t quite ready to read right from the Bible yet. Or it's a great option for parents to read as well! 

Hearts and Minds Bookstore is a great place to order from if you're looking to get a copy of The Passion of the King of Glory or The Jesus Storybook Bible. Owners Byron and Beth Borger have been selling fantastic books for over 35 years--there's no one I'd rather trust with my book buying. It's a tough time to be a Christian bookseller so let's show them our support!

Lent starts on March 6 so you have one week left to plan what you'll do as a family. I plan to do the Jesus Storybook Bible with the kids during the week, the Seven Last words on Sundays and read The Passion of the King of Glory on my own before bed each night. Feel free to share your plan below!