20 Bible Verses To Meditate on During Lent

Lent is an important part of the Christian Liturgical Calendar. It’s a season of reflection and repentance. Lent begins on Ash Wednesday and ends on Easter Sunday, spanning a period of 40 days (40 fasting days and 6 Sundays). It is usually marked by fasting to release oneself from the grip of materialism as an act of spiritual discipline. Many Christians observe a strict fast that includes abstinence from meat, fish, fats etc., until Easter Sunday. Others may choose to give up other things like sweets, certain types of meat, TV, even social media. The purpose of giving something up is so that you can refocus your faith by spending more time praying, studying the bible and reflecting.  

Inspired by Jesus’ time in the wilderness where he spent 40 days fasting and praying and was tempted by the devil in preparation for his ministry on earth, Lent is an invitation to prepare our hearts and mind for Christ’s return by reflecting what he has accomplished for us through His life, death and resurrection. 

Here are some scriptures to encourage you during this season of Lent.

1. Matthew 4:1-11

Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted[a] by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”

Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.”

Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written:

“‘He will command his angels concerning you,

    and they will lift you up in their hands,

    so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.”

Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.”

Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.”

Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.”

Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.

2. Mark 1:13

and he was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted by Satan. He was with the wild animals, and angels attended him.

3. 1 Peter 5:6

Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.

4. Psalm 42:2

My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?

5. Lamentations 3:25 

The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him.

6. Joel 2: 12-14 

“Even now,” declares the Lord, “return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning.” Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity. Who knows? He may turn and relent and leave behind a blessing—grain offerings and drink offerings for the Lord your God.”

7 Isaiah 30:18 

Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you; therefore he will rise up to show you compassion. For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him!

8. Psalm 33:20-22 

We wait in hope for the Lord; he is our help and our shield. In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name. May your unfailing love be with us, Lord, even as we put our hope in you.

9. Psalm 27:14 

Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.

10. Ecclesiastes 3:20

All go unto one place; all are of the dust, and all turn to dust again.

11. Isaiah 43:25

“I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake, and remembers your sins no more.

12. Zephaniah 3:17

The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing.”

13. Matthew 6:16

“When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full.

14. Psalm 130:5-6 

I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits, and in his word I put my hope. I wait for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning.

15. Hosea 12:6 

But you must return to your God; maintain love and justice, and wait for your God always.

16. Lamentations 3:25 

The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him.

17. Galatians 5:5 

For through the Spirit we eagerly await by faith the righteousness for which we hope.

18. Jeremiah 29:12 

Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.

19. 2 Corinthians 7:10

Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.

20. Isaiah 58:6-7

Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—when you see the naked, to clothe them, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?

Conclusion

As we celebrate the season of Lent, these Bible verses poignantly remind us of the significance of this period of reflection, repentance, and spiritual renewal. As we actively meditate on these verses, we reflect on our own lives, struggles, and need for redemption. They serve as a reminder of the incredible depth of God’s love for us, demonstrated through the ultimate sacrifice of His Son. We’re challenged to respond by turning away from sin, embracing discipleship, and following in the footsteps of Jesus. Through meditating on these verses and allowing their truths to penetrate our hearts, we draw closer to God, deepen our understanding of His redemptive work, and prepare our hearts to celebrate the ultimate victory of Easter. May our hearts remain open, our spirits attentive, and our lives transformed as we draw ever closer to the heart of God.