Lent: Into the Wild A Prayer Room Resource Guide
What is Lent? Some Christian traditions are familiar with Lent, others are not. Lent is the time in the Christian calendar when believers focus on Jesus’ approach to the Cross. It takes place in the 40 days leading up to Good Friday, and Christians will often remember the 40 years in the wilderness experienced by the children of Israel, and Jesus’ 40 days of fasting and testing in the wilderness. Christians of many different traditions remind themselves of Jesus’ sacrifice by fasting or practising self-denial in this time. In this prayer guide we will journey with Jesus through his baptism and into the trials and temptations he faced in the wilderness. As we face our own trials and temptations we can know that Jesus has gone before us, and is still journeying alongside us. Going into the wild takes time and energy. It requires prioritising Jesus’ invitation into his life and journey. Lent is a season where we are reminded to shift our priorities away from the self and towards Jesus.
Jesus is Central Untameable God, let us journey with Jesus into the wild, so we can learn to depend on You and You alone. Scripture: Mark 1:9–11 “At that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptised by John in the Jordan. Just as Jesus was coming up out of the
water, he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: ‘You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.”
Reflection The tearing open of the heavens is violent imagery, and it is followed by the incredible imagery of the descent of the Spirit like a dove. This event is wildly beyond us. John baptises Jesus, but the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit take centre stage in this scene. We can only stare, open-mouthed, like John, like the angels, as this extraordinary event unfolds in front of us. Prayer
Prayer Station: Making Jesus Central
The love of Father, Son and Holy Spirit is the centrepiece of all creation. I am not. God, I want to experience something of that love as I follow Jesus today.
Put something that represents Jesus or the Trinity - a cross, a table with bread and wine, or a picture representing the Trinity - be creative! - right in the middle of your room (prayer room, living room, etc…). Make it something that you see immediately, that you have to arrange everything else around. Leave it in that place for the week, reminding yourself every time you walk in the room that Jesus is the central reality that all life revolves around.
Action
Closing Prayer
Take a walk “into the wild” of your community and really look for Jesus. Where do you see evidence of Jesus at work in your neighbourhood? Where can you find Jesus in surprising places? Come back to the prayer room and write down what you saw.
Father, help me to live this day to the full, being true to You, in every way.
Jesus, help me to give myself away to others, being kind to everyone I meet.
Spirit, help me to love the lost,
proclaiming Christ in all I do and say. Amen.
Re so u rces
Songs
Books
• Your God is Too Safe,
•
Jesus Be the Centre
•
More Than Enough
•
Take the World but
Mark Buchanan
• The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, C.S. Lewis
Give Me Jesus
• The Life of St Antony
Vulnerability Untameable God, let us journey with Jesus into the wild, so we can learn to depend on You and You alone. Scripture: Mark 1:9–13 “At that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptised by John in the Jordan. Just as Jesus was coming up out of the
water, he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: ‘You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.’ At once the Spirit sent him out into the wilderness, and he was in the wilderness for forty days, being tempted by Satan. He was with the wild animals, and angels attended him.”
Reflection What might it feel like to be John in this moment, being asked to baptise the Messiah? He becomes involved in the symbolic portrayal of Jesus’ death and rebirth. This is part of the great wildness of Jesus. He makes Himself vulnerable to His Father, but also to His own people. He puts Himself in John’s hands, in our hands. And He still entrusts His name and reputation to His followers in the world today. What are we doing with the name of Jesus? What may the Lord be asking us to surrender into His trustworthy hands today? Who do we know who has been hurt through being vulnerable? Prayer Jesus, You surrender Yourself into the untrustworthy hands
of Your people – people like us. Can we surrender ourselves into Your trustworthy hands
today? Can we be vulnerable
with You? God, we ask You to be with the people we know who have been hurt, maybe even
hurt by us. May they experience the trustworthy love of the
Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Prayer Station: Trustworthy Hands Trace your hands on a piece of paper and make several copies. Paste them on the walls around the room and write the names or initials of friends on the hands. Write also these two verses on them: Isaiah 49:16a, John 10:28. Action Take a walk “into the wild” of your community and really look for Jesus. Where do you see evidence of Jesus at work in your neighbourhood? Where can you find Jesus in surprising places? Come back to the prayer room and write down what you saw. Closing Prayer Father, help me to live this day to the full, being true to You, in every way. Jesus, help
me to give myself away to others, being kind to everyone I meet. Spirit, help me to love the lost, proclaiming Christ in all I do and say. Amen.
Re s o urce s Websites
•
Mental Health First Aid: www.mhfa.ca/
Courses •
Tips on learning and practising “Empathetic Listening”: www.crisisprevention.com
Temptation - Part 1 Untameable God, let us journey with Jesus into the wild, so we can learn to depend on You and You alone. Scripture: Matthew 4:1–4 Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. After fasting for 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.”’
Reflection Matthew tells us the Spirit leads Jesus into the wild to be tempted after His baptism. In a similar way, God led the people of Israel through waters and into testing in the wilderness. Israel failed the test. We likewise have failed countless tests and temptations. But Jesus did not fail. After forty days of fasting, Jesus was hungry. These are really important words. Jesus was not immune from human experiences: He got tired, frustrated, hurt and hungry. He knows what we go through daily, and He shows us how to navigate the wild trials of life. Jesus did not let the devil or His own hunger set the agenda. He was devoted to the words of His Father, and calls us into that liberating devotion as well. Jesus carries in His body the hope for humanity. Because Jesus identifies fully with humanity in the wilderness, it is possible for us to identify with Him. Jesus goes into the wild, and we can go with Him. Prayer Station Prayer God, we have failed You, failed others and we’ve even failed myself more times than we can count. We ask for Your
forgiveness and Your help. We
Materials: Rocks, felt pens. Set up a pile of rocks in one corner of the room. Instruct people to choose some rocks and to write blessings, promises or victories on some, and temptations, sins or failures on others. Write Psalm 103:12 over the station as well: “He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west.” Take those rocks with you when you leave the room (and see action below) Action
want to trust that these failures
will not forever define us. Jesus,
thank You for showing us the way through the Wilderness.
Lord, we surrender our appetites, attachments, and addictions to
You. We pray that Your Word, and not our hunger or our testing,
would set the agenda for our lives today.
Father, we think of others who are trapped in the story of failure.
Go to your nearest body of water, be it river, lake or ocean. Take the rocks on which you wrote your temptations, sins and failures, and read out Psalm 103:12 again. Then throw those rocks as far as you can into the water. Keep the rocks on which you wrote blessings, promises and victories. Let them remind you that Jesus is journeying with you, and that he has won the victory. Closing Prayer
Re s o u rce s
Father, help me to live this day
Books
to the full, being true to You, in every way. Jesus, help me
to give myself away to others,
Jesus, we ask You to help them
being kind to everyone I meet.
and to emerge victorious.
proclaiming Christ in all
face the testing of the wilderness
Spirit, help me to love the lost, I do and say. Amen.
•
Live No Lies, John Mark Comer
Songs •
The Enemy Has Been Defeated
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No Longer Slaves
•
The Lord is Gracious and Compassionate
Temptation - Part 2 Untameable God, let us journey with Jesus into the wild, so we can learn to depend on You and You alone. Scripture: Matthew 4:5-7 Then the devil took him to the holy city and set him 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.”’
Reflection The devil tempts Jesus to do something that is within Jesus’ power to do. It was prophesied that Jesus could command angels! (Psalm 91:11–12) Hidden within this test, however, is the subtle temptation for Jesus to seize control of His life from the Father. Jesus rejects the devil’s offer to prioritise His own will and comfort, and instead trusts in the relentless goodness of His Father. But notice how the devil subtly starts his temptations by questioning Jesus’ identity:‘“If you are the Son of God…’” Identity is vital. Jesus knows He belongs to the Father, that He is beloved. He was told this conclusively at his baptism. Because of this He can reject the devil’s temptations with confident authority. We also belong to the Father. We are beloved and we can carry the same confident authority in resisting temptation. Prayer Station
Prayer The Serenity Prayer:
God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
the courage to change
Materials: Paper, pens, scissors, Serenity Prayer. Write out the Serenity Prayer and place it on a wall. Earlier you traced your hands, now trace your feet and them on the wall underneath the Serenity Prayer. Write on one foot the things in your life that you can change, and on the other foot those things that you cannot change. Pray the Serenity Prayer over the items on each foot.
the things I can,
Action
to know the difference.
At the prayer station post a list of open AA or NA meetings that are happening in your neighbourhood. Consider attending one of these meetings this week, on your own or with one friend. Just go to listen, not to dominate. Watch how people are living out the Serenity Prayer in challenging and beautiful ways, and practice being in a space that you do not control.
and the wisdom
Living one day at a time,
enjoying one moment at a time; accepting hardship
as a pathway to peace; taking, as Jesus did,
this sinful world as it is, not as I would have it;
trusting that You will make all things right
if I surrender to Your will;
so that I may be reasonably happy in this life
and supremely happy with You forever in the next. Amen.
Re sou rce s
Closing Prayer Father, help me to live this day to the full, being true to You,
in every way. Jesus, help me to give myself away to others,
being kind to everyone I meet.
Books •
Recovering, by Aaron White
•
Answers to Prayer, by George Mueller
Spirit, help me to love the lost, proclaiming Christ in all I do and say. Amen.
Songs •
I Surrender, Phil Laeger
Temptation - Part 3 Untameable God, let us journey with Jesus into the wild, so we can learn to depend on You and You alone. Scripture: Matthew 4:8-11 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendour. ‘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.
Prayer Do we find ourselves wanting glory without trial? Are we
looking for shortcuts? Lord, lead
us not into temptation. Deliver us from compromise.
Lord, show us what has our
attention, our allegiance, even
our worship. If it is anything other than You, we say no to these
things and repent now. We let
them go and we say yes to You.
Action The Devil’s temptation to Jesus is to have the land. But the land wasn’t the devil’s to offer. In Canada many compromises have been made in the name of “the Land”, and there is an atrocious history of taking the land from the Indigenous people for the sake of profit, power and control. Take some time this week to read out the Truth and Reconciliation Calls to Action, and consider which calls you can begin to enact in your own life and community:
Reflection “‘Away from me Satan!’” is a fun phrase to try out at home. Jesus employs it well, seemingly fed up with the devil’s tests. Or maybe this one hit a nerve? The kingdoms of the world were created to give God glory - they are not ultimately Satan’s to give. But Satan is offering Jesus another shortcut: all the glory without the Cross. It’s tempting… In return, the devil wants to be worshipped. So do a lot of things: media, money, sports teams, addictive substances, celebrities, politicians, nations, brands, even denominations. They all vie for our attention, our devotion, our allegiance. But, Jesus is clear: God alone gets our worship. Jesus has the wild freedom to say no. Jesus’ no to Satan allows His great yes and amen to God. In the wilderness, Jesus overcomes the temptation to dilute His allegiance. So must we. We are often terrified of missing out on experiences and opportunities. During Lent we practice saying no to things, like Jesus did, so we can say yes to the beauty God has for us.
Prayer Station Materials: magazines, newspapers, scissors, large sheets of paper, pens. What are we tempted to worship aside from God? Have a number of magazines and newspapers in one corner of the room, and instruct people to go through them to find examples of things in our world that want our attention and devotion. Cut them out and tape them to some large pieces of paper on the wall. Confess your temptation to give these things the devotion or even worship that they do not deserve, and practice saying “no” to this temptation and “yes” to the beauty of the Lord.
Re s o urce s Books
•
Closing Prayer Father, help me to live this day to the full, being true to You, in every way. Jesus, help me to give myself away to others, being kind to everyone I meet. Spirit, help me to love the lost, proclaiming Christ in all I do and say. Amen.
Boundaries: When to Say Yes, How to Say No to Take Control of Your Life, by Townsend and Cloud
•
The Inconvenient Indian, by Thomas King
•
The Cross and the Lynching Tree, by James Cone
Songs •
My Jesus I Love Thee
•
It Is Well with My Soul
Back From the Wild Untameable God, let us journey with Jesus into the wild, so we can learn to depend on You and You alone. Scripture: Luke 4:13-16 When the devil had finished all this tempting, he left him until an opportune time. Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit,
and news about him spread through the whole countryside. He was teaching in their synagogues, and everyone praised him. He went
to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. He stood up to read...
Prayer Jesus, thank You
for walking ever-deeper into the wild for us and with us.
In times of temptation, Help
us follow you in overcoming temptation, in the power of the Spirit. Help us to make
courageous, sacrificial and loving decisions today.
Reflection It matters where a person comes from. Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and he returned there after leaving the wilderness. The locals know Jesus in this untamed, overlooked place, far outside the centre of power and influence of Jerusalem in Israel. Galilee is a place of prophets, zealots, outsiders and rabble-rousers. It’s also where Jesus grew up, and it’s where He was first rejected. It matters that God put on this flesh and moved into this neighbourhood –- into Nazareth. Jesus returns to Galilee in the power of the Spirit. He needs that power as He begins His ministry. We certainly need that power as we minister in all sorts of ways today. Notice as well the phrase: ‘“until an opportune time”.’ The wilderness isn’t done with Jesus. This isn’t the only time He will be tested. Times of testing come and go throughout Jesus’ life – and ours too.
Action What do you know about the community where you live and/or worship? Do some research this week. Who lived there first? What happened to create the kind of community that lives there now? What languages are spoken there? See if you can learn some words in the languages that are spoken in your neighbourhood, and also in the language(s) that were spoken there 500 years ago. Closing Prayer Father, help me to live this day to the full, being true to You,
Prayer Station Materials: A map of the world, and/or Canada, and/or your community. Pins and thread, pens, scissors, sticky notes. Think about the places you’ve lived, where you grew up and the people you knew during my childhood. Can we see the beauty in our background? Even if home was hard, embarrassing, or dull? How was God present there? Put a pin in all the places where you have lived on the map, and then tie a piece of thread to the pin. Pin the other end of the thread outside of the map on the wall, and write on a sticky note the name of the place where you lived, any significant people who are there, and a prayer for that place. (You can also do this just using sticky notes on the map itself, but the thread makes for a neat visual).
Re s o urce s •
in every way. Jesus, help me
to give myself away to others,
being kind to everyone I meet. Spirit, help me to love the lost, proclaiming Christ in all I do and say. Amen.
Articles
Books
•
Rescuing the Gospel
•
20 Steps
from the Cowboys,
to Exegete
by Richard Twiss
your City:
Unsettling Truths, by Mark Charles and Soong-Chan Rah
A Wild Announcement of Good News When Jesus came out of the wilderness, he caused a scandal in His hometown synagogue.
Action Take a journey into the wild. The wild for you may be an unfamiliar neighbourhood, maybe filled with people who are different from you. Look for beauty there within the unfamiliarity. The wild could also be an area of actual wilderness, a wooded area, a large park, a river, etc. Look for the wild beauty there as well.
Scripture: Luke 4:17–21 …and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written:
‘The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour.’
Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on
Reflect on what you have been praying about this week, and what the invitation into Jesus’ life looks like.
him. He began by saying to them, ‘Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.’
Prayer
Reflection
Lord, have we got blinders on, or earplugs in, to keep us “safe” from the sharp power of Your Word? Let us be freshly scandalised by Your promises today.
Biblical prophets were wild, untamed creatures. They often had bizarre visions and they sometimes used visual aids or elaborate object lessons to get God’s message across. They were not appreciated by those in power. But even the most radical message can become dull and familiar over time. When Jesus reads the Prophet Isaiah’s words to the crowd in the synagogue, they initially ‘spoke well of him’ (v22). But they had no idea how wildly, broadly and personally Jesus would apply these divine promises.
Search our hearts, Lord. Show us who we are tempted to want to exclude from Your favour. We repent of the walls we have built between us and them.
Jesus brought good news for the poor, liberty for the captives, and sight for the blind. But He was quite clear that you needed to know that you were poor, captive and blind in order to receive this good news. Those who do not know they were blind cannot receive sight. Nor can prisoners receive liberty if they are content in their imprisonment. Jesus invites us out of the wilderness of our oppression, darkness and sin, and into the wildness of His freedom, light and forgiveness. Will we accept the invite?
Closing Prayer Father, help me to live this day to the full, being true to You, in
every way. Jesus, help me to give
myself away to others, being kind to everyone I meet. Spirit, help
me to love the lost, proclaiming Christ in all I do and say. Amen.
Prayer Station Materials: Blindfolds, many earplugs. Some of us are being called out of the oppression and victimhood we know so well, and into the liberation and healing that Jesus offers. Others of us don’t even know that we are blind and enslaved, and will need to be confronted by Jesus to become aware of that truth. In both cases Jesus offers hope and freedom, but it will feel different. Write Mark 2:17 at the prayer station: “On hearing this, Jesus said to them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” Put on the blindfold, put in the earplugs (one set per person!) Ask the Lord: Are You offering me liberation from known brokenness? Or are You wanting to show me my brokenness so that I can be liberated from it?
Re s o urce s Books
•
•
May It Be So, Forty Days
Courses •
The
With the Lord’s Prayer,
Creative
Justin McRoberts and Scott
Way Down:
Songs •
Oh Lead Me, Delirious
Apps
Erickson
•
Inner Room
A Way Other Than Our Own,
•
Lectio 365
•
Lectio for Families
Walter Brueggemann
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