Ash Wednesday Morning
Jeremiah 33:1-3
Call unto me
Greetings: The Lord is good and his love endures forever!
Joke: A man asked God, ‘What’s a million years to you, O Lord?’ God replied: A minute.
The man asked: What a million rupees to you, O Lord? God replied: one rupee.
The man asked: O Lord give me one rupee? God said: Surly but wait for a minute.(Adopted)
Jeremiah 33:3. “Call unto me, and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know” (NIV).
I would like to share with you the purpose of Lent, the purpose of Fasting and the purpose of prayer.
1. Purpose of Lent
The purpose of Lent is for fasting, prayer, penitence, abstinence from meat, contemplating on the transgressions, and progression towards Holiness and devotion.
The word 'LENT' refers to Springtime. Christians observe 46 days from Ash Wednesday to Easter, as lent from the 3rd century. The first Lent was observed in AD 325 as per the decision of first council of Nicaea. They set the Lent as a time of preparation for the candidates for Baptism, confirmation, and reception into the church by early centuries
Traditionally, On Ash Wednesday, the Ashes made out of the Palm leaves which were taken on the Palm Sunday of the previous year, was used to mark a cross sign on the foreheads of the believers. Still it’s practiced in a few denominations.
In AD 540 Pope Gregory 1, introduced the following sentence while marking the cross: "Remember, man, that thou art dust, and to dust thou shalt return." Based on Genesis 3:19.
Some of the saints in the Bible had used sackcloth and ashes as a symbol of repentance, namely, Job 42:6, Jeremiah 6:26, Daniel 9:3, Jonah 3:6, and Esther 4:1, 16. Those who are hungry for holiness, hungry for righteousness, they shall be fed (Matthew 5:6).
2. Purpose of Fasting
We do observe the fast for 40 days to remember the 40 days of fast by our Lord Jesus Christ before he started his Ministry (Mathew.4:1-11, Mark.1:12-13, Luke 4:1-13). Jesus fasted for 40 days and nights, it helped him to overcome physical desires, developed his mental health or crucified the hunger for power, and social and religious status.
Neither Jesus nor the New Testament saints used Ashes and sackcloth during fasting and prayer. So, we don’t do the outward signs but the inner cleansing of our conscience (Hebrews 9:13-14, Romans 2:15). So, the purpose of our fasting during LENT is to keep our conscience clear before God and man (Acts 24:16).
Fasting during Lent calls for a self-denial for all that you love to do in your life (1 Corinthians 9:27). Denial of pleasures, denial of desirable food items, and disciplining body, mind, and thoughts after the lifestyle of Christ’s and his teaching. Fasting is one of the Spiritual Discipline. Fasting is a powerful instrument to drive us to another realm of life.
Fasting sketches Humility in us to recognise the greatness of God (2 Chronicles 7:14). Fasting with a sincere prayers leads to search our innermost heart, and thoughts and leads to retreat. Fasting breaks the bondage of sin and loosens the hold of bad habits and their rulership over your life. Fasting opens new spiritual gifts from God because our spirit is humbled and sensitive to the leading of the Spirit of God. Fasting can bring you out of your addictions and the forces of evil.
3. The purpose of Prayer
Jeremiah 33:3. “Call unto me, and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know” (NIV).
The observation of lent motivates fasting, fasting motivates prayer and prayer motivates to receive answer from the Lord and to enjoy blessings nd experience miracles, wonders in our lives.
Call unto me=prayer; I will answer = Promise; Tell you = Proclamation of God.
Calling the Lord = Prayer. Jeremiah 33:3 “Call unto Me” Prayer offered on the knees are powerful. ‘Every knee shall bend and tongue shall confess that Jesus is Lord’. Prayer has no particular module or syllabus but it demands the heart of the seeker surrender to God.
Targum, "pray before me, and I will receive thy prayer'' (John Gill). The Lord has set his ears to attend to the prayers of the saints and sinners alike. He is the God of impossibilities and impartiality. He is a respecter of no person.
Prayers are vehicles to cart our difficulties, distresses, cries, failures, and troubles to Almighty. The clear mandate is given as a motivating factor for all of us.
Prayers help to know the plan of God (Genesis 15:15). Prayer helps to improve your spiritual health and fitness in spiritual journey. Prayer is nothing but Seeking Christ as first priority in life.
Seek ye first the kingdom of God (Matthew 6:33). Jesus is first in every activity of your life. Jesus is First in financial commitments, Jesus is first in interests, Jesus is first in relationships, Jesus is first in schedule of your daily life, and seek Jesus first during the times of trouble of life for his counsel and direction. (Jenetzen)
“Call on me-when you are in trouble, and I will rescue you, and you will give me glory.” (Psalm 50:15). Call Me in a day of adversity (YLT - Psalm 50:15). Call upon me in the day of affliction (Psalm 50:15 -Brent Septuagint). Call on me in the day of distress (ISV - Psalm 50:15).
The answer of the Lord is a Promise. Jeremiah 33:3 puts this as ‘Call to Me and I will answer you.” He answers his seekers severally. He rescues them, redeems them, releases them, comforts them, and consoles them.
“Little prayer, little blessing; more prayer, more blessings; many prayers, much blessing.” (Meyer). ‘God is speaking to an upturned face, not a preoccupied back’ (Constable).
1 Peter 3:12 says that the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer. 1 John 5:15 says that if we know that he hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have what we asked of him. John 16:24 says that until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete.
Prayers makes you enjoy the blessings. Personal Experiences of Miracles.
God heard the cries of Israel in Egypt and redeemed them (Exodus 3:7), God heard the prayers of Cornelius (Acts 10), God heard the prayers of Hannah (1Samuel 1-2), God heard the prayers of Zechariah and Elisabeth ( Luke 1).
Conclusion:
“Push” is another word for prayer. “Pray until something happens” as you are looking for.
Chinese bamboo story: The tree takes 5 years to grow but needs to Water it on daily basis. No sign of growth for five years, then it breaks forth and within five weeks it grows 90ft tall.
Then he expresses that I will tell you and even show you great and mighty things, things which have been confined and hidden, which you do not know and understand and cannot distinguish.’ (Amplified Bible).
