Lent is a season of preparation.

For forty days, the Church walks with Jesus toward the cross. We do not rush ahead to resurrection. We move slowly, intentionally, allowing Scripture to search us and form us. Lent creates space to examine what is shaping our desires, our habits, and our obedience.

From the earliest centuries of the Church, Lent has been marked by repentance, prayer, and fasting. These are not religious exercises meant to impress God. They are practices that train the heart.

Repentance reorders our loyalties.
Prayer deepens our dependence.
Fasting reveals our attachments.

In Scripture, fasting is not about spiritual achievement. It is about exposure. When we remove something we normally rely on, we discover what has been quietly ruling us. We begin to notice how often we reach for comfort, distraction, control, or approval instead of turning toward God.

Fasting does not make us more loved by God. It makes us more aware of how much we need Him.

Lent is not about becoming more disciplined for forty days. It is about becoming more surrendered. It is a season of spiritual clarity. A season to ask honest questions:

What has shaped my thinking?
What controls my reactions?
Where have I grown comfortable instead of obedient?

As we move through the Gospel of Mark, we encounter Jesus as He truly is - the Son of God who announces the Kingdom, confronts sin, shows compassion, and walks steadily toward the cross. His life invites more than admiration. It calls for transformation.

This guide is not meant to be hurried through.
Read slowly.
Fast intentionally.
Pray honestly.
Respond in obedience.

Lent is preparation - not just for Easter Sunday, but for a deeper, more faithful walk with Christ.