Lenten Bible Study Reading Guide
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Lent is a season of reflection, repentance, and renewal, leading up to Easter. This 40-day journey can be a time to deepen your relationship with God through prayer, fasting, and Bible study. Below is a 40-day Bible reading plan designed to help guide you through this season, focusing on themes of repentance, faith, and God's love for us.
Week 1: Preparing the Heart for Repentance Day 1: Psalm 51:1-12 Focus: Confession and seeking God’s mercy. Reflect on the importance of acknowledging our sins before God. Day 2: 2 Corinthians 5:20-6:2 Focus: The call for reconciliation and the time for repentance is now. Day 3: Joel 2:12-17 Focus: The prophet calls for repentance and returning to God with all our hearts. Day 4: Isaiah 58:6-9 Focus: True repentance involves humbling ourselves and seeking justice for others. Day 5: Matthew 4:1-11 Focus: Jesus' temptation in the wilderness. Reflect on how Jesus overcame temptation and the role of prayer and fasting. Day 6: Luke 15:11-32 Focus: The Parable of the Prodigal Son, illustrating God’s mercy and the joy of repentance. Day 7: 1 John 1:5-10 Focus: The importance of confession and God’s faithfulness to forgive our sins.
Week 2: Living Out Repentance Day 8: Matthew 5:3-12 Focus: The Beatitudes and how Jesus calls us to live a life of humility, mercy, and purity of heart. Day 9: Psalm 32:1-7 Focus: The blessing of forgiveness and how confession leads to spiritual freedom. Day 10: Luke 18:9-14 Focus: The Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector, teaching us about humility in repentance. Day 11: Hebrews 12:1-13 Focus: The discipline of the Lord and how God's discipline leads us to repentance and restoration. Day 12: Romans 6:1-14 Focus: Living in the freedom of Christ and turning away from sin. Day 13: Ephesians 4:17-32 Focus: Putting off the old self and embracing the new life in Christ through repentance. Day 14: 2 Peter 3:8-18 Focus: The call to be holy and to live in anticipation of Christ’s return.
Week 3: The Role of Prayer and Fasting Day 15: Matthew 6:5-15 Focus: Jesus teaches about prayer and the importance of a humble heart before God. Day 16: Isaiah 58:1-5 Focus: True fasting is not just abstaining from food but seeking justice and mercy. Day 17: Mark 9:14-29 Focus: The power of prayer and fasting in overcoming spiritual struggles. Day 18: Luke 11:1-13 Focus: Jesus teaches us to pray with persistence and faith, trusting in God’s goodness. Day 19: Matthew 9:14-17 Focus: Jesus' teachings on fasting, pointing to a deeper relationship with God. Day 20: 1 Thessalonians 5:16-24 Focus: Rejoicing always, praying continually, and giving thanks in all circumstances. Day 21: Philippians 4:4-7 Focus: The peace that comes through prayer and thanksgiving.
Week 4: Walking in God’s Love and Grace Day 22: Romans 5:1-11 Focus: Justification by faith and the peace we have with God through Christ. Day 23: 2 Corinthians 1:3-7 Focus: Comfort in suffering and how God’s grace sustains us. Day 24: John 3:16-21 Focus: God’s great love for us and the gift of salvation through Christ. Day 25: 1 Peter 1:3-9 Focus: Living with hope through Christ’s resurrection and the call to holiness. Day 26: Ephesians 3:14-21 Focus: Understanding the vastness of God’s love and being rooted in Christ. Day 27: Romans 8:18-39 Focus: The security we have in God’s love and the assurance that nothing can separate us from Him. Day 28: 1 John 4:7-21 Focus: God’s love for us and our calling to love one another as a reflection of His love.
Week 5: Surrender and New Life in Christ Day 29: Luke 9:23-27 Focus: The call to take up our cross and follow Jesus, surrendering to His will. Day 30: Philippians 2:1-11 Focus: The humility of Christ and how we are called to have the same mindset as Him. Day 31: Colossians 3:1-17 Focus: Putting on the new self in Christ, living a life of compassion, kindness, and forgiveness. Day 32: Galatians 2:19-21 Focus: The life we now live in Christ, crucified with Him, and living by faith in God. Day 33: John 12:20-33 Focus: The glory of God through Christ’s sacrifice, and how we too are called to lay down our lives. Day 34: Romans 12:1-8 Focus: Living as living sacrifices, offering our lives to God in worship. Day 35: 2 Corinthians 5:14-21 Focus: The ministry of reconciliation and the new creation we are in Christ.
Holy Week: Reflecting on the Passion and Resurrection Day 36: Matthew 26:36-46 Focus: Jesus’ prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane, His submission to God’s will. Day 37: Matthew 27:11-54 Focus: The crucifixion of Jesus and the immense sacrifice He made for our salvation. Day 38: John 19:28-37 Focus: Jesus’ final words and His sacrifice for us. Day 39: Matthew 28:1-10 Focus: The resurrection of Jesus and the hope of eternal life. Day 40: Romans 8:31-39 Focus: The victory we have in Christ’s resurrection and the assurance that God is for us.