Holy Week Challenge

Holy week is an opportunity for you to examine your spiritual life and make any necessary changes in anticipation of Easter.  First and foremost you should consider your relationship with God.

Most of us will find ourselves in one of five places:

1.      It is possible to attend church services for years and never enter into a relationship with God. God is more than a distant being who created the universe and established guidelines for moral living. Christians believe that in Christ we can have a friendship with God that is real and interactive.

2.      It is also possible to drift away from our relationship with God. We may have accepted Christ or followed Him more faithfully in an earlier season of life but we have sense drifted away from Him.

3.      Another possibility is that while we have accepted Christ and have been following Him we have not been making any progress in our faith. In other words, it may be that we have been coasting spiritually.

4.      Another possibility is that we have accepted Christ, have been following Him and have been experiencing growth in our spiritual life. If this is the case Holy Week is a time to give special thanks to God.

5.      One last possibility is that we are uncertain about God and about whether or not we want to be a Christian at all. We may have questions that need answering, difficult experiences we can’t reconcile with the concept of a loving God. If this is the case Holy Week is a time to ask God for guidance, to talk to someone about your questions, and to realize that doubts are part of the spiritual life.

Accepting or Re-Committing to Christ as Lord and Savior

If possible use your own words to admit your sin (you’ve messed up) and that you need God to save you from your sin and guide you in your life.  You can pray aloud or silently in your heart, if you’re not sure what to say you can use this prayer as a guide:

Heavenly Father, thank you that you love the world so much that you sent Jesus to bring us full and free forgiveness and a whole new life. Please forgive me all that I have done to offend you. Send your Holy Spirit into my life and lead me in your ways. Let me live in your forgiveness, purpose, and hope. For Jesus’ sake. Amen.