Before the Ashes: Preparing Your Heart for the Lenten Journey

“Return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning.”— Joel 2:12

There’s a quiet moment that comes just before Lent begins.

It’s the pause before the ashes.

The breath before the words, “Remember that you are dust…”The space where we decide whether this season will simply pass by—or shape us.

For many, Lent arrives quickly. A calendar reminder. A church bulletin announcement. A service we attend and then move on from. But the truth is, Lent is not meant to rush in on us. It’s meant to be entered—thoughtfully, prayerfully, intentionally.

Before the ashes touch our foreheads, God invites us to prepare our hearts.

Lent Begins Before Ash Wednesday

Lent does not begin with what we give up.

It begins with what we give attention to.

The prophet Joel calls God’s people not to outward displays, but to inward return: “Return to me with all your heart.” Long before Jesus set His face toward Jerusalem, there were quiet moments of preparation—prayer in lonely places, conversations with His Father, intentional steps toward obedience. The road to the cross was not impulsive. It was purposeful.

Lent mirrors that journey.

This season invites us to slow down and ask honest questions:

• What has been shaping my heart lately?

• What voices have been loudest in my life?

• Where have I been distracted instead of attentive?

• What is God inviting me to notice again?

Preparing for Lent means acknowledging that something in us needs re-alignment—not because we are failing, but because we are human.

Why the Ashes Matter

Ashes are a symbol we don’t often make room for in modern life.

They remind us of our mortality.

They confront our illusions of control.

They whisper truths we would rather avoid.

And yet, they are traced in the shape of a cross.

Ash Wednesday does not begin with despair—it begins with grace. The ashes say, “You are finite,” but the cross declares, “You are deeply loved.” Joel’s call to return is not a threat, but an invitation—an invitation to come home to God with honesty and humility.

Preparing our hearts before Ash Wednesday allows us to receive that moment not as ritual, but as renewal. When we arrive aware of our need for God, the ashes become an invitation rather than an interruption.

Making Space Before the Season Begins

If Lent is about repentance, reflection, and renewal, then preparation is about space.

Space to listen.

Space to confess.

Space to let God speak before we decide how to respond.

You don’t need a grand plan or a complex spiritual discipline to prepare your heart. You only need a willingness to pause.

You might begin by praying a simple prayer:

“Lord, show me what needs to be set aside so I can walk more closely with You.”

You might choose to limit noise—social media, constant news, endless distractions—and replace it with Scripture or silence.

You might simply sit with the reality that God is already present, already at work, already inviting you deeper.

Preparation is not about perfection. It’s about posture.

Walking Toward the Cross—Together

Lent is never meant to be walked alone.

It is a journey the Church takes together—across sanctuaries large and small, across generations, across life stages. As we prepare our hearts, we also prepare to worship alongside others who are seeking the same grace, the same renewal, the same hope.

When we come to worship during Lent with open hearts, God does something remarkable. He reshapes us—not all at once, but faithfully, gently, over time.

That transformation begins before the ashes.

An Invitation for Ash Wednesday

As this Lenten season begins, I want to invite you to take one intentional step of preparation.

Worship Rising, my new YouTube worship primer, will kick off on Ash Wednesday at 5:00 PM, offering a short, reflective time of Scripture and teaching designed to help prepare your heart for worship. It’s timed intentionally so you can listen before heading to your local church’s Ash Wednesday service. Regular broadcasts will post at 7am on Sunday morning, just in time to prepare you for worship at your local church.

This is not a replacement for your church—it’s a moment to pause, reflect, and orient your heart toward God before you gather with your faith community.

👉 You can find the Worship Rising channel here:https://www.youtube.com/@WorshipRising2026

May this season begin not with hurry, but with holy attentiveness.

Before the ashes, may our hearts already be turned toward the cross.