Join Us in this Lenten Season
Lent invites us to intentional practices of our faith in preparation for the remembrance of Christ’s death and resurrection. This annual preparation and leaning into these practices prepare us for the times of uncertainty in which we live. To honor this, we chose the theme “Walking as Children of Light.” We invite you and your community to reflect on how our practices of the faith can bring the light of Christ to this world. As we journey toward the cross, we keep the light of Christ shining through us to bear witness to God’s love and justice, to ground us in times of darkness and uncertainty, and to connect us as we raise our voices in advocacy.
The devotional has one entry for each week of Lent. In each entry, you will find a scripture, a reflection, a prayer, and a practice to take through the week. You might work through the guide on your own or with a gathered community. The scriptures assigned follow the Revised Common Lectionary in the event you want to connect this with worship.
A special word about Bread for the World’s Offering of Letters, an annual campaign that engages churches, campuses, and other faith communities in writing personalized letters to Congress on issues related to hunger in the U.S. and around the world. We have written this devotional to both follow the lectionary text and create practices that support the church in participating in writing letters to their members of Congress through the Offering of Letters.
We hope that you will consider participating in an Offering of Letters this year, either by coordinating a group to write letters together, or by writing a letter yourself as part of this greater movement. Letter writing would be especially appropriate for the third week of Lent, though the practice works well for other weeks. To learn more about how to write a letter individually, please visitbread.org/act. To lead an Offering of Letters in your church or community, visit bread.org/ol.
On behalf of Bread for the World staff, we wish you a thoughtful and meaningful Lent.
– Rev. Nancy Neal
Rev. Nancy Neal is the Minister for Spiritual Formation and Wellness at Bread for the World, where she works to create a culture grounded in Christian practice. She is an ordained PC(USA) pastor and has spent her career working to alleviate social inequalities. See her detailed biography at https://www.bread.org/bio/nancy-neal/.
Here are Bread for the World’s 2026 weekly Lent themes:
Ash Wednesday:
We Re-Commit to a Vision of Justice and Freedom
Scripture: Isaiah 58:3a
Reflection:
Ash Wednesday is a special day in the church’s liturgical calendar that marks the start of the Lenten season, a time to focus on penitence, fasting, the journey to the cross, and the joy of the resurrection.
First Sunday of Lent:
We Stand Strong in Tests of Our Faith
Scripture: Matthew 4:1-11
Reflection:
We can be tempted to turn a blind eye to the pain our siblings experience when they go without food and drink, comforting ourselves with Jesus’ response. How do we keep our eyes open and respond to the suffering around us?
Second Sunday of Lent: We Open Our Hearts to Being Born Again
Scripture: John 3:3-8
Reflection:
We must be born of water and Spirit. We must be born from above. The Spirit, like the wind, blows where it will. These images from Jesus stretch our imagination and summon us to a deeper way of seeing.
Third Sunday of Lent: We Imagine a World Made New
Scripture: John 4:39-42
Reflection:
Many of us are familiar with the story of Jesus meeting the Samaritan woman at the well found in the book of John. This story is a picture of a God who pursues us, a God who sees our deepest need and invites us into renewal and deeper relationship with the divine.
Fourth Sunday of Lent:
We Shine Our Light in the Darkness
Scripture: Ephesians 5:8-10
Reflection:
Now that we have the light of Christ within us, we must walk as children of light. In other words, we must live like Jesus, the light of the world.
Fifth Sunday of Lent:
We Let our Hearts Be Broken
Scripture: John 11:33-36
Reflection:
Lent invites us to resist the impulse to turn away or suppress the pain and allow ourselves to “weep with those who weep.”
Palm/Passion Sunday:
We Remember Christ’s Sacrifice
Scripture: Matthew 26:18,26-30
Reflection:
As we journey toward the cross, may we renew our commitment to live as people of the new covenant—broken and poured out in love for the world.
Download Bread for the World’s free Lent devotional for in-depth scriptures, reflections, and prayers.
Bread for the World
Lent Devotional
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