Have you ever wondered what it would be like to walk beside Jesus during those final days before the cross? To see what He saw, feel what He felt, and understand what He was doing?
This Lent, you can do exactly that.
The forty days of Lent aren’t just a religious calendar event. They’re an invitation. Jesus is asking you to join Him on the most important journey in history. And when you accept that invitation, something powerful happens inside you.
Let me show you how.
Why This Journey Matters
Jesus didn’t stumble into the cross by accident. He walked toward it with purpose. Every step was intentional. Every moment was filled with love for you.
“For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:2).
When you walk with Jesus to the cross, you’re not just remembering what happened two thousand years ago. You’re letting the Holy Spirit transform you today. You’re becoming more like Him. You’re learning what it means to truly follow.
That’s what this season is for.
Step 1: Start with Surrender
Jesus began His journey in the Garden of Gethsemane. He prayed words that changed everything: “Not my will, but yours be done” (Luke 22:42).
Your Lent journey starts the same way.
Find a quiet place. Get alone with God. Ask the Holy Spirit to search your heart. Then pray those same words: “Not my will, but Yours.”
What are you holding onto that God is asking you to release? What dreams, plans, or comforts is He calling you to surrender? Don’t rush this. Sit with it. Let the Spirit reveal what needs to go.
Write it down. Be specific. Then pray over each thing you’ve written. Give it to God. All of it.
This isn’t about being miserable. It’s about making room. When you empty your hands of the things you’re clinging to, God can fill them with something better.
Do this at the start of Lent. Return to it when you feel resistance rising. Surrender isn’t a one-time event. It’s a daily choice.
Step 2: Fast from What Distracts You
Jesus fasted for forty days before His ministry began. Fasting creates space for God to move.
But here’s what matters: fast from the right things.
Yes, you can fast from food. That’s biblical and powerful. But you can also fast from noise, entertainment, social media, complaining, or anything else that crowds out God’s voice.
Ask yourself: what fills my time but empties my soul?
That’s what you fast from.
Maybe it’s scrolling through your phone for hours. Maybe it’s binge-watching shows. Maybe it’s the constant stream of news that leaves you anxious and angry.
Choose one thing. Commit to setting it aside during Lent. Use that time to pray, read Scripture, or sit in silence with God.
“Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke?” (Isaiah 58:6).
Fasting breaks chains. It loosens the grip of things that have too much power over you. It clears your vision so you can see Jesus more clearly.
When you fast, you’re saying, “God, You’re enough for me. I don’t need this thing. I need You.”
That’s when breakthroughs happen.
Step 3: Walk the Way of the Cross Daily
Jesus said, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me” (Luke 9:23).
Daily. Not just during Lent. Not just when it’s convenient. Daily.
Taking up your cross means choosing God’s way over your way. It means dying to selfishness, pride, and fear. It means letting the Spirit lead even when it’s hard.
Here’s how to make this practical:
Each morning, before you check your phone or start your day, pray this prayer: “Jesus, I take up my cross today. Show me how to follow You. Help me die to myself and live for You.”
Then pay attention. Throughout the day, the Holy Spirit will give you opportunities to practise this. Someone will cut you off in traffic. A coworker will take credit for your work. Your kids will push every button you have.
In those moments, you choose. Do you react in the flesh? Or do you respond in the Spirit?
Do you demand your rights? Or do you extend grace?
Do you protect your image? Or do you humble yourself?
That’s what carrying your cross looks like in real life. Small deaths to self that lead to real transformation.
Step 4: Embrace the Silence
After Jesus was arrested, He became silent. “When he was accused by the chief priests and the elders, he gave no answer” (Matthew 27:12).
There’s power in silence.
We live in a noisy world. Everyone has an opinion. Everyone wants to be heard. Everyone fights to defend themselves.
But Jesus chose silence. He trusted the Father. He didn’t need to defend Himself or prove His worth.
This Lent, practise the discipline of silence.
Set aside time each day to be completely quiet before God. No music. No talking. No distractions. Just you and Him.
It will feel uncomfortable at first. Your mind will race. You’ll want to fill the silence with prayers or worship songs. Don’t. Just be still.
“Be still, and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10).
In the silence, you learn to hear God’s voice. You discover that you don’t have to defend yourself because God defends you. You find peace that doesn’t depend on circumstances.
Also practise silence in your relationships. When someone criticises you unfairly, resist the urge to immediately fire back. When you’re tempted to gossip, choose quiet instead. When you want to complain, hold your tongue.
Let your silence speak louder than your words.
Step 5: Forgive as You’ve Been Forgiven
On the cross, while they were driving nails through His hands, Jesus prayed, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34).
Forgiveness is at the heart of the cross.
You can’t walk with Jesus to the cross while carrying unforgiveness. It’s too heavy. It will stop you in your tracks.
Who do you need to forgive?
Maybe it’s someone who hurt you deeply. Maybe it’s a parent who failed you. Maybe it’s a friend who betrayed you. Maybe it’s yourself.
Forgiveness doesn’t mean what they did was okay. It doesn’t mean you have to trust them again or put yourself in harm’s way. It means you release them from the debt they owe you. You let God handle the justice. You choose freedom over bitterness.
Here’s a prayer you can pray: “Jesus, I choose to forgive [name]. I release them to You. I let go of the anger and hurt. Fill me with Your love instead.”
You might need to pray this prayer multiple times. Forgiveness is often a process, not a single moment. Keep choosing it. Keep releasing it to God.
“Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you” (Ephesians 4:32).
When you forgive, you step into the freedom Christ died to give you. You become more like Him. And you discover that forgiveness heals you even more than it helps the other person.
Step 6: Spend Time at the Foot of the Cross
Don’t just read about the crucifixion. Sit with it. Meditate on it. Let it break you and remake you.
Read the Gospel accounts slowly. Picture yourself there. What do you see? What do you hear? What do you smell?
You see Jesus stripped and beaten. You hear the crowd mocking Him. You smell the blood and sweat.
But you also see something else: love.
“God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).
Every wound on His back was for you. Every thorn in His crown was for you. Every nail in His hands was for you.
He didn’t die because you’re good. He died because He loves you.
Spend time each week during Lent meditating on a different aspect of the cross. One week, focus on His suffering. Another week, focus on His love. Another week, focus on what His death accomplished.
Let the reality of the cross sink deep into your heart. Don’t rush past it. Don’t sanitise it. Sit in the weight of it.
When you truly see what Jesus did for you, everything changes.
Step 7: Live in the Power of the Spirit
Jesus promised that when He left, He would send the Holy Spirit. “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you” (Acts 1:8).
You’re not walking this journey in your own strength. The same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead lives in you.
That changes everything.
When you feel weak, the Spirit strengthens you. When you don’t know what to pray, the Holy Spirit intercedes for you. When you’re tempted to give up, the Holy Spirit reminds you of God’s promises.
Start each day by inviting the Holy Spirit to fill you fresh. Ask Him to lead you. Ask Him to give you power to overcome. Ask Him to produce His fruit in you: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
Pay attention to His promptings throughout the day. He might nudge you to pray for someone. He might give you a word of encouragement to share. He might warn you to avoid a certain situation.
The more you walk with the Holy Spirit, the more sensitive you become to His voice. You start to recognise His leading. You learn to trust His guidance.
“Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit” (Galatians 5:25).
This isn’t just about getting through Lent. It’s about learning to live every day in the power and presence of God.
Step 8: Serve Others the Way Jesus Served
The night before He was crucified, Jesus washed His disciples’ feet. He, the King of the universe, knelt down and served.
Then He said, “Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you” (John 13:14-15).
Walking with Jesus to the cross means serving others.
Look for ways to serve this Lent. Not big, impressive things that get you noticed. Small, humble acts that reflect Jesus.
Help a neighbour with their groceries. Watch someone’s kids so they can have a break. Send an encouraging text to someone who’s struggling.
Serve without expecting anything in return. Serve even when it’s inconvenient. Serve the people who can’t do anything for you.
That’s what Jesus did. He served knowing that many would reject Him. He served knowing it would cost Him everything.
When you serve like Jesus, you become more like Him. You trade pride for humility. You exchange selfishness for love. You discover that it really is more blessed to give than to receive.
Step 9: Fix Your Eyes on the Resurrection
The cross isn’t the end of the story. It’s the doorway to resurrection.
Jesus walked to the cross knowing what was coming after. He endured the suffering because He knew Sunday was coming.
Don’t get so focused on the pain of the cross that you forget the power of the empty tomb.
“He is not here; he has risen, just as he said” (Matthew 28:6).
Every time you die to yourself during Lent, you’re making space for resurrection life. Every time you surrender something to God, you’re trusting Him to bring something new to life. Every act of obedience is a seed planted that will bear fruit.
Keep your eyes on Jesus. Remember that the same power that raised Him from the dead is at work in you. Nothing you’re facing is too hard for God. No area of your life is beyond His ability to resurrect and restore.
The cross leads to resurrection. Death leads to life. Surrender leads to freedom.
That’s the promise. That’s the hope.
Your Journey Starts Now
You have forty days. Forty days to walk with Jesus like you never have before. Forty days to let the Spirit transform you from the inside out. Forty days to experience the power of the cross in a fresh way.
Don’t waste them.
Start today. Choose one or two of these practices and commit to them for the entire season of Lent. Be consistent. Be intentional. Be open to what God wants to do in you.
This isn’t about being perfect. It’s about being present. It’s about showing up day after day and saying yes to Jesus.
Will it be easy? No. Jesus never promised easy. He promised presence. He promised power. He promised purpose.
Will it be worth it? Absolutely.
When you reach Easter Sunday, you won’t be the same person you are today. You’ll be freer. Stronger. More in love with Jesus. More filled with His Spirit. More like Him.
That’s what this journey is for.
So take the first step. Surrender something today. Fast from something this week. Serve someone tomorrow. Forgive that person you’ve been holding a grudge against.
Walk with Jesus to the cross.
He’s waiting for you. He’s inviting you. And He’ll walk every step with you.
The journey starts now. Will you take it?
