Lent: Forty Days Of Less
Subtraction as a spiritual practice.
On giving something up and what it uncovers.
The big idea
Fasting is not about the thing you gave up. It is about what surfaces once it is gone.
What does “Lent: Forty Days Of Less” walk through?
In Secret
Matthew 6:6 · KJV
But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.
In plain English
When you pray, go into your room, shut the door, and pray to your Father who is unseen. He sees in secret and will reward you.
Not For An Audience
Jesus assumes fasting will happen and insists it stay hidden. A fast you tell everyone about has already been paid out.
Create In Me
Psalms 51:10 · KJV
Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.
In plain English
Create in me a clean heart, God, and renew a right spirit within me.
“Take away the thing you reach for and you will meet whatever you were reaching away from.”
Submit, Resist
James 4:7 · KJV
Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
In plain English
So surrender to God. Resist the devil, and he will run from you.
Daily Bread
Matthew 6:11 · KJV
Give us this day our daily bread.
In plain English
Give us today the bread we need for today.
Less To Find More
Subtraction makes room. That is the whole logic — not punishment, but space for something that was being crowded out.
Pray
God, show me what I am reaching for instead of you. Amen.
Write it down
What could you give up for a season, and what might it uncover?
Make room
Remove one thing. See what fills the gap.
Which passages does this journey use?
4 passages, drawn from Matthew 6:6, Psalms 51:10, James 4:7, Matthew 6:11. Every verse appears here in the King James text with a plain-English line beside it, so you can read it without a commentary open. Allow about 7 minutes for the whole thing, or 8 short sittings.
- Matthew 6:6
- Psalms 51:10
- James 4:7
- Matthew 6:11
Read any of these in full on the complete KJV, or look the wording up independently at Blue Letter Bible.
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