Matthew 6;5-8 5 “And whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, so that they may be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward.

6 But whenever you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.[b]

7 “When you are praying, do not heap up empty phrases as the gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard because of their many words.

8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

This week I would like to remind each of us that we are over half way through Lent and to reflect on how it is going?

Do we need to make some midcourse corrections?

Christians traditionally observe Lent with prayer fasting and almsgiving.

It should be a time of preparation for Easter. These disciplines should bring us closer to each other, and closer to God.

Again, how is it going for you? I hope you take some extra time for prayer. I hope Lent finds you more generous. I hope you will consider fasting.

The following is a quote I read recently summarizing one of the Lenten disciplines: To fast is to go without food and drink voluntarily for a certain period of time. Fasting combined with sincere prayer can help you prepare yourself and others to receive God’s blessings. It is a source of spiritual strength. Through fasting we can feel closer to God and strengthen our testimonies.

I hope you continue to have a holy and blessed Lent, Blessings, Dr. Jim Miles First Presbyterian Church