Day 36 - Lent 2026

AN INVITATION TO SURRENDER

Scripture:

“I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.  And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.”

Ezekiel 36:26-27

Thought:

Lent invites us into more than sacrifice; it invites us into surrender. In Ezekiel 36:26–27, God makes a promise that feels both intimate and powerful: “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you.” Life has a way of hardening us. Disappointments, grief, betrayal, and seasons of silent endurance can slowly turn parts of our hearts to stone. We build protective layers just to survive, and if I’m honest, there were seasons when I didn’t even realize how guarded I had become. Yet God does not condemn us for the ways we have shielded ourselves. Instead, He lovingly promises replacement, not repair a heart of flesh where there was once stone. Renewal is not about striving harder or performing better; it is about allowing God to do an inner work that we cannot do on our own.

True growth begins from the inside out. When God places His Spirit within us, transformation becomes more than behavior modification, it becomes heart restoration. A softened heart allows us to trust again, love again, and hope again. It allows us to release bitterness and choose peace, to embrace faith over fear, and to move forward without the weight of what once hardened us. This Lenten season is an invitation to believe that God is still shaping us, still refining us, still making us new. Renewal may feel uncomfortable at times, but it is holy work. And when we surrender to it, we discover that growth is not about becoming someone else, it is about becoming who God has always intended us to be.

Prayer:

Gracious and Renewing God,

Thank You for Your promise to give us a new heart and a new spirit. You see the places where life has hardened us; the disappointments, the grief, the silent struggles, and yet you do not turn away. Instead, you offer renewal. Lord, soften what has become guarded, heal what has been wounded, and remove anything within us that no longer reflects Your love.

As we journey through this Lenten season, help us surrender fully to the work You are doing inside of us. Teach us to embrace growth, even when it feels uncomfortable, and to trust that transformation begins with You. Fill us with Your Spirit so that we may walk in faith, extend grace, and live with hearts made new.

In Jesus’ name,

Amen.

       SUBMITTED BY ELDER ELLASHIA SPAULDING