Showing posts with label getting ready. Show all posts
Showing posts with label getting ready. Show all posts

Preparing Spiritually and Emotionally for Passover

How to prepare emotionally and spiritually for the Passover season | Land of Honey
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With Passover, Unleavened Bread, and First Fruits coming up I think we should take a moment to talk about preparing spiritually for these set apart times.

Since Matzah Week calls for a cleaning out of the leaven in our homes it's easy to get focused on that, and end up neglecting emotional and spiritual care in the busyness. But the point of cleaning our homes serves as a picture of what we should be doing internally. Cleaning out the fridge or cupboard let's us find what has gone bad or gotten stale, so that we can remove it before it attracts bugs or spreads it's rottenness to anything else. To make room for something fresh and wonderful. Same thing with evaluating where we are emotionally and with our faith. Get rid of the bad stuff and make room for something better.

How can we do this? Take a few minutes to honestly assess where you are right now, where you came from, and where you would like to be. The Passover season brings us back to the Israelites leaving a place of less (Egypt) and journeying to the Promised Land. Where is YHWH inviting you to if you leave behind what you've settled for? What steps can you take to get there? This time is a celebration of freedom with slaves being set free and that the sacrifice of the Messiah makes this possible for us.

I also recommend reading the story of Exodus and the accounts of the Last Supper to see what jumps out at you. I have no doubt that YHWH has much to speak to you through these parts of Scripture. How does what he is saying fit with your own journey or what steps is he asking you to take to follow him more?

The following are a few simple questions for you to help evaluate yourself. The goal is just to be honest and say what your past year (or so, you can pick how long) was like, and what you're hoping for the upcoming year. You can also do this with your spouse or your family. Pray about the state of your spiritual and emotional health, and then come up with a few doable steps you can take for more positive change in your life. 

Questions to Evaluate Spiritual and Emotional Health:

How was this past year for you? What changes did you go through?

In what ways have you grown recently?

In what ways have you seen YHWH move or be faithful this past year?

Some of your favorite moments from the past year were:

What changes have you made in the past year for spiritual, physical, and emotional health?

Are there changes that YHWH is asking you to make now?

Is there an area you would like to be quicker to turn to prayer in?

The time you most often pray is:

Your favorite time to read Scripture is:

You feel closest to YHWH when:

How do you handle and cope with stress, anxiety, anger, sadness, etc.?

What are three things you do for self care?

What aspect of self care do you need to get better at?

Three things you do for joy are:

Verses you turn to for comfort include:

What are your goals and hopes for the upcoming year? Spiritual or otherwise.

I'm also including this link so you can download and print these questions, so you can contemplate them somewhere other than a device. Asking myself questions like these help me to to have a better sense of the path I have walked on and where I am headed. This is a special part of the Passover season, to remember our own personal exodus and to praise YHWH for the work he has done in our lives. I hope you find this a helpful way to prepare!

Preparing for Passover

Passover is coming up soon! While all of the feasts of YHWH are significant Passover has a special place of importance for believers in the Messiah as it beautifully parallels his life and sacrifice.

My first Passover was when I was 15. While YHWH's feasts are not hard to celebrate if you have never experienced them before it can be a little daunting! I can tell you from experience that each time I celebrate Passover it comes more naturally and the meaning goes deeper in me. Whether you are new to Passover or not, here is some information to keep in mind as you prepare yourself and your home for Passover, Unleavened Bread, and First Fruits.

Preparing for Passover - ideas on how to celebrate this Biblical holiday | Land of Honey

What?
Passover or Pesach commemorates the miraculous rescue of the Israelites from their slavery in Egypt, found in Exodus 1-15. On a deeper level this story speaks volumes on the blood of Yahusha and his salvation, with Passover being the exact day the Messiah was killed because of our transgressions. Passover is one day and it is immediately followed by the Feast of Unleavened Bread or Matzah Week.

When?
Passover falls on the Biblical date of Aviv 14. Since our modern calendar doesn't perfectly mesh up with the Biblical one, the date varies by year, but is normally in late March to early April. Immediately following Passover beings the Feast of Unleavened Bread, also known as the Feast of Matzah, which lasts for seven days. Yep, eight consecutive days of celebration!

Where?
At your house! There are special instructions for our homes during Passover and the Feast of Matzah.

Why?
Exodus 12:1-24 and Leviticus 23:5-8.

What does this mean for me?

No work days.
YHWH is a fan of mandatory vacation! The Passover season gives us two days where work is prohibited - the day right after Passover, the first day of Unleavened Bread, and the second on the last day of Unleavened Bread. We should make plans to have time off from our jobs those days, as well as plan ahead to avoid cooking and housework. I believe this is an intentional instruction to free us up from the distractions that would keep our minds off these special days. More about what a no-work day is here.

Get the leaven out of your house. We are instructed to remove it from our homes and to avoid eating it during the Feast of Unleavened Bread in Exodus 12:19, so we have some Spring cleaning to do. Scripture simply says to remove leaven from your home. The first place to start is by removing yeast and leavened bread from your fridge and pantry. You can use these in the next few weeks and what you can't use can be donated to a soup kitchen. You can learn more about this here. While most of the leaven in our homes is found in the cupboard or refrigerator there can also be some in the form of bread crumbs on the floor or couch, etc. Cleaning our homes and searching out the hidden leaven has obvious spiritual application of searching for sin in us and removing it.

Get the leaven out of your heart. Spend some time prayerfully examining yourself and lifestyle. Does it line up with Scripture? Ask YHWH to help you make changes to honor him with your life. More about spiritual preparation for Passover here.

You'll need matzah. While this doesn't have to be the only thing that you eat, you should eat it some each day - it is called the Feast of Unleavened Bread for a reason. If you plan to purchase it, you'll want to make sure the box reads 'Kosher for Passover,' depending on where you live this might not be easy to find. You can order it online or find a recipe to make your own.

Make plans for a meal. Often called Seder (pronounced say-der), this is the meal of Passover; the meal Yahusha shared with his disciples as his last supper. I like to describe Seder as the Gospel in seven courses. In traditional Seders there is a lengthy meal with many blessings and Scriptures spoken, the story of the Exodus is read, and the foods eaten have rich meaning. It by no means needs to be fancy or complicated and hosting your own is totally doable! You can also search online for a Hebrew Seder meal you can attend online or in person. If you're making plans to have your own at home, see this post.

Celebrate. This is a holiday so make plans to act like it! Put up decorations, find leaven free recipes to try, make crafts with your kids, invite friends over for a special dinner with unleavened bread, watch the Ten Commandments movie, read the story of Passover in Scripture, as well as the Messiah's last supper. The thing that makes these days special is treating them that way. If you need ideas check out these ideas for the Biblical holidays.

More about Passover:
How to Host a Passover Seder
Meal Ideas for the Feast of Unleavened Bread
Passover Bucket List
Things the Messiah Said at Passover

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