Based on your personal experience, why do you think living these 40 days of Lent is important for your spiritual commitment?

If someone would've asked me this exact same question about 9 years ago, my answer would've been "to honor the 40 days that Jesus spent in the desert." However, after growing in my faith, and seeing the many things that God does for us, his children, I have to say that it is very important to live these 40 days of Lent for my spiritual commitment because it allows us to grow a much stronger relationship with God, especially during Holy Week as we go through the rituals of the suffering of His Passion.