Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest. And he that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal: that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together. And herein is that saying true, One soweth, and another reapeth. I sent you to reap that whereon ye bestowed no labour: other men laboured, and ye are entered into their labours.
John 4:35-38 (KJV)
May God bless you throughout these 40 days!
During the next 40 days, let’s pray that God will...
...touch our hearts with His love
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.
John 3:16-17 (NIV)
...train our hearts as we share His story with one another
I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his people, and his incomparable great power for us who believe.
Ephesians 1:17-19 (NIV)
...transform our hearts to live His way in the world
And God has given us the privilege of urging everyone to come into his favor and be reconciled to him. … This is the wonderful message He has given us to tell others. We are Christ’s ambassadors.
2 Corinthians 5:18b-20 (LB)
It is our prayer that you will join us in our 40-day commitment to seek God’s guidance and blessing. When we prepared this booklet, we made it a goal to provide material and challenges to help each of us grow spiritually throughout these next few weeks. We thought it would be good to start by focusing on some of the words of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount:
Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it. (Matthew 7:13-14)
Why forty days? It seems to be a time not too long that it becomes unmanageable, yet a time long enough to see something significant done. Forty days for Elijah to walk to the sacred mount when he lost his courage and, in essence, lost his faith. Forty days for Jesus to fast and be tempted as He prepared for His ministry. If God felt His Son needed those forty days to prepare for His three year ministry and trek to the cross, then we can certainly use forty days in our pursuit of spiritual maturity and growth. Are you ready to get started?
