Why 40 days? Why not 30 or ten? Well, one reason is that we can find several times in the Bible where men met with God for 40 days. One of those examples is Moses.
Not only did Moses spend 40 days praying and fasting while receiving the Covenant laws God made with Israel, he followed it up with another 40 days...twice! You can read more about Moses' encounters with God, both on Mt. Sinai and in the valley in Exodus 24-34. You can also visit our podcast page and here the message from NHC that was given on Sunday, August 10.
What do Moses’ 40 days experiences teach us about God?
1. GOD HAS A PLAN FOR YOUR LIFE. God gave His law to Moses to give to the children of Israel. It was His way of affirming His convenant or contract to be their God and for them to be His people. That was His plan, and even though they tried hard to ruin the plan, God's bigger than our failures. During 40 Days of Prayer it just might be that God wants to reveal to you more of His plan for your life.
2. GOD CAN DO THE SUPERNATURAL IN YOU. Moses went for a total of 120 days without food or water while he prayed. That's physically impossible, right? Absolutely. But it's the impossible that God does so well. And just maybe during 40DOPrayer God is going to work out some kind of miracle in your life.
3. GOD WILL REVEAL HIS TRUE CHARACTER TO YOU. After the final 40 days with God, Moses had one request: "Let me see your glory". God could have answered that prayer, but knowing it would have killed Moses to do so, He responded in His compassion and mercy. He hid Moses in the cleft of the rock and covered him with His hand, allowing him just a glimpse of His "back" as His glory passed by. We don't always pray for the right things, do we? But God always answers us compassionately and graciously. What if God taught you something about Himself that you never grasped before? It could happen.
4. GOD WANTS TO RENEW YOUR SPIRIT. When Moses came down from the mountain he was probably a little hungry and thirsty. But he carried with him a new set of tablets containing the Ten Commandments, preplacing the ones he had broken before upon seeing the idol worship of the golden calf. God gave His people a second chance. Not only that, Moses face glowed from being with God - so much so that his appearance actually frightened them. What difference might it make in your passion for the Lord and for His people when you spend 40 consecutive days praying to Him and for them? Think your batteries might get recharged?
As we prepare for the God-thing we hope will take place at NHC this fall, what of those four points are you especially hoping will happen for you? How can we pray specifically for you?
