40 Days of Faith: Day 39—Thank you!

Scripture
"The LORD will guide you always." Isaiah 58:11

"Without faith no one can please God.  Anyone who comes to God must believe that He is real and that He rewards those who truly want to find Him." Hebrews 11:6

"With God's power working in us, God can do much, much more than anything we can ask or imagine." Ephesians 3:20

"I can do everything through Christ who gives me strength." Philippians 4:13

"Let us not get tired of doing what is right for after a while we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t get discouraged and give up." Galatians 6:9

"My God will meet all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus."  Philippians 4:19

"Follow all the directions the Lord has given you. Then life will go well for you…" Deuteronomy 5:33

Thank you for participating in the 40 Days of Faith through reflection, prayer and fasting. God is showing up in great ways in the lives of people.   Thank you for praying, stretching, and believing. It's your prayers that have made the difference.

We prayed that we would see evidence of revival and spiritual awakening in our church. We're praying for over 3,000 people who's names are on our walls. Can you imagine what is going to happen so many lives? 57 people were baptized at Heartland Church in just the last 40 days!

We prayed that we would see an outpouring of the Holy Spirit on our students and children. Our student ministry is exploding! We've seen students baptized, connected to small groups, serving in ministry. I heard yesterday that twelve 6th graders are wanting to be baptized. I'm so excited by what I am seeing God do in young hearts and lives.

We prayed that a spirit of generosity would be contagious. Over 850 LoveINDY boxes are already being filled! We'll have no difficultly reaching the 1,000 family goal over the next few weeks.

What is God doing in your life? In the last 40 days has God given you a faith testimony? Are you…

• Experiencing the sweetness of His presence?
• Understanding the wonders of His grace?
• Growing in your ability to trust God?
• Discovering His guiding hand in a major decision?
• Finding a new sense of freedom and healing from the hurts of the past?
• Realizing a victory over a nagging area of sin in your life?
• Embracing a spiritual breakthrough in your life?

How has God shown up in your life in the last 40 days? Make sure you write it down, and reflect upon it with a thankful heart. Share what you've learned. What would you say to others because of what you've experienced?
 
If you're still waiting on God, don't give up. Be determined like Jacob who wrestled with God and said, "I will not let you go unless you bless me." (Genesis 32:26) let Him go until He blessed him.  In this, Jacob experienced the transformational power of God that marked not only his life in that moment but also his decedents for eternity.
 
I encourage you to keep up the habit of a daily time with God. May we continue to experience what Jesus taught his disciples, "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled." (Matthew 5:6)

Thought
"Make sure you make time for God. Those who are in important positions are often busy and will be tempted to leave time for communion with God until last. Guess what? You will never have anytime for God. Be firm with yourself. Don't let the confusion of the day crowd out your time with God." —François Fénelon¹

"It is not that I have bent God towards me through fasting, but that I, though fasting, have bent my heart towards Him." —Gary Rohrmayer

Prayer
Father in Heaven, Thank you for what you've done in our lives. Thank you for changed lives. Thank you for what you are going to do. You can do much, much more than anything we can ask or imagine. Please keep growing our faith and help us to do everything you say. Bless every person who took new risks of faith over these 40 Days. I'm grateful to you, especially for amazing grace you've given to all of us through Jesus. It's in his name, I pray, Amen.

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¹Fénelon, François de Salignac de La Mothe-, and Hal McElwaine Helms. The Royal Way of the Cross: Letters and Spiritual Counsels of François De Salignac De La Mothe-Fénelon ; Translated by H. Sidney Lear ; Edited by Hal M. Helms. Orleans, MA: Paraclete Press, 1982.