National 40 Days of Prayer
By Editorial Staff
Published October 1988
The Vision
We Believe:
- that the United States of America is a needy nation – the AIDS epidemic, abortions, drought, alleged improprieties in government, financial debt and insecurity, etc.
- that the Church of Jesus Christ needs to repent of division, indifference, materialism, secularism, and lack of godliness.
- that we need to turn to God in genuine humility, prayer, and repentance – II Chronicles 7:14.
- that critical times in the Bible often resulted in 40 Days of Prayer.
Moses gave himself to prayer and fasting twice for 40 days on Mt. Sinai. The first time (Exodus 24:18-chapter 33) resulted in receiving major revelation from God – the Ten Commandments, laws, and instructions; and entreating God not to destroy the nation of Israel. The second time (Exodus 34:28-35) the Ten Commandments were renewed. Elijah spent 40 days in prayer on Mt. Horeb (I Kings 19:1-18) for personal renewal. The city of Nineveh humbled themselves, repented, fasted, and prayed for 40 days, and God changed His mind about destroying the city. Jesus spent 40 days in the wilderness defeating the devil (Matthew 4:1-11).
- that the present national situation demands extraordinary action.
- that the entire nation is to be called to 40 Days of Prayer September 30 – November 8, 1988 prior to our national election on November 8.
- that all Christians throughout the land are to join in this National 40 Days of Prayer.
Implementation
We Encourage:
- that all prayer ministries in the United States join in calling the nation to 40 Days of Prayer September 30 through November 8.
- that all denominational and other Christian ministry leaders in the United States join in calling their constituents to 40 Days of Prayer.
“… the roots of our greatness as a nation are spiritual and moral. The greatest threat to our civilization is secularization, which has eliminated the spiritual from serious discussion and precipitated epidemic moral decline which exceeds the best and finest efforts of the most powerful. Nothing is clearer than that God alone is able to rescue our decaying society; nothing is clearer than that He waits for His people to reject materialism as a way of life; and that the crisis requires repentance from worldly waywardness and devotion to prayer.”
- Richard C. Halverson
Chaplain, United States Senate
- that prayer ministries, denominational and other Christian ministry groupings, local churches, city-wide groupings, families, and individuals, implement the 40 Days of Prayer as directed by the Holy Spirit.
Some possibilities include: fasting and praying the entire 40 days, fasting and praying for part of the 40 days, having special all-night prayer meetings, having early morning prayer meetings, conducting concerts of prayer, having an around-the-clock prayer chain for the entire 40 days, having special prayer retreats of several days of protracted prayer. Efforts can be sponsored by local churches, all the churches of a given city, denominationally, etc. A great variety of organizational structures can be utilized: be creative; ask God what to do and how to do it; think big, but keep it simple.
- That our turning to God in deep repentance and total dependence needs to become a lifestyle that begins before and continues after the 40 Days of Prayer.
- that reports of significant happenings be sent to the Tacoma address for sharing with others.
Information
For Further Assistance Contact:
National 40 Days of Prayer
6813 North 11th
Tacoma, WA 98406
(206) 752-5763
Blow a trumpet in Zion,
Consecrate a fast, proclaim a solemn assembly,
Gather the people, sanctify the congregation,
Assemble the elders,
Gather the children and the nursing infants.
Let the bridegroom come out of his room
And the bride out of her bridal chamber.
Let the priests, the Lord’s ministers,
Weep between the porch and the altar,
And let them say, “Spare Thy people, O Lord,
And do not make Thine inheritance a reproach,
A byword among the nations.
Why should they among the peoples say,
‘Where is their God?’”
- Joel 2:15-17
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