This 40-days-of-study-and-prayer devotional is designed to prepare God's church for Christ's second coming, as well as to reach out to others in preparation for that glorious event. This preparation begins with church members who are willing to commit to 40 days of prayer and devotional study to develop a closer personal relationship with Jesus Christ, and to reach out to five individuals who the Lord has put on their heart to pray for every day.

 Jesus said, "If two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven" (Matt. 18:19). There is great power in united prayer, and there is encouragement and spiritual strength in Christian fellowship. It is suggested that you find a prayer partner to fellowship and pray with, either on the phone or in person, every day during the 40 days of prayer and study.

 To gain the greatest benefit, I recommend that you find several individuals to join with you in using this devotional book. It would be well to meet weekly as a group to share and pray together. Choose one in the group to become your daily fellowship-prayer partner. Each participant in the group will do the same so that he/she may receive the greatest blessings during the 40 days.

 These devotional studies, selections from five books I have written on these subjects with similar titles, are divided into five sections, with eight devotionals in each section:

• The Baptism of the Holy Spirit

• Spirit Baptism and Prayer

• Spirit Baptism and Evangelism

• Spirit Baptism and Abiding in Christ

• Spirit Baptism and Fellowship

 Each devotional study is followed by personal reflection and discussion questions, and a prayer focus for the day, which includes a “prayer verse.”

 If you want to develop a closer relationship with Jesus and reach out to those whom God has put on your heart who have either once known the truth of God's Word and have slipped away, or have never known the warning message God is giving to prepare the world for Christ's soon return, this book is for you. Those on your prayer list may be family members, friends, or coworkers. Make a list of five or more individuals who have either left the church, or were never members of the church, that you plan to pray for and reach out to during the next 40 days in order for the Lord to bring them into His fold in preparation for Christ’s soon return. (They should be people living in your area in order to invite them to church sometime during the next 40 days.)

 Pray for them every day claiming the following Scriptures on their behalf.

• That God will draw them to Himself (John 6:44)

• That they seek to know God (Acts 17:27)

• That they believe the Word of God (1 Thess. 2:13)

• That Satan is bound from blinding them to the truth and that his influences in their life be “cast down” (2 Corinthians 4:4; 10:4,5)

• That the Holy Spirit works in them (John 16:8-13)

• That they turn from sin (Acts 3:19)

• That they believe in Christ as Saviour (John 1:12)

• That they obey Christ as Lord (Matthew 7:21)

• That they take root and grow in Christ (Col. 2:6,7)

 Prayer is the most powerful force on earth. It is essential for one's personal spiritual growth and is the most effective means of reaching others for Christ. Concerning prayer and the- Christian's spiritual growth, Ellen White wrote:

 "Prayer is the breath of the soul. It is the secret of spiritual power. No other means of grace can be substituted, and the health of the soul be preserved. Prayer brings the heart into immediate contact with the Wellspring of life, and strengthens the sinew and muscle of the religious experience. Neglect the exercise of prayer, or engage in prayer spasmodically, now and then, as seems convenient, and you lose your hold on God. The spiritual faculties lose their vitality, the religious experience lacks health and vigor” (Gospel Workers, p. 254).

 Mrs. White also recognized the necessity of prayer in leading others to Christ:

“Through much prayer you must labor for souls, for this is the only method by which you can reach hearts. It is not your work, but the work of Christ who is by your side, that impresses hearts” (Evangelism, p. 341).

 “The Lord will hear our prayers for the conversion of souls” (Messages to Young People, p. 315).

 As you prayerfully consider the suggested ways to reach out to those for whom you are praying you will not only be praying for them, you will also be working to bring them closer to Christ and His church. God will bless your efforts when you pray for, and work for, those on your prayer list. He will not only use you to win others to Christ; He will draw you closer to Himself. Ellen White understood this double blessing when she wrote:

“As you work to answer your own prayers, you will find that God will reveal Himself unto you …. Begin now to reach higher and still higher. Prize the things of heaven above earthly attractions and inducements …. Learn how to pray; learn how to bear a clear and intelligent testimony, and God will be glorified in you” (The Upward Look, p. 256).

 “Their persevering prayers will bring souls to the cross. In cooperation with their self-sacrificing efforts Jesus will move upon hearts, working miracles in the conversion of souls” (Testimonies for the Church, vol. 7, p. 27).

 To facilitate the prayer emphasis there is a “Prayer Activity” section at the end of each day’s devotional which offers a suggested prayer focus for the day, and incorporates Bible verses to include in your prayer. Many verses in the Bible contain a promise and the condition required for the fulfillment of the promise. When you pray these Bible verses you should do two things:

 1. ask God to fulfill the condition (both in you and in the church) that is required for the fulfillment of the promise, and

 2. ask God to fulfill the promise.

In the verses and prayer requests section for the “Prayer Activity”:

The regular type gives the verses that contain both the promise and the condition of fulfillment, and the italicized type gives an example of a prayer you can use to pray the verse, asking God to fulfill the condition, and then asking God to fulfill the promise.

 After His resurrection, Jesus told His disciples that they were to wait to receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit before they went forth to proclaim the gospel to the world:

 “And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me. For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence … But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth” (Acts 1:4-8).

 Even though they had spent the past three and a half years daily with Christ and had seen and participated in a ministry of miracles, they were not ready to witness for Him. They were to wait to receive the power. After they received the baptism of the Holy Spirit, which took place on the day of Pentecost, they would be empowered as never before to witness for Christ:

 “And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance” (Acts 2:1-4).

 Because the baptism of the Holy Spirit (also called the infilling of the Spirit) is so vital to our personal spiritual growth and our witness to others, these 40 devotional lessons will be based on this important teaching in God’s Word. You will have the opportunity to better understand the biblical teaching on the baptism of the Holy Spirit, as well as enter more fully into this Spirit-filled experience.

By choosing to participate in 40 days of study and prayer, you are entering into an amazing and blessed adventure with the Lord. You will experience a deeper relationship with the Lord. You will see the Lord use you to draw others closer to Himself in preparation for His soon return. As you fellowship with your prayer partner and the others participating in the 40 days of prayer and devotional study, you will experience a deeper Christian love and unity with your fellow believers. This will play an important role in your personal spiritual growth.

 In order to get the most from this experience, it is recommended that this be the first thing you do in the morning. It may require rising a little earlier, but the effort will be well rewarded! If you ask the Lord to wake you so you can have some quality time with Him, He will hear and answer your prayer. Concerning Christ’s devotional life Ellen White wrote: “Daily He received a fresh baptism of the Holy Spirit. In the early hours of the new day the Lord awakened Him from His slumbers, and His soul and His lips were anointed with grace, that He might impart to others. His words were given Him fresh from the heavenly courts, words that He might speak in season to the weary and oppressed” (Christ’s Object Lessons, p. 139).

 Christ will do the same for you, if you ask Him. He very much desires to anoint you with His Spirit in preparation for each new day. These devotionals are designed to facilitate just that – a daily anointing of God’s Spirit for personal spiritual growth, and witnessing for Christ.

Please make our major evangelistic outreach for 2011 a part of the prayer focus for each of the 40 days. A 40 Days Instruction Manual is available on the website; www.40daysdevotional.com, to help facilitate a 40 day program in a church setting.