Purpose of this Initiative
During the Global 40 Days of Love we hope to see 100 million Christ-Followers around the world pray for, love on, and share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with at least 10 people in their sphere of influence. This has the potential of transforming over 1 billion lives.
Our long-term desire is that the 40 Days will be used by God to launch a Prayer, Care, Share Lifestyle in Every Participating Congregation, Every Community, Every Sphere of Influence, Every Ethnicity, Every Denomination and Every Generation. Ultimately meaning that every man, woman, and child will have repeated opportunities to see, hear and respond to the Gospel.
Background of the 40 Days of Love
Click here to read testimonies of what God has done as the 40 Days of Love has taken place in various nations.
THE NEED
There are billions of people presently living who have never had an opportunity to see, hear and respond to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Others have had a chance to hear about Jesus, but they have not yet responded for a variety of reasons. When Jesus completed His earthly ministry He entrusted His people with His mission. As the Church of Jesus Christ this mission should be greater than anything that has divided us in the past.
The BIG Question
What is being requested of a ministry that agrees to participate with the 40 Days of Love?
Each participating ministry agrees to share the following challenge with their membership. Promotion and implementation can look however you choose to do it within your local context.
1. First Love (Matthew 22:36-38)
For the first 10 days of the 40 Days we are encouraging participating congregations/communities to set this time apart as a season to seek the Lord in fasting and prayer. It is a time of repentance and returning to our “First Love” Jesus Christ.
A. Prayer, Care, Share Guides distributed to individual participants.
B. Corporate times of united prayer at the congregational/community/city level are encouraged. (Expressions of this corporate prayer can be whatever God leads from location to location: From individual congregations calling for prayer & fasting within their ministries, to a multi-site/city-wide model that rotates location every day, to a single-site prayer tent in the center of the city with hundreds of congregations participating!)
2. Engage (Matthew 22:39-40, Matthew 28:18-20)
Coming out of this season of consecration, we will seek to purposefully engage our sphere of influence with the Person of Jesus. During these days:
A. Every individual is encouraged to purposefully Pray, Care, and Share the Gospel with at least 10 people in their sphere of influence.
B. Corporate opportunities provided at the congregational/community/city level to engage in a Prayer, Care, Share Lifestyle. (Expressions of this can be as unique as the community/sphere of influence that you are seeking to engage with the Gospel. How does GOD want His Church praying for, loving on and sharing the Gospel with your community during these days? Let His Holy Spirit be the One who determines what this will look like in your area.)
There are three lifestyle components that the 40 Days of Love desires to emphasize with the members of each participating congregation:
PRAYER
Practical Goal: Daily take time to pray specifically for yourself, your family and your sphere of influence.
CARE
Practical Goal: Daily ask God to show you at least one person that He would have you care for.
SHARE
Practical Goal: Daily ask God to give you opportunities to give testimony of what Jesus Christ has done in your life. Share when God opens the door.
