40 Day 40 Night

Jessi Navaro who runs the site sent me this to use in the article

Ok here it is….. What I learned from the last challenge? It’s hard to sum up everything that I’ve learned! Much of what we learn is through our own personal experiences and what we put into the challenges we are faced in our lives. And really that’s why this is called the 40 Days and 40 Nights Challenge, it is a challenge and a very unique one at that! For me this last challenge started 40 days before everyone else. I wanted to be able to share of my experiences before asking others to do so. Sometimes I feel like my experience has been a little different then others because of how this all came to be. But I have learned that what has happened to me can happen to anyone.When I first had the impressions to create this challenge it was to help a sister missionary in our area who had been injured and couldn’t walk for 2 weeks (Doctors Orders). We created the first 40 Days and 40 Nights Challenge in less then a week, and then started working with members in our ward.It was kind of a trial and error at first, it worked well, people were reading the Book of Mormon, but a lot of people didn’t know that there was more to the challenge…after about the 3rd one I realized something needed to be changed, it needed to be made simpler. So I came up with this Focused 40 concept.For 40 Days and 40 Nights we focused on 4 scriptures, a quote from talk of some sort, and a task…something to do or ponder about through out the day.So why simple?First off the mission of this Challenge is to “Bring People Closer To Our Savior Jesus Christ Through The Holy Scriptures.” As members of the church we know we believe in the Bible but many outside of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints do not believe or know that we do.This shows that we use all scriptures, and that we are lead today by revelation. Those talks from various resources contain information from those called to teach us or that have been inspired to share with us. The sheet that contained the challenge had things to do throughout the whole month, but it never really got seen and used, so by including these things in a daily task, people were constantly being reminded to do little things. Things that would focus on the subject of that 40 Days and 40 Nights Challenge. Many of these things are the same each 40 Days, just altered a little. By doing this we are building long lasting habits in our life.As people get more comfortable with the challenges they can take things to the next level by reading more from the Standard Works, or listening to the General Conference addresses (although sometimes the quotes come from books and other resources). I tell people this challenge can be as easy or as hard as they want to make it. This is just a guideline to get started. And at times people may find that they need to start studying something else as they are doing this. This Challenge is just the Beginning! As we being to study the scriptures we begin to let our Father in Heaven speak to us and guide us in the things he wants and expects for each of us. As I have created these challenges, that is exactly what has happened to me. I have seen the Hand of the Lord guide me to paths unknown in my life. I have seen him use me for an instrument of good. I have seen how this little idea has helped in Hastening the Work of Salvation. I have felt those subtle promptings of the spirit to do things that I did not understand in my mortal mind, but as I followed those promptings miracles took place! I would say or do things at just the right time, I would be in places I did not intend at the precise moment I was needed.I have been able to understand the Plan of Salvation just a little better and how I am a part of it.So if anyone wants to know what they can gain from doing this challenge…my reply is simply, “Everything!” Everything you can imagine is possible when you are doing the Lords Will! Every blessing under heaven is available to you when the Lord is on your side! It is as simple as that. He will bless you, he will guide you, and he will show you things you never would have thought possible as you turn your heart and mind towards him!