Introduction
I rise early, before the sun is up; I cry out for help and put my hope in your words.
Psalms 119:147
Background
Devotions will be defined as “time alone with God.” The challenge will be to give God the first 15 minutes of your day (Matt. 6:33) for the next 40 days. To start each day in God’s presence surrendering your will to His (Rom. 12:1).
Worship is the greatest act of intimacy on the planet. It is to know God in the inner man (Ps. 46:10). Each day was meant to be a new encounter with Father God (Eph. 2:18; Romans 8:15) through our Lord Jesus Christ. You were made able, by the blood of Jesus, to enter into the Holy of Holies and commune with God on a moment to moment basis. The greatest gift Jesus provided was access (Heb. 4:16) which was the purpose of the Cross. You were given access to God through the blood of Jesus. His sacrifice made a way for each of us to enter in and enjoy God’s Presence once again.
That is why in John 14:6, Jesus said, “I am the way the truth and the life, and no man can come to the Father except by me.” Jesus is our only access. Jesus made a way by paying the ultimate price for our sins. We can worship the Creator now “in spirit and in truth” (John 4:24). All else in life pales in comparison to the fact we can enter into an ongoing intimate relationship with the Creator of the Universe.
Practically, what does this look like? Here is a simple explanation.
The first thing you want to do is set a time and place to daily meet with God. Note that this time will be the most resisted activity on the planet. The enemy does not want you to spend intimate quality time with God. The reason is because God is the source of all life. Your connection to Him is vital! The enemy knows this and tries to keep us from spending quality time with God. That is why we are going to give Him the first. The first is the best and we are giving that time to Him.
Begin by committing an amount of time you want to spend with Him. Fifteen minutes is a good place to start. Continue for the next 40 days. Next, pick the place where you are going to meet. Choose a comfortable place where you feel relaxed and where you will not be disturbed. This place should be free from distractions so that you can focus all your thoughts on the Lord. This might be in your home or at another location. You decide. Wherever you can get alone with God and open up your heart to the flow of His love will work perfectly. The purpose of this time with God is to encounter His love for you and for you to express your love back to Him (Ps. 27:8, Ps. 143:8). In this place you are going to connect heart to heart with your Creator. Use worship music to help set the mood and train your heart and mind to focus. Focus is a key to spending time alone with God. Hebrews 12:1 tells us to fix our eyes on Jesus. The principle of FOCUS will be your aim in the first moments of the encounter as you quiet yourself before Him (Ps. 62:1).
Use the acrostic for FOCUS to help in connecting with God’s heart:
F – Fix your gaze (Heb 12:2)
O – Open your heart (Rev 3:20a)
C – Connect your Spirit (1 Cor 2:10-12)
U – Usher in His presence (Rev 3:20b)
S – Start the flow (John 7:38)
Start by listening to the worship music and focusing on the Lord Jesus. As you do this, surrender your will over to His will. Express your love to Him in any way you feel. Express your thankfulness for His love and sacrifice. This is a time to turn your heart, mind, will and emotions over to His care (Prov. 3:5,6). Set all your affections on Him (Col. 3:1). Remember His Spirit and your spirit are one (1 Cor. 6:17). As you are listening, let a melody begin to develop while worshiping the Lord in your heart (Eph. 5:18,19). You were created to worship. Worshiping is a heart of surrender accompanied with a passion for God’s Presence. Express your heart to God in thanksgiving and praise. Ps. 100:4 says, “Enter his gates with thanksgiving; go into his courts with praise. Give thanks to Him and praise His name”. Verbalize your appreciation and gratitude. This is adoration for your Creator. Open your heart to His love for you and usher in His Presence. This expression of worship will vary from day to day in both feelings and thoughts expressed.
From here it is a flow. You may just keep listening to different songs. Maybe a particular song ministers to you; repeat it over and over again. You may be directed to read your Bible or a devotional book after some time passes or write in your journal. Keep your Bible, a journal and a pen handy. You may begin praying. Stay open to flow and to what God is directing, all the time keeping your worship music on and enjoying His presence. Even if your mind wanders, do not worry, just gently redirect it back to the Lord. Train your mind and heart to focus on Him. Do not be concerned if you are not feeling anything in these moments, just continue to spend time with Him knowing He is right there with you and doing fresh work in your heart. No two days will be the same.
The reality is this time will grow to be the most important and exciting part of your day. Nothing will compare! Every human has innate needs for freedom, love, acceptance, purpose, and peace which are fulfilled in Him. You need to look no further to have these needs fulfilled. God’s love will overshadow you as you delight yourself in Him. Your love for Him will grow (Eph. 3:17). Soon the 15 minutes will not be enough time, you may find it gradually increasing. At times it will be so amazing you will not want to stop as it becomes more important than anything else. Give it time to develop. God’s presence in your life is all you need. The reality is; He is enough! There is no need to look further!
There are many benefits of spending consistent time with the Lord. You will hear God’s voice clearer. God will speak to you and you will be able to discern His voice from all other voices. You will sense His closeness during the day. You will get a fresh appreciation for His Word. The Word of God will come alive to you. The Bible will speak directly to your heart and your circumstances. The clutter in your mind will start to clear up. You will begin to see God’s purpose more clearly. Carnal desires and toxic negative thinking will begin to diminish. You will feel a new sense of His peace and assurance. The list goes on and on.
God will give you scriptures to read, impressions, thoughts, ideas, things to do and things to remember. Keep your journal close to capture the God thoughts spoken to your heart. Be sure to write them down!
The most challenging part of the First 15 is getting there each morning. Excuses will come to your mind about how impossible it is to meet that day. Do not let them stop you. Be determined! What flows out of those meeting times will be fresh and new for that day. You will not be disappointed! He is the source of your life! You will never be the same!
This is not a formula, but rather an intimate and ongoing relationship with your Creator. The time is unscripted. You are learning to cultivate a continual inner awareness of God’s presence in your life. This takes time and that is why you are being challenged to spend the first 15 minutes with the Lord for the next 40 days. This time is not meant to be a duty that gets dry or boring, but is meant to be the most exciting moment of your day. It is a meeting with God, the Creator of the universe! Like any relationship, it takes quality time together to develop.
It is that simple, start tomorrow, Day 1!
Now all of us can come to the Father through the same Holy Spirit because of what Christ has done for us.
Ephesians 2:18
Frequently Asked Questions
If you want a little more direction as you begin this journey, here are a few common questions people ask. We hope these are a beneficial resource to you. If you still have a question, reach out! We respond quickest to direct messages on Facebook and Instagram.
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What is the 40 Day Worship Experience made up of?
The 40 Day Worship Experience devotional primers are short videos to encourage you in your time alone with the Lord. Watch one each day. They will support you on the 40DWE. God is doing something new in your life each morning. You are opening up your heart to His. Your time alone with God is the most important part of your day! Let the videos encourage your heart to press on and keep meeting with the Lord. You will see changes happening in your heart as you sit with Him!
Do I need to do the experience alone?
No, you do not have to walk through this alone. In fact, we love seeing people connect with others through this process. We call this "linking shields."
The concept of linking shields goes back to the time when the Roman soldiers would link their shields to protect themselves as they advanced towards the enemy. When we join forces with those around us, we become stronger than we would on our own.
“Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed” (Ecclesiastes 4:9 NLT).
Join the Facebook group and be encouraged by others who are meeting with God every morning. Also, ask a friend or two to go on the 40 Day Worship Experience with you. Have them text you, “Good morning,” when they are meeting with God. Text them back, “Good morning,” when you are meeting with God. It’s that simple!
Is there some sort of introduction to the 40 Day Worship Experience?
Yes, we have created an intro page to explain our approach to this experience. You don't have to read through it to get started on Day 1, but it is available on our resources page if you're interested.
This will give an overview of the 40 Day Worship Experience (40 DWE). Read this before you start to catch the vision for meeting each morning with God for the next 40 days. Give God the first 15 minutes of your day, surrender your will to His, and open up your heart to his love. The page will give you practical suggestions for starting the 40 DWE. This will be the beginning of experiencing God’s love in a new way.
What do I do for the 40 days?
Each day, you will receive an email with thoughtful content and Scripture to prompt your time with God. We also include a link to the Surrender Prayer to start your quiet time off and a link to the Facebook Group in case you want to connect further with community.
You can preview what those prompt emails include here: Prompt Preview
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Praying is intimidating to me. Where do I start?
Surrendering our will over to God’s will is such a critical and essential part of our relationship with God. It allows God’s love to flow into our hearts. But, that doesn't mean it isn't daunting to many of us. That is why we wrote a guiding Surrender Prayer.
This Surrender Prayer (linked below) has been used by many to guide their daily surrender to the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. It focuses on giving God the full control of our lives and defeats the insurgence of the flesh—our old nature—into our thoughts and feelings. There is a longer and a shorter version. Both will help guide your first thoughts toward God, allowing you to receive his love afresh. This is the best way to begin the day.
Do I need the book to complete the experience?
The Be with Jesus 365 book is meant to supplement your walk with God and flows nicely with the 40 Day Worship Experience, but you can definitely work through it in your own journal if desired.
Discover a relationship with your Creator that is dynamic, genuine and fresh. The book is about approaching God with simplicity and candor. It is about going beyond religion, ritual, and packaged prayers. You will learn to draw near to God through prayer in an atmosphere of worship—and as you do, you will enjoy your spiritual journey like never before.
This book will be used with the class, “Experiencing God’s Love.” A 40 Day Journal and Study Guide Questions for each chapter are included.
Find out more about the book and how to order it here: Be with Jesus 365 Book >>
What about the class? How does that fit in?
The class will help you grow closer to God and know Him in a more intimate way. It covers 7 simple steps to intimacy with God. You will see how spending time alone with God every day will transform your life.
The class complements the book quite well, so it is easiest to go through those together. However, you can work through them simultaneously or in any sequence you decide.
There are 9 classes. Listen to one class each week and implement the content on a daily basis. Enjoy the journey of drawing near to God. Our goal is to meet with God for the first 15 minutes of the day, for 40 straight days. Don’t get discouraged if you miss a day! Just start up again the next day. Remember, God waits all night for you to get up, and He wants be with you!
I think I'm ready for the 40 Day Worship Experience. Now what?
Our 40 Day Worship Experience page outlines it in clear steps.
- Read the Introduction Page
- Commit to Spending Time Each Day
- Receive Daily Prompts
- Grow Deeper as you Spend Time with God
When you're ready to sign up, provide your name and email address here to opt in for the daily emails.
Dive Deeper
Walking in the Spirit
Learn to live life out of the overflow of His presence.
Read the Book
To know God intimately and walk with Him completely by starting your day in worship and surrender.
Experience God's Love
This course will teach you how to enjoy your time alone with God as you respond to His love.