In the Hebrew Bible, forty is often used for time periods, forty days or forty years, which separate "two distinct epochs". Rain fell for "forty days and forty nights" during the Flood (Genesis 7:4).
The significance of these 40 days and 40 nights speak to us about our own times of temptation when we are weak and vulnerable. Through the words of satan, the tempter, and Jesus, the Son of God, we learn how to stand up to temptations.
In religion, 40 seems to be shorthand for “a long time.” Jesus spent 40 days fasting in the wilderness being tempted by the devil; the great flood lasted 40 days and 40 nights; the Jewish people wandered the desert for 40 years.
The number 40 is a very special number in numerology. It is often associated with change, new beginnings, and fresh starts. If you are experiencing a lot of changes in your life, it is likely that the number 40 is playing a role in those events.
1 I waited patiently for the LORD; he turned to me and heard my cry. 2 He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. 3 He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear the LORDand put their trust in him.
This Psalm isn't a prayer so much as a report on a prayer. In Bible times, if you were under duress, you would pray and ask others to pray — and then later you would share what that was like, what transpired, and what God had done. If God does something good for us, can we find the words to share?
A Psalm of David: G. Campbell Morgan speculated, “In this case the reason for the song in all probability was that of the deliverance of David from all the long experience of outlawry and suffering; and the fact that he had been brought to his coronation.”
At 40, the doors are wide open and you can still do anything you want. In Biblical terms the numerical number 40 has significant meaning. Think of the 40 days and 40 nights of rain floods. It took the Israelites 40 years to find the Promised Land, and Jesus spent 40 days in the dessert before his crucifixion.
The concept of fasting for 40 days comes from the example we see in the Bible. Three important men in the Bible were led to do an extended fast – Moses, Elijah, and Jesus.
Forty is typically indicative of a time of testing, trial, penance, purification, and renewal. In the New Testament, forty days is the length of Jesus' time of trial in the desert in preparation for his public ministry, proclaiming the Gospel.
His fast of forty days makes this a holy season of self-denial. By rejecting the devil's temptations he has taught us to rid ourselves of the hidden corruption of evil, and so to share his paschal meal in purity of heart, until we come to its fulfillment in the promised land of heaven.
In conclusion, the factors of 40 are 1, 2, 4, 5, 8, 10, 20 and 40. These numbers can be divided evenly by 40 with no remainder. The definition of a factor is a number that can be multiplied by another number to equal a third number.
40 Days of Prayer is a church-wide campaign that will unite your congregation in prayer. Your people will learn how to pray with more confidence and greater faith than ever before. Most people in your church are struggling with a difficult situation or circumstance.
The 40 Days of Prayer is inspired by Matthew 4:1-11, where Jesus fasted for forty days and forty nights and cited Scripture to resist the temptations of Satan. The forty days serve as a time of fasting and prayer to draw closer to God and strengthen your prayer life.
Why did God make the Israelites wander for 40 years?
They did not believe that God could help them, and the people as a whole were persuaded that it was not possible to take the land. As a result, the entire nation was made to wander in the desert for 40 years, until almost the entire generation of men had died.
Three days later Jesus emerged victorious over death from the tomb. For the next 40 days He taught and ministered to His disciples in what must have been an intensely powerful experience, preparing them for His Ascension into heaven.
God flooded the earth for 40 days and nights. Moses fasted for 40 days, and Jesus wandered the wilderness for, yes, 40 days. Overall, it's a number associated with testing and the hardships one must endure to become more spiritually aware.
In Lent, many Christians commit to fasting, as well as giving up certain luxuries in imitation of Jesus Christ's sacrifice during his journey into the desert for 40 days; this is known as one's Lenten sacrifice.
At 40, many women begin to notice that their lives are changing. This is the time in a woman's, mother's, and/or wife's life where her plate is the fullest. Her kids may be at the age where she worries the most. They are starting to date, drive or even go to college or leave the nest.
Of course, all birthdays are special, but something is more special about the 40th birthday. This phase in your life is considered as Ruby Jubilee, where you may be starting to achieve or have achieved what you had planned as a youngster.
In Psalm 40 David expresses thanks for the Lord's provision and protection of him in the past (40:1–3, 5, 9–10), and expresses confidence that the LORD would deliver him again in the future (40:11, 17), despite the iniquities that threaten to overtake him (40:12).
Psalm 40 sings of a salvation so great that only God could accomplish it. God has loved us in so many ways. The psalmist says to God, “Were I to speak and tell of your deeds, they would be too many to declare.” The many wonders God has done to save us are beautiful.
Isaiah 40 is designed to take your focus away from everything else and consider the Sovereign Lord, the one true, living God. The chapter begins with a message of comfort and redemption from the Lord (verses 1-2). It points to the coming of Christ and good news (9-11).
1 I waited patiently for the LORD; he turned to me and heard my cry. 2 He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. 3 He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God.