Holy 40 (ft Ashley Hetherington)

What is A Holy 40?

A Holy 40 is a challenge that was created by Christian content creator Ashley Hetherington (whom I highly recommend) This is challenge is a way of discipline that you can do in any and all seasons of your life. Its meant to be a point for you to turn around your life and finally start to fixate on Christ once again in the span of 40 days.

How Can I do This Challenge?

While this challenge has very few base rules and is very customizable to your own schedule and routine, you may be struggling on where you want to start. Well, let's start with some of the musts

1. Must be in a 40-day span (studies show that this is the perfect amount of time to establish and ensure good habits)
2. Must be based on godly and holy impacted intentions 
3. Must be willing to let God come into you and change your heart soul and mind

And that's pretty much it!

Starting Off Small

Have you ever started something with so much energy and lots of fire thinking it's the best thin g in the world? Only for the next few days or weeks then you start to feel burnt out, tired and unmotivated. It's going to be the same thing with this challenge you're going to want to jump right into it adding these big goals and habits only to be burnt out super quickly, were going to want to start out slow and steady adding and changing small things until we work our way to the big things. Just like in Hebrews 12:1-3 "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, ² fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. ³ Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart." 

We're not trying to run with speed we're trying to run with endurance this is meant to be a slow process where God can work inside you and change you according to his will

Some Ideas for your Holy 40

• Start waking up earlier (Even changing by 5 minutes can make a huge difference)
• Dedicate an hour of the day to a God sized goal
• Spend time with Jesus for your first hour of the day 
  • Reading the Bible
  • Listen to a podcast
  • Worship music
  • Prayer
  • No social media/try to stay away from your phone
• Move your body for at least 30 minutes take care of your temple
• Nourish your body with heathy whole foods (But keep a balance as well)
• Start a prayer and intentions journal
• No/Little secular music (This is because what you input is what you will output)
• Read scripture morning and night
• Dedicate a specific time and place to prayer
• Prayer walks outside 

Giving Yourself Grace 

You're not going to be perfect I want to say that right now, sometimes you might miss a day or let the un-motivation get to you or something in your life comes up. Even in those times where it is super easy to be discouraged what you need to do is give yourself grace just like God gives you and get back up and try again. Us being human is a trial-and-error process and it's not really about when we fail but about what we do when we fail to get back on our feet and continue to do the will of God!