AUTHOR PROFILE
Freeda Bowers
READ: Chapter 1 -- Lord, Something's Got to Give!

Freeda Bowers, author/co-founder of WACX-TV 55, shares the power of prayer and how God led her to pray for 40 days.

SOMETHING’S GOT TO GIVE!

In 1984, with her multiple roles as wife, mother, ministry partner and ministry bookkeeper, Freeda was so consumed with busyness in doing the natural work, that she says she forgot to let God into the process and ended up feeling overloaded.

Working late one Labor Day weekend, she despaired at the thought of getting up early to meet her designated prayer time of 8:00 a.m. at the station. Discouragement engulfed her and she was emotionally and physically exhausted. She began arguing with the Lord, crying out that she couldn’t go to prayer in the morning. She had too much to do and no way to do it at all. Then in her spirit she heard the Lord say, "Prayer is more important." Freeda told the Lord that not everyone could do the books, but others could pray. The Lord refused to debate with her, repeating what He said the first time. The next morning at prayer, with a stack of requests in hand, Freeda felt overwhelmed again, finally saying in desperation, "Lord, something’s got to give!"

"Immediately the Lord spoke to my spirit and said, 'Give Me 40 Days,'" Freeda says. When she told the Lord that He could meet her needs in one day, even at that moment, He told her He had to work through mankind. Again, He said to give Him the 40 days. Freeda acquiesced.

Freeda then realized that her responsibility for that day was to intercede for others, not for herself, though she had several pressing needs. She felt new freedom and faith surge up within. Halfway into that first 40 Days with God, she shared with Claud what God had told her in the prayer room that day. Throughout that time God continually confirmed His assurance that He would meet her needs and He took care of those needs without her cries and petitions.

"I learned more about faith and obedience in those 40 Days than ever before in my Christian walk," Freeda says. Whenever she wanted to pray for herself, God turned her heart to the needs of others. "As I prayed for those needs, God met mine." As her 40 days neared an end, Freeda looked at her work and realized that everything was finished and she had renewed physical strength!

PRAY FOR OTHERS

Giving this first 40 days to God revolutionized her life, Freeda says.

"At the end of those 40 days, my life was changed, not by what I did, but by what God did in me," she says.

Prayer is the greatest and highest privilege that we can have. It is an invitation from the Holy Spirit for us to commune one-on-one with the Creator of all things. 40 Days is a biblical number and mentioned over 120 times in the Bible: for Noah, it rained 40 days, Moses was on Mt. Sinai for 40 days, the spies of Israel spied out the land for 40 days, God strengthened Elijah for 40 days, Jonah preached repentance to Ninevah for 40 days, and Jesus was tempted in the wilderness 40 days.

Freeda now teaches others how to prioritize their time with God so they will see the results of God working in their lives. Be careful to realize that the 40-day journey is not about you, but about your relationship with God. During the 40 days you must pray for others, not for yourself. This spiritual journey helps to develop a mindset of faith.

Praise report: One 82-year-old lady began the 40 days with God after doctors had said they needed to amputate her leg. At the end of the 40 days doctors found a pulse there! She later broke her arm, and at the end of another 40 days doctors removed the cast and there wasn’t even a scar. "I can walk and I can write," she said.

Freeda says God even gave her a bonus blessing at the end of her first 40 days. Her daughter Angela won a local beauty pageant and used that platform to share Jesus all year.

Freeda doesn’t talk so much about fasting because it wasn’t part of her first 40 days with God and she says prayer is more important that anything else. Being in relationship with the Lord is so important.

"Christians need to know this," Freeda says and has written her book to encourage them. Freeda has done many 40 days at the TV station and continues to share and hear how God has blessed.