41. 40-Day Devotions lead to Chain reaction – The books “Steps to Personal Revival” and the “40-Day Book” No.1 were like a fire that was kindled in our hearts. On 8th November 2012, the time had come! We started every morning at seven o’clock with our phone calls. We also read  “Steps …” several times. It brought us great joy when we had answers to prayer and could talk about it at church. After a few weeks, another group of 5 people from our small church (17 members) started their prayers using Skype. On 17 December 2012, our first “40 days” finished. We decided to continue with a second round in the new year. In the meantime, we established a prayer circle within the church, which meets once a fortnight and is attended by six to ten church members and guests. With prayer, singing and devotional texts, this circle has become an indispensable part of our church. In autumn 2013, we started praying together for people to join us, to “augment” the blessing. In January 2014, two persons came to us and asked to join our prayer group. One person is guest in our church. What a miracle of God! As soon as we had finished this series of devotions, more people were already showing interest. In the spring of 2014, before the publication of the third book of the 40-day devotions, we again began the devotions using the second book with a guest to our church and a parishioner from another church. In the meantime, we had given the “Steps” to all members and permanent guests. Even in parcels, letters, or as a gift to relatives and friends, the material went on journeys. Many people called us and asked us to tell us what experiences we had with the devotions. Starting the first 40-day devotion had led to a chain reaction. We thank God for His love, kindness and grace and for the many miracles that we have been able to witness in the last year and a half.   R.A.and E.W.

42. Anticipated for a Long Time – I cannot tell you how much I enjoyed the awakening booklet. I have long waited for a message like this. I only came to believe at age 50 after living for many years without God, because I knew hardly anything about him. I have the strong need to make up for the time lost and therefore read a lot in the Bible. The brochure is a great support for me.    H.K.

43. Moving Thoughts – The thoughts from “Steps to Personal Revival” do not lose their grip on me, even though I have read them many times. Only now do I begin to understand the implications better and I am very grateful.    J. U.

44. Progression of the book “Steps to Personal Revival” – The unexpectedly great interest in the booklet indicates that there is a great desire for a life in the Holy Spirit. The booklet had to be re-printed five times, although the editions were high (including a fourth, extended German edition). A sister translated it into Hungarian and a brother into Russian. (In the meantime it was translated: English, French, Czech, Serbian, Croatian, Danish, Romanian, Bulgarian, Swedish, Polish, Spanish, Portuguese, Urdu (Pakistan, 6 countries of India), Hindi (India), Telugu (India), Odiya (India), Mizo (India), Filipino-Tagalog, Bahasa-Indonesia, Amharic (Ethiopia), Kirundi (Burundi East-Africa), Kinyarwanda (Rwanda East-Africa).[Translations update April 2017] In April, it was suggested to offer this booklet to other churches and communities. An evangelical home church in Hamburg asked for ten copies. A church member distributed 60 copies in a Christian psychiatric clinic to staff and patients and received only positive reactions. Therefore, we deleted a few Adventist specifics in the third edition. This means that there is no obstacle to pass on the booklet to people outside the church. For me personally, it is important to know that God wanted this booklet to be published. Two leading brethren recommended having them printed after reading the manuscript (three sermons). I did not think it was feasible, and I did not do anything because I thought that such a publication meant more work for a publisher than merit. Then God called a brother of the German-Swiss Conference. He suggested that he print “Steps for Personal Revival” as a pamphlet. After we had clarified some questions, he took matters into his own hands. He commissioned a designer, asked for Henry Stober’s photographs, asked his parents to correct the text, checked all the references, and got quotes from four printers. God also provided for the financing, so that the book could be handed over free of charge to all Adventist households in the Conference. We received the consent of the German-Swiss Conference, the Austrian Union, and the Baden-Württemberg Conference, so that all the churches could be supplied with the booklets. This offer now applies to all Conferences. Please share your experiences with the mission leaders of your conference. The book “40-Days Prayers and  Devotions to Prepare for the Second Coming” by Dennis Smith (Vienna 2012) also had to be reprinted after half a year in a third edition (meanwhile there is a 4th edition). A preacher told me on the phone: “I have not previously seen a book that has moved as much as this one!” I thank God from the bottom of my heart for the great interest and all the experiences.

Other church members talked to me about producing a video, an e-book in two versions via Amazon, and someone asked permission to publish it as an audio book. Meanwhile there is a special website with all languages to read, download and sending to friends: www.steps-to-personal-revival.info      Helmut Haubeil

45. The 40-Day Concept – The 40-day concept is the best program I have known so far to grow spiritually and to rouse interest in the mission. It is based on God’s Word and the participants can benefit in the following areas:

1. A profound and growing personal relationship with Jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit
2. Strengthening of prayer life
3. Growth in Christian fellowship amongst them
4. Strengthening of spiritual life through the 40 devotions in the Holy Spirit
5. Spiritual influence on five people through intercessory prayer
6. Evangelistic motivation – joy of testimonies (discussions, Bible studies, missionary house circles, lecture series/seminars, expos)

How to achieve this?

Conduct a 40-day prayer time in pairs. Each participant is invited to make intercession for five persons and to establish and maintain contact with them. At the end of the 40 days, all those we have prayed for are invited to a special visitors Sabbath service. There they will be invited to participate in an evangelistic program that starts about ten days later.

The program is explained in detail in all 40-day devotional books in the chapter “Introduction and Overview”. Those who want to lead a group or congregation through this program can find a 17-page explanation in German and English on www.missionsbrief.de – 40 days – “Instructions for Prayer Meetings/ 40-day-Concept” and a letter for inviting the parishioners. In addition, a presentation of the 40-day book No. 1 with text and a seven-minute trailer are available. However, if someone simply reads the booklet “Steps to Personal Revival” or the 40-day books, he may not grasp their meaning sufficiently. For him, they may just appear to be good books about the Holy Spirit. So how can one experience what is described there? The experiences of Dennis Smith and the letters I received show the following possibilities: Whoever keeps praying with a prayer partner for 40 days, will experience the spiritual power.

Educational research has shown that it is necessary to read or hear a crucial topic six to ten times before it is really understood. I myself and others have tried this with success. In the 16 years of serving as a preacher in the districts of Regensburg, Munich-East and Saarbrücken, we have carried out five long-term evangelizations over at least 50 evenings with God’s help (even then this was considered “impossible”). By God’s grace, we were allowed to lead people to Jesus and to the church. However, we could have saved ourselves a lot of effort and finances, and still achieved better results if we had carried out the 40-day program with the church members. The fruit of the spirit, can only be worked through “God’s Spirit”! It is recommended to carry out an evangelistic program following the “40 days”. This sets a clear goal for our intercession for unreached people. We can invite these people to a visitor’s Sabbath and there to the subsequent evangelization or house groups or Bible studies. If you cannot find a speaker for a program, excellent video series can be used. You can find them on: www.gotterfahren.info – chapter “Wege zum Ziel” (only in German).

Since I learned of the experience of a teacher and her 14-year-old student, I often have to think of this boy in conjunction with the Bible word: “Then the Spirit of the Lord will come upon you, and you will prophesy with them and be turned into another man.” (1 Samuel 10: 6).

One thing is certain to me: If I were responsible for a conference, I would pray that “my” congregations be inspired and enthusiastic to carry out the 40-day concept. In a church in Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon), Vietnam, a chapter from the 40-days book is read during every worship, to win the church members for the message of revival.

Another 15 suggestions are available at www.missionsbrief.de – 40 days – “Attractive Christianity – How to rouse Interest in the Life with the Holy Spirit?” You find it also at www.steps-to-personal-revival.info

46. Then my Eyes Opened – For the last 40 years, I have been a Seventh-day Adventist. I have always longed for a profound relationship with Jesus. What I read in the Bible and in the books of Ellen White always touched me. Only that I had never managed to find a regular prayer life and a deep security in God until about two years ago. When I heard missionaries report what they were experiencing with God, I also had a desire for such experiences and to become a joyful witness for God. Then I received the book “Steps to Personal Revival” and I noticed that I was actually a “carnal Christian”. The path that has been laid out to becoming a spiritual Christian is easy to understand and easy to follow.

That was very important to me. Until then I had not realized that a daily surrender to Jesus Christ and request for the Holy Spirit was important for a powerful life with God. So I began to study the 40-day devotional books each morning, whereby I became accustomed to a regular prayer life. All of a sudden, I had a longing for a relationship with God. Reading the Bible has become a necessity for me. Time flies. I also felt deep sadness about the mistakes I made in my life, and I do not want to make them anymore. Ever since I ask Jesus into my heart to change me through the Holy Spirit and make me similar to him, I notice that things and activities, which earlier I thought to be ok, I no longer like. And when I can tell of Jesus Christ, I am filled with great joy. I’m curious to learn what God has in store for me. In any case, I want to do His will in my life and honour Him with all that I am and have.       A. L.

47. Marvellously Guided – I would like to start this report with a poem by Arno Pötsch – somewhat modified to my life:

I know this well,
From my life’s journey
That on all days,
The hand of God has kept me.
Despite fears, burdens and worries
And even where I did not realize it,
I found myself always safe,
In God’s watch and care.
How shall I ever forget, what God has done for me,
From the very beginning.
I can only watch in amazement, the divine marvellous GRACE
And entrust myself to You, in happiness as well as in suffering and guilt.

In hindsight I realize God’s intervention in my life. This makes me very grateful to my God. I am a happy child of God, loved by Him. Five years ago, in July 2010, my husband suddenly died after a fall in a clinic. He was there for a routine examination, and was to be released in the next few days. But he got up from the bed one afternoon and fell, hitting his head on the bedside table, suffering a ten-inch-long cerebral tear, which led to death about five hours later. At that time I was still working for a homeless shelter and visited him every afternoon in the clinic. On this day I came to the clinic a little later than usual, as I had taken some of my charges on a harbour tour in Mannheim.

The doctor told me the sad news. They had not been able to operate on my husband any more since blood had already entered the brain when he was found. I do not want to describe my condition at that time. How could God allow my husband to fall while I was sightseeing with my people and having a particularly nice afternoon? I lived with this “why” for a long time and was not able to cope for a long time. My husband was a literature evangelist for 33 years and the LE meetings were always something special, for us wives too. At such a meeting in Freudenstadt in 2014, I met a dear sister from Augsburg. She told me about the books, “Steps to Personal Revival,” and “Abide in Jesus .” She sent me both books, and from then on my questions about the “Why” ceased. Praying for the Holy Spirit has helped me a lot, I know now that God does not make any mistakes, and I will know why He has done what He did. Last autumn, my youngest son also died, but through the wonderful connection to God and through the Holy Spirit, I am not broken. My son died in faith. I will see him again, and that makes me happy and grateful. Again and again I worked through these two books, and I also gave many away, because I am certain that praying for the Holy Spirit is changing us. I pray and pray that these two books will become a special blessing to many sisters and brothers, and also to people who search for God.    E. W.

48. Not properly Understood – At the age of 8, I first realized that Jesus loved me, so I always wanted to be faithful to him. About 55 years ago, I was baptized as a young girl and I tried to be a good Christian. But it was only through the books “Steps to Personal Revival” and “Abide in Jesus” by Helmut Haubeil that I realized that there was a lot that I had not understood. I was a “carnal” Christian. The meaning of Romans 7 and 8 has only now become clear to me. Since I pray daily for the Holy Spirit, my spiritual life has changed.       M.F.

49. www.gotterfahren.info Fulfilled Life in a Personal Relationship with God – The business card of www.gotterfahren.info (a German Website for people who are looking for a personal relationship with God) came with a delivery to the bookshop, where I worked for a few months and where I also received Bible studies. The website first appealed to me in terms of colour and layout. However, the experiences and the lectures of Kurt Hasel are particularly interesting. This website is not only very informative, but also diverse and I can pick what I need at any given time. Among other things, I could learn about my prayer life and my relationship with Jesus and what is important and valuable for a Christian life. For someone like me, who is just beginning to re-discover his life, this site is very useful. Gently, with small steps www.gotterfahren.info leads to more understanding of a life in JESUS CHRIST and with GOD and cuts down prejudices against a Christian life. The site is fresh and modern, transparent and clear. Thanks to JESUS CHRIST, I have no more fear of the future. I am free, full of His peace and rich in heart. And I have the certainty that someone loves me so much that he gave his life for me.      C.R.

50. Mayor Results – Since the book “Steps to Personal Revival” has brought great results in my life, I believe that it is God’s will that the book should also be translated into the Bulgarian language. I come originally from Bulgaria.       D. S. (A team was formed that translated the book into the Bulgarian language.)

51. Four people baptized! – Since we read the 40-day books and live with the Holy Spirit, we receive many blessings. In September 2014, four people gave Jesus their lives in baptism. Besides, four members from a neighboring congregation joined us, so that our church for the first time counts 50 members. I want to praise God for that.      B. R. (edited and shortened)

52. Decades of distance overcome – My sister and I had no good contact for decades – we are very different. Twenty years ago, I began to pray for her. A short time later, she found God. From this point on we phoned more often. But I was glad that she lived far away from me, because I still could not stand her behaviour. We saw each other only once a year for a short time. Meanwhile, I read the 40-day book No. 1 with a church member. But I wanted to study this book again with someone else. Unfortunately I found no one. Incidentally, I told my sister about my unsuccessful search. She replied, “You have not asked me yet!” I was speechless. She is not a member of the Adventist church. Since then, we have studied the 40-days No. 1 twice over Skype, and we are currently reading the 40-days No. 2. My sister was very interested – we went very deep. Sometimes we talked for hours. Our prayers were also becoming more intense. My life with God has changed drastically. There were things we did not think possible. One day, I asked my sister if she did not want to come and live with me – the Holy Spirit moved me to say this. My sister is now staying with me and will support me in my missionary project. She is also preparing for baptism. She wanted to break off the relationship with her boyfriend, since he was not a Christian. But her move to me was delayed by four weeks. During this time, her boyfriend showed an interest in God. Now they often talk over the phone and ending each conversation with a prayer.      R.M.