40 Days of Prayer – Week 1
Day 1 – May 28
Day 2 – May 29
Day 3 – May 30
Day 4 – May 31
Day 5 – June 1
Day 6 – June 2
Day 7 – June 3
Day 1 – May 28
Fresh Wind
Ezekiel 37:1-14
The Valley of Dry Bones The hand of the Lord was on me, and he brought me out by the Spirit of the Lord and set me in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones … Then he said to me, “Prophesy to these bones and say to them, ‘Dry bones, hear the word of the Lord! This is what the Sovereign Lord says to these bones: I will make breath enter you, and you will come to life. I will attach tendons to you and make flesh come upon you and cover you with skin; I will put breath in you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the Lord.’ ” So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I was prophesying, there was a noise, a rattling sound, and the bones came together, bone to bone. I looked, and tendons and flesh appeared on them and skin covered them, but there was no breath in them. Then he said to me, “Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to it, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Come, breath, from the four winds and breathe into these slain, that they may live.’ ” So I prophesied as he commanded me, and breath entered them; they came to life and stood up on their feet—a vast army….
Prayer Points
• Prepare our hearts for the Holy Spirit’s transformation
• Spirit, breathe new life into our expectant Army
• Mobilize us to renew God’s life-giving mission through us to our territory
• May the Spirit awaken the whosoever, to hear and receive the good news
Praying The Song Book of The Salvation Army
Breathe on me, breath of God,
Fill me with life anew,
That I may love what thou dost love
And do what thou wouldst do.
(SASB 294)
Prayer
Inspiring and transforming God, we bow before you today and wait in expectation for your love to be poured into our lives through the mighty power of the Holy Spirit. As we advance towards this INSPIRE Conference and Congress, we ask you to renew your work in your Salvation Army. May the Spirit’s breath transform us again into the people that you have called us to be. May the Spirit’s breath give us boldness to engage in your mission in the world. May the Spirit’s breath strangely warm the hearts of those we come into relationship with and prepare them to receive the abundant life that you make available to all who come to you. In the name of Jesus, we pray. Amen.
Day 2 – May 29
Fresh Fire
Acts 2:1-4
When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.
Prayer Points
• Letting go of the world and clinging to Christ
• The fire to refine your people and your Army, so they may be molded more and more into the image of Christ
• The Spirit’s fire to descend on our gathered Army at the INSPIRE Conference and Congress
• Sealing and enabling of the Spirit to engage in God’s mission in the world
Praying The Song Book of The Salvation Army
God of Elijah, hear our cry:
Send the fire!
To make us fit to live or die,
Send the fire!
To burn up every trace of sin,
To bring the light and glory in,
The revolution now begin,
Send the fire!
(SASB 326)
Prayer
Dear Lord and caregiver of all humanity, we humbly bow before you in reverence and fear. You are the one true God who hears and answers our prayers. We confess as individuals and members of your Salvation Army that we have sinned in thought, word and deed, by what we have done and what we have left undone. We come in repentance and seek your forgiveness. By your grace we seek once again to be actively engaged in your mission in the word. It is only by your Spirit’s breath, who comes by fire, that will inspire us and your Army to abide in you as you abide in us, giving us the power to invite others into your love and salvation. May it be so. Amen.
Day 3 – May 30
Revival
Psalm 86:5
You, Lord, are forgiving and good, abounding in love to all who call to you.
Prayer Points
• Revival of prayer
• Revival of justice
• Revival of mercy
• Revival of God’s mission for The Salvation Army
Praying The Song Book of The Salvation Army
My God, I am thine;
What a comfort divine,
What a blessing to know that my Jesus is mine!
Hallelujah, send the glory!
Hallelujah, amen!
Hallelujah, send the glory!
Revive us again.
(SASB [1987] 355)
Prayer
We bow before you, holy Trinity, placing our whole lives before you. We, your people, want to enter your divine dance with your creation. When we look around us, we see your creation, your people and your Army in great need of revival. We hope in your promise that you are making all things new; however, we ask, O Lord, how long? How long before there is justice? How long before there is mercy? How long before the evil around us is conquered by your all-surpassing love? How long before all receive the full life that you promised us in your Word, the Bible? We believe in your promises, blessed Trinity, and we will wait expectantly on your fresh wind, your fresh fire, your revival to capture the spirit of your Salvation Army. Praise be to God. Amen.
Day 4 – May 31
General Brian Peddle
Ephesians 6:19
Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel.
Prayer Points
• The General’s preparation
• The General’s health
• The General’s travel plans
• The General’s Spirit-INSPIRED messages to the people of Canada and Bermuda
Praying The Song Book of The Salvation Army
O thou God of every nation,
We now for thy blessing call;
Fit us for full consecration,
Let the fire from heaven fall.
Bless our Army! Bless our Army!
With thy power baptize us all.
Bless our General, bless our leaders,
Bless our officers as well.
Bless our converts, bless our soldiers;
Speed the war ’gainst sin and hell.
Bless our Army! Bless our Army!
We will all thy goodness tell.
(SASB 926)
Prayer
Our Jesus, our Saviour, Lord, there is none like you. It is a great privilege of all believers to pray for our shepherds as they lead us in your way. As we pray on behalf of General Brian Peddle, we thank you for the many years he has faithfully followed you, inviting others into your magnificent and healing presence. As the General prepares for this INSPIRE Conference and Congress, we know you will be inspiring him to powerfully deliver your message to your people. May the words you give General Peddle convict, inspire, mobilize and provide what we need just now. Maranatha, come, Lord Jesus. Amen.
Day 5 – June 1
Mobilized for Mission
Isaiah 43:19
See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.
Prayer Point
Praying the Vision statement—We are an innovative partner, mobilized to share hopewherever there is hardship, buildingcommunities that are just and know the loveof Jesus.
Praying The Song Book of The Salvation Army
Thou hast called me from the byway
To proclaim thy wondrous love;
Thou hast placed me on the highway
That to all men I may prove
There is mission in my living,
There is meaning in my word;
Savior, in my daily striving
May this message yet be heard.
Chorus:
For thy mission make me holy,
For thy glory make me thine,
Sanctify each moment fully,
Fill my life with love divine.
Have I lost the sense of mission
That inspired my early zeal,
When the fire of thy commission
Did my dedication seal?
Let me hear thy tender pleading,
Let me see thy beckoning hand,
Let me feel thee gently leading
As I bow to thy command.
Lord, release that latent passion
Which in me has dormant lain;
Recreate a deep compassion
That will care and care again.
Needy souls are still my mission,
Sinners yet demand my love;
This must be my life’s ambition,
This alone my heart shall move.
(SASB 682)
Prayer
Holy one, you are awesome in our sight, and we are privileged that you have called us to participate in your mission: in our families, our closest relationships, our churches, our communities and our countries. Make us fit for your mission, where we seek out, through your guidance, innovative relationships and partnerships that bring hope of kingdom-living where you have placed us. Most especially, we pray, where there is darkness, let us forge forward with the light of Christ Jesus. Holy one, you are building a people of power and you are building a people of praise. Let this be our desire as we realize your creative activity in communities centred in you that are just and know the love of Jesus. This we pray in your name. Amen.
Day 6 – June 2
Salvation Story
Romans 10:9-10
If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.
Prayer Points
• God’s equipping to introduce people to have an encounter with Jesus
• God’s equipping to be messengers of salvation
• That salvation remains the rallying cry of God’s Salvation Army
• That this INSPIRE Conference and Congress will be God’s means of bringing more people into a saving relationship with Jesus
Praying The Song Book of The Salvation Army
Have you ever heard of Jesus
Who was buried in the tomb,
And was mourned by his disciples
In despair, defeat and gloom?
By the power of God eternal
He arose on Easter day,
And he lives for our salvation:
He is just the same today!
(SASB 138)
Prayer
Jesus, our Saviour and redeemer, it is our delight to recognize your presence with us as we pray. We thank you for our own salvation story, where you took up residence in our lives, to bring us into a saving relationship with you. You have broken the chains of sin, death and darkness and have brought us into your marvellous light, where we now have life in all its fullness. We pray also for those who will call on your name, because of Holy Spirit’s urging, personal witness and the INSPIRED Conference and Congress. May they acknowledge their need of you, may you spark belief and faith in your name, may we together confess our sins, and confess that you, Jesus, are Lord. This we pray. Amen.
Day 7 – June 3
Truth and Reconciliation
2 Corinthians 5:18
All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation.
Prayer Points
• Confession of sins committed against the Indigenous Peoples of Canada
• Help us all to understand the concerns of Indigenous people
• Restoration of relationship between the ancestors of settlers, newcomers and Indigenous Peoples
• Commitment to be an innovative partner with Indigenous people, to achieve the fullness of life that Jesus has promised
Praying The Song Book of The Salvation Army
He came to give us life in all its fullness,
He came to make the blind to see,
He came to banish death and doubt and darkness,
He came to set his people free.
He liberating love imparted,
He taught men once again to smile;
He came to bind the brokenhearted,
And God and man to reconcile.
He came to give us life in all its fullness,
He came to make the blind to see,
He came to banish death and doubt and darkness,
He came to set His people free.
(SASB 139)
Prayer
Creator God, we come with a heavy heart to confess the sins that have been committed against your children, the Indigenous Peoples of Canada. We have sinned, with sins of commission and omission. Many times the church has come to Indigenous people with a liberating, life-giving gospel and instead have left these proud people in bondage. Creator God, as we meet for this INSPIRE Conference and Congress on lands that were traditional lands of Indigenous Peoples, we ask you to INSPIRE us to be agents of reconciliation. Restore, O Lord, broken relationships and may new innovative partnerships thrive. Amen.
