40 Days of Prayer - Week 2
Day 8 - June 4
Day 9 - June 5
Day 10 - June 6
Day 11 - June 7
Day 12 - June 8
Day 13 - June 9
Day 14 - June 10
Day 8 - June 4
Adoration
Psalm 30:11-12
You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, that my heart may sing your praises and not be silent. Lord my God, I will praise you for ever.
Prayer Points
• Praise God for salvation
• Praise God for creation
• Praise God for family, community and country
• Praise God for partnership in God’s mission
Praying The Song Book of The Salvation Army
When morning gilds the skies,
My heart awaking cries:
May Jesus Christ be praised!
Alike at work and prayer
To Jesus I repair;
May Jesus Christ be praised!
(SASB 204)
Prayer
Divine Lord, you are transcendent in your majesty. We pray that we will be inspired by the worship, witness and wonder of the INSPIRE Conference and Congress. We pray with anticipation that the singers, speakers, dancers, musicians, participants and gospel artists will sing out new songs that will usher us into your holy presence. Divine Lord, you are creator and you are to be praised. Divine Lord, you are the author of salvation and we are amazed that this salvation is for the whosoever. Divine Lord, we pray the words of Moses in Exodus and the words on the mercy seat at the former College for Officer Training at 2130 Bayview Avenue in Toronto: “Show us your glory.” Yours is the power and the glory. May it be so. Amen.
Day 9 - June 5
Renewed Energy
Isaiah 40:28-31
Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.
Prayer Points
• Healing and renewal of strength
• Renewed receptivity to the Spirit’s teaching and guiding
• A passion for God’s mission in our lives and in the world
• Compassion for the tired and weary
Praying The Song Book of The Salvation Army
Yes, the Lord is my shepherd,
I have all that I need,
I rely on his kindness, I allow him to lead.
He gives rest, he gives quietness,
He restores me within,
And he strengthens me daily
If my life honors him.
When the way becomes darker,
I will not be afraid,
For my Lord, the Good Shepherd,
Will be there with his aid,
He will stay close beside me every step of the way,
He will guard me and guide me
To the end of the day.
He surrounds me with goodness,
Many blessings are mine,
I am rich in the knowledge of this Shepherd divine,
All his unfailing kindness in my life I have known,
And I’ll live with him always
In his beautiful Home.
(SASB 562)
Prayer
You, O Lord, are our good shepherd. Our world, country, communities and ourselves need restoration and renewal. We testify that in this weary season, where there are wars, pandemics, racism, economic disasters and oh so much more, you are there with us providing us with the encouragement to place one foot in front of the other. We confess that there are times when we wonder where you are. At those times we call to mind the poem that reminds us that during the most difficult times you were not only beside us, but you were also carrying us. Give us, we pray, a renewed sense of your presence, reminding us that you will never leave us or forsake us. We pray this in the blessed name of Jesus. Amen.
Day 10 - June 6
Mission of God
Genesis 12:1-3
The Lord had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you. I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.”
Prayer Points
• That we would be a people of prayer
• That we would be a people of worship
• That we would be a people of the Word
• That we would be the representatives of your gospel in this world
Praying The Song Book of The Salvation Army
Tell them in the east and in the west,
Tell them of the one you love the best.
Tell them how to find the sweetest rest
Learning on the loving Saviour’s breast,
Tell them all about the dear old Book,
Tell them there is life just for a look;
Let this banner be unfurled;
Christ for the whole wide world.
(SASB 930)
Prayer
Our heavenly Father, as we approach this great gathering of Salvationists and friends, let us be reminded of the disciples who tarried in the upper room in Jerusalem. They waited to receive the blessed gift of the Holy Spirit that inspired and enabled them to enter the mission of God. We are called to be your disciples in this, your world, and we, too, need a fresh touch of power to help and encourage us in the mission to which you have called us. This mission, God’s own commission, is to tell them of your love. Dear Lord, let it be so. Amen.
Day 11 - June 7
Commissioner Rosalie Peddle
Luke 1:46-55
And Mary said: “My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me—holy is his name. His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation. He has performed mighty deeds with his arm; he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts. He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble. He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty. He has helped his servant Israel, remembering to be merciful to Abraham and his descendants for ever, just as he promised our ancestors.”
Prayer Points
• Commissioner Rosalie Peddle’s preparation
• Commissioner Rosalie Peddle’s health
• Commissioner Rosalie Peddle’s travel plans
• Commissioner Rosalie Peddle’s INSPIRED messages to the people of Canada and Bermuda
Praying The Song Book of The Salvation Army
There is a message, a simple message,
And it’s a message for us all;
There is a Saviour, and what a Saviour!
There is a Saviour for us all.
Let’s look at Jesus, for he’s the Saviour,
And he will answer when we call;
Let’s look at Jesus, for he’s the Saviour,
Yes, he’s the Saviour for us all.
(SASB 439)
Prayer
You are worthy. O Lord, to receive blessings and honour. We thank you for the life of your servant Commissioner Rosalie Peddle. We ask you to consecrate the messages that she has prepared for INSPIRE. We offer up to you prayers for the commissioner, knowing that you have begun a good work in her and will carry it unto completion in Christ Jesus. It is amazing all that you can do in the lives of your faithful servants when they submit their whole lives to you. We also pray for those who will be receiving these messages. Prepare our hearts to receive your words through the commissioner and after receiving them may we act on them to further your kingdom and your glory in our lives and the world around us. Amen.
Day 12 - June 8
Breaking of Barriers
Matthew 19:26
Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”
Prayer Points
• Help us identify and surrender our own inhibitions
• Help us have open conversations that welcome all people
• Help us imagine new ideas and missional actions
• Help us be like Jesus who willingly went to the margins
• Help these prayers be active, not just passive
Praying The Song Book of The Salvation Army
Devastated human spirits,
Disillusioned with the world,
Daily from their lives withdrawing,
Loneliness their only shield.
All creation slowly dying,
Choking in the grip of sin,
Evil strongholds ever growing,
Unrestrained by fallen men.
Healing Christ, descend with power,
Fortify our fragile hearts.
Every stronghold now destroying,
Come, begin your rule on earth.
(SASB 999)
Prayer
Father, Son and Holy Spirit, we pray for your boldness as we encounter barriers to your mission in the world. We are reminded of the challenge of Jesus’ life, as he journeyed to the margins inviting the whosoever into your life-giving presence. Our Salvation Army endeavours to minister to others without discrimination. Forgive us when we have been less than faithful to this ideal. Help us to break out of the boxes that keep us from your mission, when we say: “We have never done it like this before.” Remove any other barriers (real or imagined) that might prevent us from expanding your mission. So may it be. Amen.
Day 13 - June 9
Discipleship
2 Timothy 2:1-2
You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others.
Prayer Points
• Help us to prioritize prayer, worship, Bible study and simplicity
• Make us fit for kingdom living
• Let us be disciples that also disciple others
• May we not be so enticed by the new and novel that we take our eyes off you
Praying The Song Book of The Salvation Army
Sun of righteousness arising,
Cheer us while we bear the cross,
Living, dying, sacrificing,
Purify from sinful dross
Thy disciples, thy disciples;
Teach us how to gain by loss.
(SASB 51)
Prayer
O Thou God of full salvation, listen to us as we offer you our prayers. We fervently want a deeper relationship with you, where we grow in holiness and Christlikeness. This cannot be accomplished by simply following a checklist on how to be a disciple. However, we consciously place ourselves in your presence in the thin place of life, through prayer, worship, Bible reading and simple living. May you transform us into the image of your Son and make us true disciples, so we can then lay claim to the great commission of making disciple in all the world. Humbly we offer you this our prayer. Amen.
Day 14 - June 10
Justice
Amos 5:24
But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream!
Prayer Points
• Open us up to justice thinking
• Open us up to justice living
• May we walk in mercy and not in judgment
• Break our hearts with what breaks your heart, O God
Praying The Song Book of The Salvation Army
Unresting, unhasting, and silent as light,
Nor wanting, nor wasting, thou rulest in might;
Thy justice like mountains high soaring above
Thy clouds which are fountains
Of goodness and love. (SASB 37)
Prayer
O Lord, inspire our world with a change of view that changes our hearts and creates a new day for humanity. Heal its peoples. Comfort the millions who mourn. Help us to see differently as we emerge from this calamity and be captured by a new vision for our lives. May we see each other through your eyes of loving-kindness and respond to your call to love God and to love each other as our first priorities. Despite all our differences, give us hearts of courage to reach out and embrace each other as one. May the world be as one. Amen.—Rucker’s Hill Prayer, Major Peter McGuigan, 2020
