40 Days of Prayer - Week 4
Day 22 - June 18
Day 23 - June 19
Day 24 - June 20
Day 25 - June 21
Day 26 - June 22
Day 27 - June 23
Day 28 - June 24
Day 22 - June 18
Thanksgiving
James 1:17
Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.
Prayer Points
Thank you, O God, for:
• The joy of living
• The wonder of your creation
• The privilege of giving unto others
• The freedom and liberation of salvation
Praying The Song Book of The Salvation Army
For the beauty of the earth,
For the beauty of the skies,
For the love which from our birth
Over and around us lies,
Father, unto thee we raise
This our sacrifice of praise.
For the joy of human love,
Brother, sister, parent, child,
Friends on earth, and friends above,
For all gentle thoughts and mild,
Father, unto thee we raise
This our sacrifice of praise.
(SASB 14)
Prayer
Jehovah Jira, you are our provider and we lift up our hands with joy, gladness and thanksgiving for all you have provided us. In just over one week you will gift your Salvation Army with the INSPIRE Conference and Congress. As our territory gathers let our thanksgiving to you resound from the Rocky Mountains of British Columbia to the sandy beaches of Bermuda, from the top of Gros Morne Mountain in Newfoundland and Labrador to the Northern Lights in the Northwest Territories, from the never-ending skies on the Prairies to Confederation Bridge and the safe harbours of the Maritimes, from the mighty Saint Lawrence in Quebec to the rich natural resources in Alberta and Ontario. As you have so graciously poured so much into our lives, may we bless the lives of others. Amen.
Day 23 - June 19
Prayer for Presenters
Isaiah 41:10
So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed,for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
Prayer Points
• That the presenters at the conference will look to the leading of the Holy Spirit
• That the presenters will speak with holy boldness
• That they may listen to the voice of God, so they can speak the words of God (Bonhoeffer)
• That our hearts may be prepared to listen and that are hands our fitted for action
Praying The Song Book of The Salvation Army
I want to tell you what the Lord has done,
What the Lord has done for me;
He lifted me from the miry clay;
O what a happy day!
I want to tell you what the Lord can do,
What the Lord can do for you:
He can take your life as he did mine
And make it anew.
(SASB 852)
Prayer
Oh God, we crave your life-giving Spirit. The anticipation of the INSPIRE Conference is growing within us each day. There has been so much to do in preparation for this event, including the invitations and responses to speak words of inspiration to those of us that will be gathered. We intercede to you on behalf of the presenters. May they prepare by following the leading of your Holy Spirit. May you fit them with holy boldness so that your messages through them may be clearly heard, understood and acted upon. We ask you to hear our prayer. Amen.
Day 24 - June 20
Prayer for Congress Participants
Colossians 3:16-17
Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
Prayer Points
• God guide their practice and preparation
• Pray that their contribution is God honouring
• Pray that their offering is well received by the delegates
• May their gift of worship be worship in our own souls
• That the technology will allow for clear communications and visuals
• Peace for the people giving their skills to operate the technology on our behalf
• For the technology to be in service to the worship and message and not the message itself
Praying The Song Book of The Salvation Army
Saviour, if my feet have faltered
On the pathway of the cross,
If my purposes have altered
Or my gold be mixed with dross,
O forbid me not thy service,
Keep me yet in thy employ,
Pass me through a sterner cleansing
If I may but give thee joy!
All my work is for the Master,
He is all my heart’s desire;
O that he may count me faithful
In the day that tries by fire!
(SASB 672)
Prayer
We ask you, O Lord, to enter right into our hearts. Many of us who will attend the congress portion of INSPIRE remember with “Blood and Fire” conviction the many occasions and Salvation Army Generals who have graced the hallowed platform of Massey Hall, the worship of songsters and bands, and messages of full salvation that have echoed in our lives over the years . We are grateful that bands and songsters will continue to be a part of congress, but there are also new voices and new participants. May we be inspired by the music and worship and convicted by the words so that not only Massey Hall is filled with music, but that our whole territory will hear the shout that God is still on the throne and our God stills saves. Fire a volley. Amen.
Day 25 - June 21
Commissioner Tracey Tidd
Psalm 119:105
Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.
Prayer Points
• Commissioner Tracey Tidd’s preparation
• Commissioner Tracey Tidd’s health
• Commissioner Tracey Tidd’s holy boldness in presenting the gospel
• Hearts that are receptive to hear the message
Praying The Song Book of The Salvation Army
We’ve a story to tell to the nations
That shall turn their hearts to the right,
A story of truth and mercy,
A story of peace and light,
A story of peace and light.
For the darkness shall turn to dawning,
And the dawning to noonday bright,
And Christ’s great kingdom shall come to earth,
The kingdom of love and light.
(SASB 943)
Prayer
We bow down and lift our voices to you, Jesus, the living word. We give you great thanks with love in our hearts for your written Word, the most holy Bible. We now wait and look forward to your proclaimed word that will come from your servant Commissioner Tracey Tidd. You are our faithful heavenly Father and we acknowledge that your words will never return void. As we pray, we ask you to bless Commissioner Tracey Tidd, and with your Holy Spirit’s direction, that she will embody your words that she will speak to us. Let it be so. Amen.
Day 26 - June 22
Creation Conservation
Micah 6:8
He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.
Prayer Points
• A renewed sense of creation conservation and stewardship
• To embody Christ’s healing hands to others and the created world
• Commitment to environmental goals, for a sustainable future
• Community involvement to care for the environment
Praying The Song Book of The Salvation Army
For the beauty of the earth,
For the beauty of the skies,
For the love which from our birth
Over and around us lies,
Father, unto thee we raise
This our sacrifice of praise.
(SASB 14)
Prayer
“Eternal God, whose Spirit moved over the face of the deep bringing forth light and life; by that same Spirit, renew your creation, and restore your image in your people. Turn us from careless tenants to faithful stewards, that your threefold blessing of clean air, pure water and rich earth may be the inheritance of everything that has the breath of life and one generation may proclaim to another the wonder of your works; through Jesus Christ, your living Word, in whom the fullness of your glory is revealed. Amen.”—Right Reverend Libby Lane, Bishop of Derby, United Kingdom; churchofengland.org
Day 27 - June 23
Travelling Mercies
Psalm 121:7-8
The Lord will keep you from all harm—he will watch over your life; the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and for evermore.
Prayer Points
• Arrivals and departures will be timely
• Travelling mercies
• That all will be able to afford the transportation that they need
• Safe arrival of all items necessary for INSPIRE Conference and Congress
Praying The Song Book of The Salvation Army
They shall come from the east,
They shall come from the west,
And sit down in the kingdom of God;
Both the rich and the poor,
The despised, the distressed,
They’ll sit down in the kingdom of God.
And none will ask what they have been
Provided that their robes are clean;
They shall come from the east,
They shall come from the west,
And sit down in the kingdom of God.
They shall come from the east,
They shall come from the west,
And sit down in the kingdom of God;
To be met by their Father
And welcomed and blessed,
And sit down in the kingdom of God.
The black, the white, the dark, the fair,
Your colour will not matter there;
They shall come from the east,
They shall come from the west,
And sit down in the kingdom of God.
They shall come from the east,
They shall come from the west,
And sit down in the kingdom of God;
Out of great tribulation to triumph and rest
They’ll sit down in the kingdom of God.
From every tribe and every race,
All men as brothers shall embrace;
They shall come from the east,
They shall come from the west,
And sit down in the kingdom of God.
(SASB 1011)
Prayer
Protector God, we thank you for the benevolence that you show us and all your creation. It is so difficult for us to comprehend how intimately you know us. You know our wants and desires and even the number of hairs on our heads. We are on the cusp of the INSPIRE Conference and Congress. We shall come from the north and the south and the east and the west. We will travel by trains, planes, automobiles, buses, bicycles and by foot. Whatever our mode of travel we pray for your journeying mercies. May our departures and arrivals be timely. We also pray for the safe arrival of items that are necessary for the various aspects of this grand event. We pray this in the name of Jesus. Amen.
Day 28 - June 24
Service
Proverbs 19:17
Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will reward them for what they have done.
Prayer Points
• Find where God is meeting a need and join him
• The Salvation Army’s social services
• For volunteers and workers to join the mission of service
• That our eyes will be open to the needs that God wants us to address
Praying The Song Book of The Salvation Army
How can I better serve thee, Lord,
Thou who hast done so much for me?
Faltering and weak my labour has been;
O that my life may tell for thee!
Here at the cross in this sacred hour,
Here at the source of reviving power,
Helpless indeed, I come with my need;
Lord, for thy service, fit me I plead.
Dull are my ears to hear thy voice,
Slow are my hands to work for thee,
Loath are my feet to conquer the steeps
That lead me to my Calvary.
Strength for my weakness, Lord, impart;
Sight for my blindness give to me;
Faith for my doubtings, Lord, I would crave,
That I may serve thee worthily.
(SASB 646)
Prayer
On these social justice Saturdays, we ask you to tune our ears to hear the voices of those who are in need of hope. Lord, as a territory we have pledged that wherever there is hardship we will be there. For this to become a reality we need to find strength and courage in your name, to confront the “forts of darkness” and with your power bring them down. We are so grateful that your Salvation Army cares about the needs of others, from our campaigns against human trafficking to newcomer services to home and shelter security, and so much more. Guide us to the areas that you have called us. Give us the courage to run with new ideas, the creativity to customize concepts for our settings and adequate resources to initiate new ideas at our home churches and corps. O God, we want to make a kingdom difference. Strengthen us we pray. Amen.
