40 Days of Prayer – South Bend First Church of the Nazarene

This 40 Days of Prayer is a focused time to petition our Father to ignite a hunger and passion for holiness in unprecedented ways within us and throughout the Church of the Nazarene.

This is a time to ask God to light the fires of revival and to send showers of blessings down on His people. It is a time to pray for a holiness revival, and to allow the Holy Spirit to sanctify us and to prepare us to be His instruments to usher in a time of refreshing and a great harvest.

Weekly Prayer Schedule

Sundays: Prayer for Myself & My Family
Mondays: Prayer for Our Local Church & Leadership
Tuesdays: Prayer for Our District Church & Leadership
Wednesdays: Prayer for Our General Church & Leadership
Thursdays: Prayer for Our Nazarene Colleges & Universities
Fridays: Prayer for Our Missionaries
Saturdays: Prayer for Our Society, Culture, & Government

What is Prayer?

Prayer is communicating with God. It involves speaking to God as well as listening to His responses. Prayer is an invitation to intimacy with our Heavenly Father. It is based on our assurance that He loved us so much that He sent His only Son to die on the cross for our sins. Prayer is our response to that love by drawing close to Him and spending time with Him (John 15:9).

How should we pray?

Decide on a time and a place to pray (Daniel 6:10)
Come with a sincere Heart (Hebrews 10:22)
Pray in Faith (Matthew 21:22; James 1:6)
Pray in the Name of Jesus (John 14:13-14)

Some Components of Prayer:

Praise and Adoration (Psalm 95:1-6; 1 Chronicles 29:11-13)
Thanksgiving (Psalm 107:1; Colossians 1:3)
Repentance (Matthew 6:12-13; 1 John 1:9)
Petition – asking God to meet our needs (Matthew 6:9-13; James 1:5)
Prayer for others (Colossians 1:3-12; James 5:13-16)

Praying for Personal Holiness Revival:

King David’s prayers teach us a great deal about praying for Personal Revival:

He begged God to search his heart and to reveal any hidden sins (Psalm 139:23-24)
He confessed his sins and asked for forgiveness (Psalm 51:3-5)
He asked God to purify him from his sins (Psalm 51:7)
He asked God to renew a steadfast Spirit in Him and not to take the Holy Spirit away from Him (Psalm 51:10-11)
He asked God to deliver him from a guilty conscience (Psalm 51:14)
He acknowledged that God responds to a broken and contrite spirit (Psalm 51:17)
He rejoiced, with confidence, in God’s response to his petitions (Psalm 51:18-19)

Praying for Corporate Holiness Revival:

When praying for Corporate Holiness, keep the following in mind:

God finds lukewarm churches detestable (Revelation 3:16)
God wants to revive our churches (Revelation 2:4-6)
God wants to give us more of His Holy Spirit (Luke 11:13)
Get rid of all idols and hindrances (Matthew 4:8- 10; Colossians 3:8-10)

What to Pray:

Pray that God will create a spirit of brokenness (Isaiah 57:15;James 4:6)
Pray for a deeper understanding and desire for His Holiness (Isaiah 6:1-5)
Pray that God will reveal hidden sins (Psalm 19:12-14)
Pray for a hunger for the Word and a willingness to be obedient (Psalm 119:97,103; 1 John 2:3-6)
Pray for Pastors to preach with power and conviction (1 Corinthians 2:1-4)
Pray that believers would have a deeper love for Jesus Christ (Matthew 22:37-38)
Pray for an outpouring of the Holy Spirit (Luke 11:13; Acts 1:8)