40 Day Prayer Adventure

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The Alliance 40 Day Prayer Adventure Plan

During the next 40 days, we invite you to utilize a pattern of prayer given by Jesus and commonly called “The Lord's Prayer.” Saying these words takes less than 10 seconds, but when used properly becomes a template covering nearly every aspect of our lives.

The themes below support this template and will help you focus your prayer and guide you into a deeper appreciation of God’s love and will.

• Relationship

  • Our Father in heaven . . .

    All true prayer begins with relationship, receiving the love of God in Jesus Christ. Receive the Father’s love. You need it. Your neighbor going through a divorce needs it. The person who bugs you needs it. Everyone who has ever been born needs it. Regardless of what else God wants to do in your life during these next 40 days, you can be confident that He wants to refresh you in His love.

    And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them (1 John 4:16).

    Take time right now. Receive the Father’s love.

    Take a few more moments and pray the Father’s love on some other people God brings to mind.

• Worship

  • Hallowed be your name. . .

    All true prayer responds to the revelation of God’s Name. It is appropriate to declare the value of His Name, emphasizing the names of God particular to your situation. God’s Name reflects His character, His attributes, and His virtues.

    God is self-revealing. Every kernel of truth about God is revealed to us by His Holy Spirit.

    Revel in a particular Name of God. Savor it. Rehearse it. Chew on it. Shout it. Put your whole heart into it. Use gusto. Be loud. Put muscle into it. Here are some examples of His Name upon which to meditate: Almighty, Ancient of Days, Ever-Present Help, Father of Lights, Good Shepherd, Lord of Lords, Prince of Peace, Redeemer, Refuge, Savior, and Tower of Strength.

    Declare God’s Name over your life. Declare His Name over those for whom you have responsibility.

• Lordship

  • Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

    Once we affirm our relationship with the Father and declare the glory of His Name, we are to advance His Kingdom. It is humbling to recognize that God has given us the authority to advance His Kingdom by prayer. This should bring every one of us to our knees.

    What is the Kingdom? To put it simply, the Kingdom is the rule of Christ made visible or manifest: For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit (Romans 14:17). When we advance the Kingdom by prayer, we are praying down righteousness, joy, and peace; even more importantly, we are praying down the Holy Spirit.

    Let’s remember—it is God’s Kingdom, not ours. We are praying for God’s will to be accomplished, not our own.

    Take several moments to pray for the reign of Christ over your life, over your sphere of influence, and over the areas of responsibility He has assigned to you.

• Provision

  • Give us today our daily bread.

    Jesus meets all of our needs out of His glorious riches (Philippians 4:19). Our daily bread, food, represents our physical needs. Just as parents provide food for their children, so God provides for our physical needs.

    Take several moments to receive God’s provision for your physical needs and to pray for those of others.

• Fellowship

  • Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.

    With the forgiveness we have received from Christ, we are now able to extend that forgiveness to others. While we are praying, God often brings to the surface areas of our lives where there is resentment, bitterness, grudges, offenses, or unforgiveness.

    The only part of the Lord’s Prayer that Jesus repeats when the prayer is complete is forgiveness: “For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins” (Matthew 6:14-15). We don’t want to allow unforgiveness to hinder our prayers.

    For the next several moments, confess and renounce any bitterness, resentment, grudges, or unforgiveness. Extend forgiveness to those who have offended you. Ask God to bless your enemies.

• Deliverance

  • Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from the evil one.

    Our two greatest enemies are sin and Satan. In this portion of the Lord’s Prayer, we confront both these enemies.

    Sin is the enemy within, which lurks in the shadows of our lives ready to deceive and destroy us. Satan is the enemy without who prowls around like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour (1 Peter 5:8). If we were able to deal with these two enemies without God’s help, Jesus would never have included them in this portion of His prayer pattern.

    Some of the deepest work God does when we pray takes place in our hearts. What sin has God identified in your life? Is it pride, selfishness, lust, deception, or idolatry? Perhaps it is lack of love, unkindness, or unbelief. Have you dealt with it thoroughly? Today is your day. Confess it and forsake it.

    Beneath the sin there may be demonic strongholds. This may be the time when Jesus wants to set you free. He is your bondage breaker. Be honest. Humble yourself. Ask for Jesus’ help.

• Ownership

  • For the Kingdom and the power and the glory are yours, now and forever.

    While these words were most likely not part of the Bible as originally written, they were probably used by Jesus and have certainly been used by followers of Christ through the ages.

    All true prayer moves toward Christ’s ownership over all things. Christ’s Kingdom, power, and glory is the goal of all prayer. It is no wonder the pattern of prayer Jesus gives ends with this declaration.

    Kingdom is the key word repeated in the Lord’s Prayer. “Your Kingdom come . . . for yours is the Kingdom.” Power refers to the strength and authority that God has to accomplish His purpose. Glory, His manifest presence, is the sum total of all His virtues and attributes.

    The Lord’s pattern of prayer ends without asking for anything but simply giving Christ all the glory He deserves.

    Take several moments right now and declare the ownership of Christ over every area of life.

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