The Archbishops of Canterbury and York and a number of senior church leaders are inviting Christians across the nation to participate in the month of prayer – launching on Thursday 5th November – as a second lockdown in England comes into force.
Throughout the month, Christians will be encouraged to pray daily for a specific area of national concern, wherever they are. This will culminate into a collective moment of prayer at 6pm each evening, with cathedrals and churches across the country invited to ring a bell at this time.
Christians will be encouraged to follow a simple seven-day prayer cycle, praying for a specific area each day including the NHS and frontline workers, the bereaved, those struggling with physical and mental ill-health, and for children and young people. Prayers and other resources will be shared on social media with the hashtag #PrayerForTheNation.
The prayer call has the support of senior church leaders including Churches Together in England (CTE) Presidents; Cardinal Vincent Nichols, Archbishop of Westminster and President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales; Pastor Agu Irukwu, the CTE Pentecostal president; His Eminence Archbishop Angaelos, the Coptic Orthodox Archbishop of London, and the CTE Orthodox President; and Rev Dr Hugh Osgood, The Free Churches Moderator. The call to prayer is also supported by the Fourth Presidency Group of Churches Together in England.
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, said:
“On the brink of this second lockdown we might understandably feel helpless, anxious and vulnerable. And we do what we can to halt the spread of this virus – but we can still feel powerless. Is there anything else we can do? Really do? Yes. Yes there is. We can pray.
“Prayer is my first response when I feel out of my depth, when I need help, when I am worried, when I am concerned for those I love.
“It is a gift that God gives to all – whether you are a regular pray-er or not – bring your cares and the cares of the nation to God. For God loves and hears and holds. Prayer changes things.”
The Archbishop of York, Stephen Cottrell, said:
“Prayer changes things. It changes things by inviting God into the room. At this challenging time when all of us are fearful and anxious, and when so many are suffering, it is the one thing we can all do. We can pray and invite God to change us, giving us the solace, strength and comfort we need for the difficult winter that is ahead of us. Let’s pray together at this difficult time.”
A selection of resources to suit Christians from across all denominations and traditions, and those exploring faith at this challenging time, will be made available on the Church of England website to guide prayer during this period. This includes several newly written prayers for the nation from Archbishop Stephen Cottrell, NT Wright and Pete Greig.
Cathedrals will ring a bell as a call to prayer for the nation throughout the month.
The call to prayer comes as both Archbishop, in a letter issued last weekend, encouraged churches to redouble their efforts to serve their local communities – caring for the elderly and most vulnerable – ahead of the second lockdown.
To find out more information about the invitation to pray, visit: churchofengland.org/PrayerForTheNation