World Day of Prayer
Encyclopedia
The World Day of Prayer is an international ecumenical Christian laywomen’s initiative. It is run under the motto “Informed Prayer and Prayerful Action,” and is celebrated annually in over 170 countries on the first Friday in March. The movement aims to bring together women of various races, cultures and traditions in a yearly common Day of Prayer
, as well as in closer fellowship, understanding and action throughout the year.
Two years later, two Baptists called together a Day of Prayer for the World Mission. The Day of Prayer initiated by these two women expanded to neighboring countries, then on to Europe
and other continents.
Since 1927 the day is known as Women’s World Day of Prayer.
On the first Friday of March, then, in services all over the world that country becomes the focus of prayer and understanding. Through preparation and participation in the worship service, women worldwide learn how their sisters of other countries, languages and cultures understand the biblical passages in their context. They learn of the concerns and needs of those women and to empathize and feel in solidarity with them.
, a Jerusalem-based archaeological journal. The event included more than 100 Christian and political leaders from around the world and was broadcast by satellite and radio live from Jerusalem.
Hosted by Jerusalem Christian Review Managing Editor Dan Mazar, parts of the Global Prayer were also shown on the CNN
, CBS
, and ABC
television networks and almost 120 other television stations worldwide. The Prayer Link began from Los Angeles, California with a prayer from the former U.S. President, Ronald Reagan
: "I join my friends at the Jerusalem Christian Review... for this very special day. A day dedicated to prayer..." said the former US president and governor of the State of California. The "prayer link" also included prayers of political figures live by satellite from 5 continents. Leaders such as Jack Kemp
, Jeane Kirkpatrick
and numerous U.S. Senators, as well as former Australian Prime Minister Bob Hawke
all prayed for the "Peace of Jerusalem". Also included were Christian evangelists Billy Graham
, Pat Robertson
, Jerry Falwell
and James Dobson
, along with denominational leaders from Europe
, Africa
, South America
and Asia
.
Day of Prayer
A Day of Prayer is a day allocated to prayer, either by leaders of religions or the general public, for a specific purpose. Such days are usually ecumenical in nature.-World Day of Prayer for Peace:...
, as well as in closer fellowship, understanding and action throughout the year.
History
The Women's World Day of Prayer started in the USA in 1884.
When Mary Ellen James called for a day of prayer in 1887, she was not planning a great worldwide movement, destined to become the largest ecumenical movement in the world organised and led by women. She was simply reacting, as a Christian, to the society in which she lived. The wife of a Presbyterian minister in New York and the mother of seven children, Mary Ellen was aware of the problems faced by many women around her, particularly new immigrants to America - the awful slums with their poverty, unemployment, poor housing, lack of health or educational facilities. Something had to be done. http://www.wwdp-natcomm.org/history.htm
Two years later, two Baptists called together a Day of Prayer for the World Mission. The Day of Prayer initiated by these two women expanded to neighboring countries, then on to Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and other continents.
Since 1927 the day is known as Women’s World Day of Prayer.
Aims
Through the World Day of Prayer, women are encouraged to become aware of the other countries and cultures and no longer live in isolation. They are also encouraged take up the burdens of other people, to sympathize with the problems of other countries and cultures and pray with and for them. They are further encouraged to become aware of their talents and use them in the service of society. The World Day of Prayer aims to demonstrate that prayer and action are inseparable and that both have immeasurable influence in the world.Program
Every year, worship service focuses on a different country and a specific theme. World Day of Prayer National/Regional Committees of that country prepare the order of worship on these themes to be used on the next World Day of Prayer.On the first Friday of March, then, in services all over the world that country becomes the focus of prayer and understanding. Through preparation and participation in the worship service, women worldwide learn how their sisters of other countries, languages and cultures understand the biblical passages in their context. They learn of the concerns and needs of those women and to empathize and feel in solidarity with them.
World Day of Prayer themes and writer countries
| Year | Theme | Writer Country |
|---|---|---|
| 1932 | Hold Fast in Prayer | |
| 1933 | Follow Thou Me | |
| 1934 | Prayer for the Peace of Jerusalem |  South Africa |
| 1935 | Bear Ye One Another's Burdens | |
| 1936 | On Earth, Peace, Goodwill Toward Men | |
| 1937 | Son of the Living God | Africa |
| 1938 | The Church - A World Fellowship | |
| 1939 | Let Us Put Our Love Into Deeds - and Make it Real |  United States |
| 1940 | In Quietness and in Confidence shall be Your Strength |  Kingdom of England |
| 1941 | Thy Kingdom Come |  Shanghai International Settlement |
| 1942 | I Am The Way | |
| 1943 | That They all May Be One | United States |
| 1944 | Bear Ye One Another's Burdens | Unknown |
| 1945 | The Church Universal | Kingdom of England Wales Northern Ireland |
| 1946 | The Things That Make for our Peace |  Central African Republic |
| 1947 | Make Level in the Desert a Highway for our God | |
| 1948 | The Lord's Prayer - The Prayer Universal |
Unknown |
| 1949 | The Lord is Thy Keeper | |
| 1950 | Faith for our Time | |
| 1951 | Perfect Love Casteth out Fear | |
| 1952 | Christ our Hope Migrants | |
| 1953 | Walk as Children of the Light | Africa |
| 1954 | That They May Have Life | |
| 1955 | Abide in Me | |
| 1956 | One Flock, One Shepherd | |
| 1957 | Who shall separate us from the love of Christ....? |  Hungary |
| 1958 | The Bread of Life | |
| 1959 | Lord, I believe | |
| 1960 | Labourers together with God | |
| 1961 | Forward through the Ages: In everything give thanks | |
| 1962 | For God So Loved the World | |
| 1963 | More than Conquerors | |
| 1964 | Let us Pray | |
| 1965 | What doth the Lord require? | |
| 1966 | Ye are my Witnesses | |
| 1967 | Of His Kingdom there shall be no end | |
| 1968 | Bear ye one another's Burdens | |
| 1969 | Growing Together in Christ | South Africa |
| 1970 | Be of Good Courage | |
| 1971 | A New People for a New Age | Caribbean |
| 1972 | All Joy Be Yours |  Europe |
| 1973 | Alert in our time | |
| 1974 | Make us builders of peace | |
| 1975 | Become perfectly One | |
| 1976 | Education through Living | |
| 1977 | Love in Action | |
| 1978 | Community Spirit in Modem Living | |
| 1979 | Spiritual Growth | East Africa |
| 1980 | Responsible Freedom | |
| 1981 | The Earth is the Lord's | |
| 1982 | The People of God: Gathered for Worship- Scattered for Service | Northern Ireland |
| 1983 | New persons in Christ | Caribbean |
| 1984 | Living Water from Christ our Hope | |
| 1985 | Peace through Prayer and Action | |
| 1986 | Choose Life |  Australia |
| 1987 | Come and Rejoice | |
| 1988 | Open Doors |  Brazil |
| 1989 | Lord, Teach us to Pray | |
| 1990 | A Better Tomorrow, Justice for All | |
| 1991 | On the Journey Together |  Kenya |
| 1992 | Living Wisely with Creation |  Austria |
| 1993 | God's people instruments of healing | |
| 1994 | Go, See & Act | |
| 1995 | The Earth is a House for all People | |
| 1996 | God Calls Us To Respond |  Haiti |
| 1997 | Like a Seed Which Grows into a Tree |  Korea |
| 1998 | Who is My Neighbour? |  Madagascar |
| 1999 | God's Tender Touch |  Venezuela |
| 2000 | Talitha Koum: Young Woman Stand Up |  Indonesia |
| 2001 | Informed Prayer, Prayerful Action |  Samoa |
| 2002 | Challenged to Reconcile |  Kingdom of Romania |
| 2003 | Holy Spirit, Fill Us |  Lebanon |
| 2004 | In Faith, Women Shape the Future |  Panama |
| 2005 | Let Our Light Shine |  Poland |
| 2006 | Signs Of The Times |  South Africa |
| 2007 | United Under God's Tent |  Paraguay |
| 2008 | God’s Wisdom Provides New Understanding |  Guyana |
| 2009 | In Christ, There Are Many Members, Yet One Body |  Papua New Guinea |
| 2010 | Let Everything that has Breath Praise God |  Cameroon |
| 2011 | How Many Loaves Have You? |  Chile |
Forthcoming World Day of Prayer themes and writer countries
| Year | Theme | Writer Country |
|---|---|---|
| 2012 | Let Justice Prevail |  Malaysia |
| 2013 | I was a Stranger and You Welcomed Me |  Early Modern France |
| 2014 | Streams in the Desert |  Egypt |
| 2015 | Jesus Said to Them: Do You Know What I Have Done to you? |  The Bahamas |
First World Prayer for Peace from Jerusalem
The first globally publicized "link of prayer" for peace from Jerusalem was in June, 1993 organized by Dan Mazar's Jerusalem Christian ReviewJerusalem Christian Review
Jerusalem Christian Review is a newspaper for Christians published in Jerusalem, Israel.-Publishers:It was founded in April 1993 and reports on archaeological discoveries which shed light on the biblical narrative...
, a Jerusalem-based archaeological journal. The event included more than 100 Christian and political leaders from around the world and was broadcast by satellite and radio live from Jerusalem.
Hosted by Jerusalem Christian Review Managing Editor Dan Mazar, parts of the Global Prayer were also shown on the CNN
CNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
, CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
, and ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
television networks and almost 120 other television stations worldwide. The Prayer Link began from Los Angeles, California with a prayer from the former U.S. President, Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
: "I join my friends at the Jerusalem Christian Review... for this very special day. A day dedicated to prayer..." said the former US president and governor of the State of California. The "prayer link" also included prayers of political figures live by satellite from 5 continents. Leaders such as Jack Kemp
Jack Kemp
Jack French Kemp was an American politician and a collegiate and professional football player. A Republican, he served as Housing Secretary in the administration of President George H. W. Bush from 1989 to 1993, having previously served nine terms as a congressman for Western New York's 31st...
, Jeane Kirkpatrick
Jeane Kirkpatrick
Jeane Jordan Kirkpatrick was an American ambassador and an ardent anticommunist. After serving as Ronald Reagan's foreign policy adviser in his 1980 campaign and later in his Cabinet, the longtime Democrat-turned-Republican was nominated as the U.S...
and numerous U.S. Senators, as well as former Australian Prime Minister Bob Hawke
Bob Hawke
Robert James Lee "Bob" Hawke AC GCL was the 23rd Prime Minister of Australia from March 1983 to December 1991 and therefore longest serving Australian Labor Party Prime Minister....
all prayed for the "Peace of Jerusalem". Also included were Christian evangelists Billy Graham
Billy Graham
William Franklin "Billy" Graham, Jr. is an American evangelical Christian evangelist. As of April 25, 2010, when he met with Barack Obama, Graham has spent personal time with twelve United States Presidents dating back to Harry S. Truman, and is number seven on Gallup's list of admired people for...
, Pat Robertson
Pat Robertson
Marion Gordon "Pat" Robertson is a media mogul, television evangelist, ex-Baptist minister and businessman who is politically aligned with the Christian Right in the United States....
, Jerry Falwell
Jerry Falwell
Jerry Lamon Falwell, Sr. was an evangelical fundamentalist Southern Baptist pastor, televangelist, and a conservative commentator from the United States. He was the founding pastor of the Thomas Road Baptist Church, a megachurch in Lynchburg, Virginia...
and James Dobson
James Dobson
James Clayton "Jim" Dobson, Jr. is an American evangelical Christian author, psychologist, and founder in 1977 of Focus on the Family , which he led until 2003. In the 1980s he was ranked as one of the most influential spokesman for conservative social positions in American public life...
, along with denominational leaders from Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
, South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
and Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
.