World Day of Prayer


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.

History and Alternates

The Women's World Day of Prayer started in the USA in 1887 when Mary Ellen Fairchild James, wife of Darwin Rush James from Brooklyn, New York, called for a day of prayer for home missions, and Methodist women called for a week of prayer and self-denial for foreign missions. 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 Canada in 1922, then to the British Isles in the 1930s. The movement's focus on ecumenism and reconciliation led to growth after World War II. Since 1927 the day of prayer in the month of March has been known as the Women’s World Day of Prayer. Catholic women were allowed to join the movement after the Second Vatican Council, beginning in 1967, and united what had been their May day of prayer with the March Women's World Day of Prayer in 1969.
Two other Christian denominations celebrate a World Day of Prayer in September. Firstly, the Unity Church, a New Thought Protestant denomination headquartered at Unity Village, Missouri celebrates a twenty-four-hour World Day of Prayer, principally on the second Thursday in September. And secondly, the terrorist events of September 11, 2001 prompted the Knights of Columbus, a Catholic fellowship, to designate that date annually as a World Day of Prayer for Peace.

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.

Programme

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

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YearThemeWriter Country
1927Pray Ye Therefore
1928Breaking Down Barriers
1929That They May All Be One
1930That Jesus May Be Lifted Up
1931Ye Shall Be My Witnesses
1932Hold Fast in Prayer
1933Follow Thou Me
1934Prayer for the Peace of Jerusalem
1935Bear Ye One Another's Burdens
1936On Earth, Peace, Goodwill Toward Men
1937Son of the Living GodAfrica
1938The Church - A World Fellowship
1939Let Us Put Our Love Into Deeds - and Make it Real
1940In Quietness and in Confidence shall be Your Strength
1941Thy Kingdom Come Shanghai
1942I Am The Way

1943That They all May Be One
1944Bear Ye One Another's BurdensUnknown
1945The Church Universal



1946The Things That Make for our PeaceCentral Africa
1947Make Level in the Desert a Highway for our God
1948The Lord's Prayer - The Prayer UniversalUnknown
1949The Lord is Thy Keeper
1950Faith for our Time
1951Perfect Love Casteth out Fear
1952Christ our Hope Migrants
1953Walk as Children of the LightAfrica
1954That They May Have Life
1955Abide in Me
1956One Flock, One Shepherd
1957Who shall separate us from the love of Christ....?
1958The Bread of Life
1959Lord, I believe
1960Labourers together with God
1961Forward through the Ages: In everything give thanks
1962For God So Loved the World
1963More than Conquerors
1964Let us Pray
1965What doth the Lord require?
1966Ye are my Witnesses
1967Of His Kingdom there shall be no end
1968Bear ye one another's Burdens
1969Growing Together in Christ









1970Be of Good Courage







1971A New People for a New AgeCaribbean
1972All Joy Be Yours
1973Alert in our time
1974Make us builders of peace
1975Become perfectly One
1976Education through Living

1977Love in Action
1978Community Spirit in Modem Living
1979Spiritual GrowthEast Africa
1980Responsible Freedom
1981The Earth is the Lord's
1982The People of God: Gathered for Worship- Scattered for Service

1983New persons in ChristCaribbean
1984Living Water from Christ our Hope
1985Peace through Prayer and Action
1986Choose Life
1987Come and Rejoice
1988Open Doors
1989Lord, Teach us to Pray
1990A Better Tomorrow, Justice for All
1991On the Journey Together
1992Living Wisely with Creation



1993God's people instruments of healing
1994Go, See & Act
1995The Earth is a House for all People
1996God Calls Us To Respond
1997Like a Seed Which Grows into a Tree
1998Who is My Neighbour?
1999God's Tender Touch
2000Talitha Koum: Young Woman Stand Up
2001Informed Prayer, Prayerful Action
2002Challenged to Reconcile
2003Holy Spirit, Fill Us
2004In Faith, Women Shape the Future
2005Let Our Light Shine
2006Signs Of The Times
2007United Under God's Tent
2008God’s Wisdom Provides New Understanding
2009In Christ, There Are Many Members, Yet One Body
2010Let Everything that has Breath Praise God
2011How Many Loaves Have You?
2012Let Justice Prevail
2013I was a Stranger and You Welcomed Me
2014Streams in the Desert
2015Jesus Said to them: "Do You Know What I Have Done to you?"
2016Receive Children, Receive Me
2017Am I Being Unfair to You?
2018All God's Creation is Very Good
2019Come - Everything is Ready

Forthcoming World Day of Prayer themes and writer countries