The invitation is out for everyone - men, women, and children of all ages - to join the 2022 World Day of Prayer to celebrate the theme: I Know the Plans I Have for You (Jeremiah 29:11). The women of England, Wales and Northern Ireland have prepared the service this year, stated a release from World Day of Prayer 2022.
We are encouraged to reflect on the changes and challenges faced by these countries as they have evolved independently and collectively over hundreds of years. The writing team has shared the injustice obstacles that immigrant women to the UK have met, the selfishness of Britain as a conquering nation, and the hopes for the future.
The program is based on the letter that the prophet Jeremiah wrote to the exiles in Babylonia. The exiles were in a context of suffering, uncertainty, and opposing views on how to respond to the moment. Today in 2022, we come together to hear the stories of women who feel excluded, listen to the fear of a child refugee and learn to see the context of a multi-ethnic, multi-cultural, and multi-faith society in England, Wales and Northern Ireland (EWNI).
World Day of Prayer is an international, inter-church event that began around 100 years ago bridging social, geographic, and political barriers in over 170 countries. The weekend of prayer begins in Samoa and then travels in many languages throughout the world --- through Asia, Africa, the Middle East, Europe, Australia, and the Americas. Together we pursue justice, peace, and reconciliation by standing together in prayer and action, continued the release.
The preparation for the day is vast. An international committee is based in New York and there are national committees and organizations in each participating country. In Canada, the World Day of Prayer (WDP) is coordinated by the Women’s Inter-Church Council of Canada (WICC), one of the original founders of this prayer movement.
Offerings received through the World Day of Prayer transform our prayers into action in the form of project grants empowering women and children in our own country and throughout the world. All regions share in the grants, with consideration given to greatest need. Through WDP offerings, WICC has distributed around $3 million for small projects in the past 40 years. The vision is to restore hope to women and children touched by injustice.
