The World Day of Prayer is a global ecumenical movement that brings Christians together to hold a common day of prayer each year. It has been taking place annually for nearly 100 years.
Each year the service is developed by women of a different country and with a specific theme. They share their culture, concerns and needs, to encourage awareness of the lives of others throughout the world.
The focus for 2025 was the Cook Islands, a group of 15 islands in the South Pacific Ocean which has a rich and colourful heritage and deep connection to nature. It was based on Psalm 139 and the theme ‘I made you wonderful’.
Over 1.5 million Christians speaking 90 different languages in 150 countries are believed to take part, creating a global wave of prayers. This included several churches within the Diocese of Winchester.
St Luke’s, Burton
St Luke’s played host to churches from across the Christchurch area who came together for the World Day of Prayer. Two services were held at 10:30am and 7pm, so as many people as possible could take part.
The service was led by women from local churches of different denominations. They wore garlands, as flowers play a big part in the culture of the Cook Islands and the church was decorated with a canoe and sea shells, as the water is also important.
The service included bible readings, prayers, and testimonies written by women from the Cook Islands were read out. The service was followed by refreshments.
Paul Smith from All Saints, Mudeford said, “We had an excellent World Day of Prayer service, held for Christchurch this year at St Luke’s. It was an interesting service, created by the women of the Cook Islands. In these days when our TV and media are full of the Middle East, Ukraine, Sudan, USA and Russia, it is wonderful to hear of the everyday life and issues from this nation of small islands, where women play a large leadership role in many areas”.
He added, “Their issues touch a cord as they are familiar to us – domestic violence, education, healthcare, young people’s health and child protection. Tourism is the largest earner but on the largest island of Rarotonga, this brings its own issues, with the population of 16,000 doubled by visitors in many months of the year.”
Tadley Churches
The 11 churches which make up ‘Churches Together Around Tadley’ met for a special service for the World Day of Prayer at Tadley United Reformed Church.
Revd Steve McKay commented, “We are so blessed that the churches around Tadley work so closely together. We hold services and events together monthly throughout the year and meet together to pray for the Kingdom in Tadley and beyond. World Day of Prayer has always been a regular feature in Tadley but this year, it has become even more poignant.”
Churches Together Around Tadley have just launched ‘Pray Tadley,’ splitting the town and villages into 12 areas, each with its own prayer co-ordinators. Groups met in each area and there are prayer walks around the streets.
Revd Steve added, “We want the community to see that prayer isn’t something that just happens in church.” Revd Steve continued “We pray for our local community and the world. The World Day of Prayer ensures our prayer life reflects the needs of the wider world and our service this year focussed on the Cook Islands who celebrate 200 years of Christianity.”
Many who attended the service came dressed up to match the theme and it was followed by refreshments and fellowship.
Revd Steve continued, “The service invited us to recognise that God created each one of us with great attention and loving care. We are unique and special and should cherish all aspects of who we are and of those around us. God created us. God knows us. God is with us. What a wonderful message to share through this lovely service. What a wonderful message to share with the community around Tadley and beyond as we continue praying this year for Hope, Peace, Love and Joy in 2025.”
St John’s, Hook
Bright colours and flowers were in abundance as the World Day of Prayer was celebrated at St John’s Church in Hook. The service was also livestreamed so people could watch from home. It was followed by refreshments.
Organiser Catriona Terrel writes, “World Day of Prayer is important to me because I love knowing that throughout the world on the first Friday in March, across a 24 hour period, women of different nationalities and Christian faiths, gather together to pray for our world. The languages may not be the same but the meaning is the same. There is something incredibly special about this day as each year, the country that has written the service puts their own unique stamp on it and we see the world through their eyes and their traditions.”
Parish of the Resurrection, Alton
More than 50 people, mainly women, came from across the Parish of the Resurrection, Alton Methodist and other churches to celebrate the World Day of Prayer at St Lawrence’s Church. The special day is marked each year at a different church in the town.
Each person received a spray of flowers to wear which made a colourful display.
A group of women took the congregation through the worship, with three of them dressed in bright clothes and sporting decorated hats, relating the story of one of three Cook Island Christian women.
The service also included a special song written on the theme of the day.
One of the organisers, Carol, wrote, “Our sisters in the Cook Islands welcomed us via this service, devised by them for the World Day of Prayer. We joined with them as we prayed together and reflected on the theme. The preparation for the day is vast, the service begins with the writing country and theme being chosen a number of years earlier. Once written it goes to the International Committee in New York for translation and then sent to the National Committee in each participating country. The service is discussed and edited before being presented nationally, regionally and then locally for branches to make their plans. Finally at St Lawrence’s Church, we gathered to celebrate the service.
“The Day of Prayer begins in Samoa and prayer in native languages travels throughout the world — through Asia, Africa, the Middle East, Europe and the Americas before finishing in American Samoa some 38 hours later. Our service included a special song written by the Cook Island women on the theme of the day. We ended with a Commitment to Prayerful Action and a blessing, reflecting on what we can do as individuals once we realise that God is with us and for us whatever our circumstances.”
WONDERFULLY MADE
I am fearfully made, and wonderfully made
Marvellous are your works
that my soul knows very well
And I'll praise you all my days.
You are fearfully made, and wonderfully made
Marvellous are God's works
that my soul knows very well
and I'll praise you all my days.
We are fearfully made, and wonderfully made
marvellous are God’s works
that we all know very well
And we will praise God all our days.
