wfn.org | EA NEWS: Parliamentary Focus For Nation's Prayers

["EAUK Press Office" <press@eauk.org>]

Parliamentary Focus For Nation's Prayers
For Immediate Release: 5th June 1998

Politicians will be the focus of the nation's prayers this Sunday
(June 7), when hundreds of people are expected to link hands and pray
outside Parliament as part of one of the biggest days of prayer for
the UK in 50 years.  The day will see many hundreds of thousands of
Christians saying special prayers for government, leadership and local
communities.

The prayers are part of Amen! A Day To Pray, co-ordinated by the
Evangelical Alliance UK, which reflects the views of more than a
million churchgoers from 20 denominations.  The initiative has been
welcomed by Her Majesty The Queen, more than 40 senior church leaders
including the Archbishop of Canterbury and senior MPs from the three
main political parties.

Rev Joel Edwards, general director of the Evangelical Alliance said:
"We will be thanking God for the many people who give their time in
public service for their communities. We shall be praying for MPs and
their families, that their lives together won't suffer from the long
and unsociable hours of work.  We will pray for wisdom to create good
and just laws to protect the poor and defend the weak in society.  And
we will also pray for integrity for politicians and policy makers,
that their lives will not be corrupted by the exercise of power and
influence."

The Most Rev George Carey, Archbishop of Canterbury said: "I hope the
Day of Prayer on 7th June 1998 across the UK will be richly blessed. 
All of us are aware of the growing spiritual hunger of our society and
the deep needs of local communities.  Prayer is an indispensable part
of the Christian response to them, and I therefore welcome this
initiative."

As part of the day prayers will be said in Parkhurst Prison, Isle of
Wight and Catterick Army Garrison, Yorkshire.  In Greenwich, members
from 10 local churches will gather to pray overlooking the Millennium
Dome and the City of London. They will be praying that the Christian
content of the Dome makes a powerful impact upon its millions of
visitors.

Other Christians praying from vantage points overlooking their towns,
include Crome in Norfolk, where Christians will gather on cliffs
overlooking the town;  the Downs overlooking Eastbourne, East Sussex
and in Devon, where a former church on a hill overlooking Honiton is
being opened for prayers during the coming week.

Typical of events taking place across the UK churches from Hastings
and St Leonards will unite for an all-night prayer vigil from 7:00pm
on Friday 5th June through to 7:00am on Saturday 6th June.  And in
Southfields, near Wimbledon, Christians will 'prayer-walk' a small
estate where earlier residents were invited to make specific requests
for prayer.

Government and Leadership: praying for those who lead; is one of four
themes for the day.  The others are Community Life: Changing where we
live; Evangelisation: Making Jesus known; and Revival: Seeing the
United Kingdom change.

The prayers outside Parliament, at 9:00am, follow a special service at
the Emmanuel Centre, Marsham Street, Westminster.  Rev Joel Edwards,
general director of the Evangelical Alliance; Canon Michael Saward, of
St Paul's Cathedral; Simon Hughes MP, of the all-party Parliamentary
prayer group; Angela Sarkis, of the Church Urban Fund; and Lyndon
Bowring, of CARE will all take part in the service which is being
broadcast live on BBC Radio Four at 8:05am.

The day is being marked with an on-line prayer meeting.  Internet
users can go to a special World Wide Web site, at
www.churchnet.org.uk/amen/ and post prayer requests or respond to the
prayer requests of others.  The site is on-line now and will remain
on-line for one week following the 7th June.  In its first three days
of operation, the site received more than 300 visitors.

Ends

For further information contact
EA communications officers:
Keith Ewing 0171 207 2116 mailto:kewing@eauk.org
Gavin Drake 0171-207 2117 mailto:gdrake@eauk.org

http://www.eauk.org/press/pr1.htm

Evangelical Alliance UK,
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186 Kennington Park Road,
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