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18 March 2018

Gear up for a period of powerful prayer

Naomi Osinnowo is editorial content manager at the Evangelical Alliance.

In less than two months, Christians across the world will be of one intentional voice, praying that people will come to know Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour. This global wave of prayer, known as Thy Kingdom Come, was started by the Archbishops of Canterbury and York in 2016, and has seen individuals and churches around the world petitioning God for the salvation of their friends, families and neighbours. Justin Welby and John Sentamu are urging you to get involved this year, from 10-20 May, marking the season between the Ascension and Pentecost.

An initiative of this sort could not be more timely. Our Talking Jesus research, commissioned jointly by the Evangelical Alliance, the Church of England, and HOPE, revealed that Christians have a real opportunity to be a witness to the people they know. The survey of more than 2,500 adults in England found that 67 per cent of the non-Christians polled know a practicing Christian, and 40 per cent of that group said that person is likely to be a friend. These statistics indicate that openings can arise for Christians to share the gospel with their friends. Christians can, therefore, make the most of Thy Kingdom Come by praying for favourable opportunities to talk about Jesus with their friends.

A range of new resources has been produced by the Church of England to facilitate churches, individuals, families and young people during the 10 days of prayer. The resources include a selection of useful tips which is available for churches that would like to organise prayer walks or set up prayer stations. Churches can also benefit from the Church of England's campaign-specific templates and logos for social media. Families and young people, meanwhile, have access to a booklet of ideas on how to make prayer fun and engaging, as well as a gamut of other useful tools. Visit Thy Kingdom Come to view all the resources. Many are free of charge.

The Archbishop of York, John Sentamu, spoke with the Evangelical Alliance about Thy Kingdom Come and the power of prayer. The full interview will feature in the May-June edition of idea magazine; make sure you check it out.