World Day of Prayer

A Global Ecumenical Movement of
Informed Prayer and
Prayerful Action

WDP 2008 God’s Wisdom Provides New
Understanding
DMO 2008
La Sabiduría de Dios brinda un nuevo
Entendimiento
JMP 2008 La sagesse de Dieu
apporte une compréhension nouvelle
Written
by the WDP women of Guyana
Celebrated
Friday, March 7th 2008
To find
out how to receive WDP worship services and educational resources
in
your country, please see below or contact the WDP International Committee
office at
wdpic@worlddayofprayer.net or fax +1.212.864.8648
Links
English speaking countries:
If you live in the
If you live in
If you live in
If you live
If you live in
World Day of Prayer – Who
We Are
An
Ecumenical Movement of Informed Prayer and Prayerful Action
World Day of Prayer is a worldwide movement of Christian women of many traditions who come together to observe a common day of prayer each year, and who, in many countries, have a continuing relationship in prayer and service.
It is a movement initiated and carried out by women in more than 170 countries and regions.
It is a movement symbolized by an annual day of celebration – the first Friday of March – to which all people are welcome.
It is a movement which brings together women of various races, cultures and traditions in closer fellowship, understanding and action throughout the year.
Through World Day of Prayer, women around the world
affirm their faith in Jesus Christ
share their hopes and fears, their joys and sorrows, their opportunities and needs.
Through World Day of Prayer, women are encouraged
to become aware of the whole world and no longer live in isolation
to be enriched by the faith experience of Christians of other countries and cultures
to take up the burdens of other people and pray with and for them
to become aware of their talents and use them in the service of society.
Through World Day of Prayer, women affirm that prayer and action are inseparable and that both have immeasurable influence in the world.

World Day of Prayer Worship Service
The World Day of Prayer worship service has a special annual theme. The selection of themes and writers is made at the quadrennial WDP International Committee Meeting. Once the themes and writers are chosen, women of the selected WDP Committee develop a common worship on the theme determined at the international meeting.
Through preparation and participation in the worship service, we can come to know how our sisters of other countries, languages and cultures understand the biblical passages in their context. We can hear their concerns and needs and can feel ourselves in solidarity with them. In this way it is possible to experience the richness of the Christian faith as it grows deeper and broader in an international, ecumenical expression.
World Day of Prayer National/Regional Committees will prepare the order of worship on these themes:
2008 God’s Wisdom Provides New Understanding
2009 In Christ, There Are Many Members, Yet One Body
2010 Let Everything That Has Breath Praise God
2011 How Many Loaves Have You?
2012 Let Justice Prevail
2013 I was a Stranger and You Welcomed Me
France
2014 Streams in the Desert
2015 Jesus Said to Them: Do You Know What I Have Done to You?
The
World Day of Prayer International
Committee
The worldwide growth of the movement called for international involvement in planning and responsibility for World Day of Prayer. An International Committee was formed in 1968 and has met every four years when representatives of National/ Regional Committees gathered in a different area of the world: Sweden (1968), Thailand (1970), Mexico (1974), Zambia (1978), Germany (1982), United States (1986), Jamaica (1990), Australia (1995), South Africa (1999), England (2003), Canada (2007).
Each meeting brings special contributions to the growth of the movement when women gather
Ø to share experiences of World Day of Prayer
Ø to select themes and writers for the worship service
Ø to elect an Executive Committee that is ecumenical with representatives from Catholic, Orthodox and Protestant traditions and comprised of a Chairperson, Treasurer and Representatives from Africa, Asia, Caribbean, Europe, Latin America, Middle East, North America and the Pacific
Ø to arrange for staff services and to prepare a budget based on contributions from National/ Regional Committees and special gifts
Ø to consider ways by which the movement may grow.
Origins of
World Day of Prayer
The origins of World Day of
Prayer date back to the 19th century when Christian women of the
Concern for women and children –
Women had a strong sense of identification with the needs of women and
children and searched out ways to provide appropriate support. In spite of strong resistance from all-male mission
boards, in 1861 and the following years, women founded numerous and effective
women’s boards for foreign and home missions whereby they could work directly
with and for women and children.
The role of prayer in mission
work –
Since 1812 women encouraged one another to engage in personal prayer and take
leadership in communal prayer within their mission auxiliaries and
associations. This emphasis on prayer
led to annual days and weeks of prayer.
In 1887 Presbyterian women called for a Day of Prayer for Home Missions
and Methodist women called for a week of prayer and self-denial for foreign
missions. A Baptist Day of Prayer for
foreign missions began in 1891. In 1895, a day of corporate intercessions for mission
was initiated by the Women’s Auxiliary of the Anglican Church of Canada.
Women had a vision of
Christian unity
that was seen as essential to their exercise of mission. By 1897 the women of six denominations formed
a joint committee for a united day of prayer for home missions. In 1912 the Woman’s Boards of Foreign
Missions called for a united day of prayer for foreign missions.
Study was everyone’s
responsibility –
Following the Ecumenical Missionary Conference in New York City
in 1900, women organized an interdenominational Central Committee for United
Study that prepared publications, summer conferences, study days and courses so
that women could become informed about the lives of women in other parts of the
world and could study biblical foundations and vital issues related to mission
work.
Women organized
interdenominational
structures that were effective and cooperative.
For example, in 1908 women founded the Council of Women for Home
Missions that took responsibility for joint work with immigrants and other social
issues and for preparation of the joint day of prayer.
Women celebrated their
commitment –
In 1910-1911 women celebrated the 50th Anniversary or Jubilee of
women’s missionary activity by organizing a series of speaking engagements
across the United States that provided women with a powerful experience of what
they had achieved in ecumenical cooperation, in local and global linkage, in
prayer and information sharing, and in biblical reflection. All of this had been in the hands of
women. Out of this experience many
local interdenominational women’s groups were formed.
Women linked world peace with world mission –
After the devastation of World War I, women incorporated the conviction that
world peace was intrinsically tied to world mission. Therefore, women renewed their efforts for
unity.
In
In the
World Day of Prayer comes
into being –
In the second half of 1926 the women of
In 1928 this statement came from the World Day of Prayer Committee:
It is with deep gratitude that we recognize the growing
power inherent in our World Day of Prayer.
The circle of prayer has expanded literally around the world. We have
learned the great lesson of praying with, rather than for, our sisters of other
races and nations, thus enriching our experience and releasing the power which
must be ours if we are to accomplish tasks entrusted to us.
In 1928 during the
International Missionary Conference in
In 1930 The Federation of Women’s Board of Foreign Missions of North America co-opted ten women from all over the world as corresponding members. Plans for a world committee for WDP were proposed for 1932, but depressed economic conditions prevented its implementation.
In 1941 the coordination of
World Day of Prayer within the
In 1969 The World Union of Catholic Women’s Organizations decided to change their international day of prayer from March to May in order to take part in the World Day of Prayer.
It is from these roots that World Day of Prayer has taken its present shape. World Day of Prayer has moved with women wherever their lives have taken them.
For further
information, please email:
WDPIC@worlddayofprayer.net
or
write to:
World Day of Prayer International Committee
