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 United States, please contact WDP USA:  www.wdpusa.org

If you live in Canada, please contact the Women’s Interchurch Council of Canada: www.wicc.org

If you live in England, Wales or Northern Ireland, please contact WWDP EWNI: www.wwdp-natcomm.org

If you live Scotland, please contact WDP Scotland: www.wdpscotland.org.uk

If you live in Australia, please contact WDP Australia: www.worlddayofprayeraustralia.org

 

 

  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                                              
              Guyana                                           

2009      In Christ, There Are Many Members, Yet One Body
              Papua New Guinea

2010      Let Everything That Has Breath Praise God
              Cameroon

2011      How Many Loaves Have You?         
              Chile

2012      Let Justice Prevail                             
              Malaysia

2013      I was a Stranger and You Welcomed Me                                                    
              France

2014      Streams in the Desert                        
              Egypt

2015      Jesus Said to Them: Do You Know What I Have Done to You?                  
              The Bahamas

 

 

  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 United States and Canada initiated a variety of cooperative activities in support of women's involvement in mission at home and in other parts of the world.  These activities related to the following areas:

— 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 Canada, Presbyterian women called together representatives of women’s missionary societies from five denominations in 1918 for united prayer and action.  This committee, which now has expanded into the ecumenical Women’s Inter-Church Council of Canada, organized the first national Day of Prayer in Canada on January 9, 1920.

In the United States, the first Friday of Lent was established as a joint day of prayer for missions, beginning on February 20, 1920.   Due to the enthusiastic facilitation of local denominational and interdenominational women’s groups, the day of prayer spread rapidly throughout the USA.  Canadian women took up the same date in 1922.

—    World Day of Prayer comes into being – 
In the second half of 1926 the women of North America distributed the worship service to many countries and partners in mission.  The response worldwide was enthusiastic.  By the beginning of 1927 the call to prayer that was issued was for a World Day of Prayer for Missions.

—™

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 Jerusalem, women delegates from many countries agreed that worldwide participation would be a bond of unity among women.  Helen Kim of Korea was chosen to be the first woman outside of the United States to write the order of worship for the World Day of Prayer in 1930.

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 United States became the responsibility of an interdenominational movement now known as Church Women United.  Coordination with other countries was carried out by the Foreign Missions Conference of North America.

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

475 Riverside Drive, Room 729

New York, NY  10115  USA