24 Hour Prayer

“The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.” (James 5:16)

Over 24 hours during the weekend of 17 – 18 November people from around the world will be praying to see ‘children everywhere walking with Jesus’. The Global Children’s Forum (GCF) are calling on individuals, churches, denominations and countries together to pray.

Wherever you are, gather your family, children and church to pray. Let us know you are praying on the Children Everywhere facebook page. Here are some ways you could get involved:

• Committing to a 24 hour prayer vigil during that period
• Committing to a prayer vigil for a shorter time
• Offering a Sunday service or time of worship for this specific purpose
• Praying with your children’s ministry team for this specific purpose
• Organising a prayer breakfast
• Gathering a group of children to pray for one another
• Linking with another church/denomination/country to pray for a group of children there
• Sharing the names of children or specific intentions with a prayer partner from GCF so you are praying for one another across the world
• Engage in creative prayer activities to intentionally pray for children all around the world

Please pray for:

• Children – How well do I know the children around me, understand their world and allow their voices to be heard and acted upon?
• Everywhere – Are we creating environments of safety and nurture where children can thrive even in the midst of challenging circumstances?
• Walking – As I explore life and faith with children, do I demonstrate creativity, relevance and confidence that God speaks to them through the Bible and prayer and life experiences?
• With – Do I see my relationships with children as opening possibilities for them to have life-changing experiences with God?
• Jesus – Am I overlooking the contribution children can make to the great commission?

Some creative ideas of how to do this:
• Ask everyone to write down three families (or family members) they know well or to find a photo of them. Tell each other about each person and then, personally, write down prayers for them. Commit to regularly praying for them.
• Draw a picture of a body, or around the outline of a child. Write on it, giving thanks for the amazing ways in which our bodies work, but also praying for those who are unwell, focusing on different parts.
• In twos or threes, go on a prayer walk around your community, particularly to places that are vulnerable to problems. Thank God for the people and pray that he may transform their lives.
• Use Lego or wooden blocks to build a toy home. Talk about what we love about our homes, take time to pray for those lacking a good house to live in.
• Invite the children’s and youth leaders to share with your church members how things are going. Produce bookmarks and ask different groups within the church to pray regularly for different parts of this ministry.
• Draw an outline of your country on large pieces of paper or mark it out in chalk outside. Stand in the middle and everyone pray together, out loud, for your nation’s current situation and the future.
• Use newspapers to find articles about education in your city, country or elsewhere in the world. Talk about your experiences of schools: what is good, what is not so good, and pray.

Additional resources
• Children Everywhere Walking with Jesus video (English, French, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Tagalog)
• Children Everywhere Walking with Jesus PowerPoint (English, Russian, Tagalog)

Please pray this prayer

Father God, we pray for children all across our world, especially for places where their voices are not heard. We ask that we might understand more about how to serve them. We remember children everywhere in every situation, especially those in difficult and dangerous circumstances, give them your spirit of peace and help them to know safety in you. We pray for them in their journey of walking with you that they may explore your love in creative and relevant ways in the Bible and in prayer. We ask that you would be with them and that through our ministry we can offer them opportunities to experience your life changing power. Help us follow the example of your son Jesus and to bring children into the challenge of the great commission as we seek to build your kingdom. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Imagine all of us praying this around the world – who knows what God will do? We do know our prayers will be powerful and effective.