2008 Week of Prayer for UK Parliament & GovernmentPhil Togwell - 7 May 2008

Yesterday, across London, people (some of us, at least) turned out to vote for a new Mayor and for local governmental representatives... we voted to place people in authority.

Unfortunately, we often leave it at that. We give our crosses on pieces of paper, and from then on, we give little more than our criticism, our sofa-suggestions.

The Bible of course doesn't allow us this lazy luxury. Saint Paul demands that we "pray for those in authority"... and for some of us, we must become an answer to our own prayers, by engaging in the political world. Researchers and campaigners, MPs and civil servants - seeking first the kingdom of Heaven in a place where it matters a great deal!

In less than one week - in four days to be precise - people will be gathering to pray in and around Parliament and Whitehall, focussing on Matt 6:10: …your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. 

From Tuesday 6 May to Sunday 11 May, more than twenty prayer gatherings across the Parliamentary estate, the Party HQs and the Whitehall departments will occur.

And while Christians working in Parliament and Whitehall gather to pray in their workplace, we want to invite you to join us on morning prayer walks on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday around Parliament and Whitehall and on Friday afternoon for the main prayer-walk event. The details of these events can be found at the Christians in Parliament website.

We also want Christian communities to adopt a night during the prayer week to pray for Parliament and Whitehall. This would involve getting people to pray from 8pm through to 8am and you could just use a room in your house, your church or a public space; you are free to set this up however you wish.  We would love to see all the nights covered.

If you are interested, please contact [email protected] ASAP.

This week is an amazing opportunity to stand with those serving God in Parliament and Whitehall to pray “Lord, we want to see YOUR kingdom come, YOUR will be done on EARTH as it is in HEAVEN. Amen