Looking back over the last two decades or more, we are seeing an incredible rise in how the Holy Spirit is mobilising people to come together in unity, seek the face of God and pray for His kingdom to come and His will to be done.
We rejoice at the faithful praying over many decades that is still taking place in Northern Ireland Assembly at Stormont, Scottish Parliament at Holyrood, Welsh Senedd in Cardiff and in the Palace of Westminster in London: praying for our leaders above party politics. We lament for much, but we press in for God’s mercy, compassion and justice.
We rejoice at the number of city-wide prayer/regional prayer initiatives that have emerged providing both a gathering place, encouragement and information for informed intercession in places such as Manchester, Coventry, Pray Teesside, Stoke on Trent, Nottingham, Southend, and Ipswich, etc.
We rejoice at the convergence of prayer and evangelism that is seeing fresh fruit emerging. Try Praying has just launched its youth Try Praying book and in the recent initiatives across the UK millions of people will have seen the invitation to try praying! The latest Talking Toddlers research (Hope Together) has revealed that over the last five years, church ministries for under-5s have been reaching more children and their parents across the UK and making a greater impact than ever before.
We rejoice in the hundreds of miles of prayer walking that has been taking place systematically over recent years – in cities (Coventry, Sheffield, London to name a few); down roads, streets and lanes linked to Neighbourhood Prayer Network and by Hope for Every Home (using the Oikos App). At the new initiative aimed at inviting people to explore faith through pilgrimage Try Pilgrimage.
On our coast: Saturday 12th July 2025, 10.30am in the last few years, over 7000+ Christians from all traditions of churches across the Southwest have been standing together on one of the 630 miles of the South West Coast Path to pray Thy Kingdom Come. This year Saturday 12 July 2025 at 10.30 am. https://www.southwestawake.com/;
Around our coast: Island Pilgrimage! This is a “prayer sail” circumnavigating the British Isles which began in Devon in May 2025 to sail clockwise around the British Isles. As well as visiting many wonderful sites of Christian pilgrimage around the coast they plan to stop frequently in cities, towns and villages across England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland to connect with people and pray.
We also have many ‘under the radar’ prayer assignments taking place in significant places or at significant moments across our nations – many taking place over these next months. There are a number of different network groups that I/we are a part of: e.g. the BI Houses of Prayer network; Pray for England network; Connecting the Isles (connecting leaders from each nation of the BI); Hope Countryside
And then we have more high-profile initiatives: The Eternal Wall of Answered Prayer has just shared the news that they have received more than 100,000 answered prayers, including pledges from our trusted partners, meaning Eternal Wall will hold the world’s largest collection of miracle stories! National Day of Prayer and Worship’s Shine at Pentecost with 72 hours of prayer linking with different evangelistic missions across the nation and their new Shine at Midnight initiative encouraging people to read again Rees Howell’s book the Intercessor – available on downloadable pdf file https://www.ndopw.com.
Coming up:
Battle for Britain Prayer Storm Conference 2025 at Manchester Central, 21-23 August 2025
24-7 prayer to join in their Global Week of Prayer: 1-7 September
National Week of Prayer – looking to see 70 united prayer events in cities and towns across the UK and at significant places: 6-14 September
Many of us reading this article have been part of preparing the ground for the seed to take root and begin to grow. Now is not the time to give up. There are many battles yet to be won as we are all aware. But let’s aim to continue to press in for the prayer assignments given to each one of us. Don’t get distracted by many initiatives available but seek the Lord for the one(s) He is inviting us to be a part of – and bless the rest!
Let us acknowledge the Lord; let us press on to acknowledge him. As surely as the sun rises, he will appear; he will come to us like the winter rains, like the spring rains that water the earth.’ Hosea 6:3
Jane Holloway is the National Prayer Director at World Prayer Centre and has been mobilising prayer for many years.
