World Day of Prayer - 1 March 2024
February 14, 2024
By Helen Richmond
The World Day of Prayer is a global ecumenical day of prayer led by Christian women on the first Friday in March. This year it will be held on 1 March, 2024.
For decades this global ecumenical prayer service has been an opportunity for local churches in each region to come together to pray, focusing on a particular place in the world and supporting a shared project.
This year the Order of Service has been prepared by Palestinian women. The theme is: ‘I Beg You, Bear With One Another in Love” (Eph 4:3)
"It is a privilege to receive this offering of hope from our sisters in Palestine who know suffering and hardship."
Subscribe to our newsletter
If you want to get the latest news from the Uniting Church in Australia then subscribe to our weekly newsletter delivered to your inbox.
The theme and resources were prepared before the current crisis but with all that has been unfolding in Palestine and Israel, it is very timely to have this opportunity to pray for the Holy Land, joining with our Palestinian sisters and brothers and all who are seeking a just and lasting peace.
In prepared service, we hear stories of three generations of Palestinian women.
The artwork (above) by Halima Aziz depicts the three women sitting under an olive tree.
Olive trees are very important in Palestine and can live for a very long time. Some olive trees in Palestine today were there at the time of Jesus. They are a symbol of deep connections to the land, and the promise of abundant life and fruitfulness of the land.
Included in the worship materials is background reading about the situation in Palestine, a Bible study and music resources.
In preparation you might like to listen to the Lord’s prayer sung in Aramaic or the beautiful and haunting Arabic refrain, Yarabba ssalami (God of peace and justice rain down upon us your peace).
https://worlddayofprayer.net/palestine-2024.html#
The Palestinian Christian women who prepared the service invite us pray for justice and freedom and commit ourselves to the task of repairing what has been damaged or destroyed. It is a privilege to receive this offering of hope from our sisters in Palestine who know suffering and hardship.
Find a church hosting a service in your area and join in praying with fellow Christians for peace in the Holy Land. The offering this year goes to the work of the Bible Society in Palestine.
Related news
Rev Don Pederick: An extraordinary life and ministry
Rev Don Pederick: An extraordinary life and ministry A faithful servant of the Uniting Church, Rev Don Pederick recently celebrated a milestone birthday and another year of dedicated ministry. We take a moment to honour himThe Uniting Church in Australia has been shaped and sustained by the quiet, steady faithfulness of people like the Rev…
Following Footsteps, Bringing Hope
Following Footsteps, Bringing Hope Earlier this month, our outback ministry agency Frontier Services commissioned Pastor Kirsty Burgu as its newest Bush Chaplain to stand with those living in the remote West Kimberley region of Western Australia In the West Kimberley, where ancient and biologically rich landscapes stretch wide beneath an endless sky, a new…
Paul Minty named full-time EO to National Commission
Paul Minty appointed as full-time Executive Officer to National Commission for Governance, Resourcing and Administration Dr Paul Minty brings to the role a unique blend of technical expertise, leadership experience and ministry engagement Subscribe to our newsletter If you want to get the latest news from the Uniting Church in Australia then…
Welcoming First Nations Economic Empowerment Alliance
UCA, UAICC and UnitingCare Australia welcome First Nations Economic Empowerment Alliance The announcement was made this morning by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in a speech at the Garma Festival in Gulkula Uniting Church, Uniting Aboriginal and Islander Christian Congress and UnitingCare Australia welcome First Nations Economic Empowerment Alliance as a step toward shared prosperity…
Celebrating NAIDOC Week 2025
Celebrating NAIDOC Week 2025NAIDOC Week 2025 marks 50 years of honouring Indigenous voices, culture and resilience. The Uniting Church, together with the Uniting Aboriginal and Islander Christian Congress (UAICC), celebrates this milestone and the enduring strength of First Nations peoples. NAIDOC Week has grown into an annual event of hope, truth-telling and a powerful declaration…
Planting Hope: Vision, Volunteers and a Community Revitalised
Planting Hope: Vision, Volunteers and a Community Revitalised A 20-year dream has been fulfilled in the outback terrain of South Australia, bringing the hope of Jesus to a remote communityBy Rob Floyd, National Director of Frontier ServicesIt isn’t often that you embark on an epic journey, through vast expanses of desert, to witness the birth…
Yarta Wandatha: The land is speaking
Yarta Wandatha: the land is speaking, the people are speaking Walking with Elders, learning from their ancient wisdom and wrestling with the lessons that creation – ‘God’s oldest voice’ – has to teach us todayThis article was first published in VOX, the bulletin of the University of Divinity. It is republished with permission. By Dr…
Welcome to Country: an ancient, sacred ritual
Welcome to Country: a sacred ritual inviting us all into deeper relationship with this ancient land Uniting Church President Rev Charissa Suli has written a response after two deeply hurtful events related to Welcome to Country ceremonies on Friday sparked painful debate about the place of the custom in public life Rev Charissa Suli, President…