A national day of prayer should be held to comfort people during the pandemic, MPs have suggested.
DUP MPs Jim Shannon (Strangford) and Ian Paisley (North Antrim) called on the Prime Minister to "initiate a national day of prayer to enable those to seek God" to help people deal with the greater coronavirus restrictions.
Mr Shannon added that being able to find comfort through places in worship is important to many in difficult times, and pressed the Government to allow people to access places of worship during the lockdown.
Speaking in the debate on coronavirus in the Commons, Mr Shannon told MPs: "Just to say that I put in an early day motion and if I could just quickly quote it - it was asking for a national day of prayer.
"And I did it because this House knows the unprecedented position that the Covid-19 pandemic has brought the nation too."
He added that the Government should "recognise the importance of prayer" as "prayer helps us to renew ourselves".
Explaining his motion to MPs, Mr Shannon said it "calls for the Prime Minister to initiate a national day of prayer to enable those to seek God".
He continued: "We need wisdom and the call for a national day of prayer for those of the Christian faith and others to unite together and pray for the help that we so desperately need.
"We need support for the NHS, we need support for businesses and the vulnerable, but along with this, we also need to humble ourselves and ask God to make the path straight as we work together to come through this Covid winter that is ahead of us.
"We must trust God, we must pray for the help that we need - I think every one of us here should adhere to that."
Speaking of Northern Ireland, he added: "We have been able to give people the place to go once a week to meet together and pray for the future of this nation, to seek God I believe for strength, for peace, for comfort, for wisdom, for hope and forgiveness and even for joy at this difficult time as well."
Intervening, shadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth added that being able to access a place of worship is "very important" for many.
He told MPs: "I hope that before the vote on Wednesday, and we will be supporting the lockdown regulations, I hope that ministers can come to the despatch box on Wednesday and give us some reassurances around places of worship."
