An upcoming nationwide prayer initiative marking the birth of the Church has received recognition in the UK Parliament.
DUP MP Jim Shannon highlighted the ‘72 Hours of Unbroken Prayer’ event by signing an Early Day Motion on Wednesday, drawing attention to the project as part of Shine At Pentecost 2025, organised by the National Day of Prayer & Worship (NDOPW).
The event, which begins at midnight on Thursday and concludes on Pentecost Sunday, aims to unite Christians across Britain in continuous prayer for their local communities and government.
The Early Day Motion reads: “That this House warmly welcomes news that Christians from across the Isles will be taking part in 72 hours of unbroken prayer this weekend to celebrate Pentecost, the birthday of the Church and to pray for our local communities... we highlight that since 2006, the National Day of Prayer and Worship have been gathering Christians to join the movement for unity, prayer and transformation across the UK, from grassroots villages to larger towns... and thank the Church for the continued contribution it makes to the spiritual life of the United Kingdom.”
Speaking to Premier Christian News, Mr Shannon highlighted the importance of prayer in both Parliament and everyday life.
“Every day we start our meetings in the chamber with prayer and with a scripture reading. To me, it's incredibly important. To many others, it's important, as well as a tradition, but it's also done with a purpose,” he said.
“The purpose is to seek God's guidance, wisdom and understanding of the legislation and all the bills that come before the chamber.”
Mr Shannon added that he hopes others see the broader value of prayer, not only within Parliament but also across the wider community.
“For us who practice prayer every day before we start any business, I think it's really important that we see the bigger picture, perhaps maybe outside of the chamber, but we want to be an integral part of that as well.”
Organisers of Shine At Pentecost 2025 have also encouraged participating churches to take prayer and evangelistic events out into their local communities throughout the weekend.
