A church in Guangdong and another church in Jiangsu marked the World Day of Prayer (WDP) 2022 with the material made by CCC&TSPM instead of following the officially designated program.
A worship service to celebrate the international day was held in Lai’en Church on March 3, attended by believers and pastoral staff from Chancheng District churches in Foshan City, Guangdong Province, according to Chancheng District CC&TSPM.
This year’s WDP fell on March 4, when only five female pastors and staff in Zhangjiagang of Suzhou City gathered to observe the international event, as Suzhou in Jiangsu still suffers from the pandemic, Suzhou CC&TSPM said.
Broadcast live and recorded, the event featured the theme "Contribute With Willingness" based on Exodus 35:20-35, displaying the introductions of WDP and women’s ministry, and the procedures of this worship service on the screen. The material was created by the Chinese official church the first time instead of following the World Day of Prayer Committee.
In the service, they prayed with gratitude for the reunification of China, the 2022 Winter Olympics and the Paralympics in Beijing, and the work of COVID-19 prevention and control. During the prayer, the congregation was invited to meditate on whether they had used their gifts and abilities to serve others willingly and how to imitate examples in the Bible to work for God with the wisdom from Him. They were expected to fulfill God’s good will and bring blessings to society and the country.
Written by the World Day of Prayer Committee of England, Wales & Northern Ireland, the official theme of WDP 2022 was "I Know the Plans I Have for You" based on Jeremiah 29:1-14.
The program for WDP 2023 written by Taiwan will feature the theme, "I Have Heard About Your Faith" with Ephesians 1:15-19.
The "Women's World Day of Prayer" initiative first started from a prayer service jointly organized by Christian women from Canada and the USA with the aim to care for women and children. Founded in 1964, the World Day of Prayer International Committee sets the first Friday of March as the World Day of Prayer.
- Translated by Abigail Wu
