World Day of Prayer

Every year Christian women of a different country prepare a service, which is used internationally in the largest act of ecumenical worship worldwide. Christian Women from Nigeria have compiled the service for 2026.

The artwork, by Gift Amarachi Ottah, depicts the daily reality of rural Nigerian women whose lives are marked by endless labour from sunrise to sunset. These women traverse treacherous paths to their farms, often carrying both their harvest and their children – a toddler strapped to their back, a heavy load balanced on their head while guiding other children along unmaintained roads through thick bush. The artwork also shows three women sitting together, their different traditional attire representing Nigeria’s diverse cultures. Though they come from different ethnic groups, their shared experiences unite them. To meet their basic survival needs, these women carry burdens and traumas that are physical, emotional and spiritual.

The service will be followed by refreshments, and everyone is most welcome – men, women and children.The Day of Prayer is celebrated in over 146 countries. It begins in Samoa and prayer travels through the world, finishing in American Samoa some 38 hours later. For further information, with details of other local services, see  wwdp.org.uk