One more year, the European Evangelical Alliance (EEA) invites evangelical churches from all over Europe to participate in the Week of Prayer (WOP), from 12 to 19 January.

Jan Wessels, General Secretary of the EEA, stresses the importance of the event pointing out that “Jesus Christ prayed. So we should pray also. Rather than debating all kinds of issues we may differ about, or worry, we should bring them before the throne of God together”.

He calls on European Christians to “pray for healing, for peace, for justice, for a Church that is salt and light and city on a hill that can not be hidden, for salvation”.

“Contend for the faith”

The main theme for this year WOP is ‘Contend for the faith’, based on Jude's letter. It has been produced by the Italian Evangelical Alliance, following a plan that will address contention in specific areas or done in specific ways during 8 days:

Day 1 - CONTEND with love and for love. (Jude 21; 1Cor 13:6)

Day 2 - CONTEND since we are called, loved, and kept. (Jude 1-2)

Day 3 - CONTEND for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints. (Jude 3-4)

Day 4 - CONTEND not forgetting past battles. (Jude 5-11)

Day 5 - CONTEND by avoiding disruptive behaviours. (Jude 12-16)

Day 6 - CONTEND by being patient with doubters. (Jude 17-23)

Day 7 - CONTEND by glorifying the Triune God. (Jude 24-25)

Day 8 - THE AMEN OF CONTENDING: Allies under one Lord

According to the Italian Evangelical Alliance, “each nation we represent, in different and more or less intense ways, is traversed by varying tides of scepticism and atheism, universalism, syncretism and spiritualism of various kinds, spiritual and material idolatries, and humanistic false gospels dressed up as Christianity”.

That is why “Jude's letter has a very important message for our time: the Christian faith is a fighting faith. While the wars of “flesh and blood” that we know so well are a terrible and destructive thing, Christian warfare is motivated by love for God and neighbour”, they add.

Resources

The material for the Week of Prayer can be downloaded free of charge in different languages, such as English, Italian , German, French and Spanish .

In addition to some recommendations for hosting a prayer meeting during the Week of Prayer, devotions, as well as thanksgiving, confession and request prayers are offered for each individual day of the week.