The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity takes place from from Wednesday 18 to Wednesday 25 January.

It is organised by Churches Together in Britain and Ireland (CTBI) and this year’s theme is praying for unity amidst injustice.

Dr Nicola Brady, General Secretary of CTBI said: "For this Week of Prayer for Christian Unity we are guided by the churches of Minneapolis as we seek to explore how the work of Christian unity can contribute to the promotion of racial justice across all levels of society.

"Through this resource, the CTBI writers’ group has also focused our attention on the 30th anniversary ofthe murder of Stephen Lawrence, which we mark this year.

"The work of restoring hope through justice undertaken in Stephen’s memory continues to inspire and change lives for the better.

"As we join with other Christians around the world for this year’s Week of Prayer we pray that our hearts will be open to see and hear the many ways in which racism
continues to destroy lives, and to discern the steps we can take as individuals and communities to heal the hurts and build a better future for everyone."

Prayer

God of justice, Empower us to be agents of your grace and mercy Bless us with the courage to relinquish our power. Bless us with the humility to stand with the oppressed. Bless us with the integrity to love our neighbours as we ourselves would seek to be loved.

The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity ,18-25 January. Resources and info at www.ctbi.org.uk/weekofprayer