By Paul Eddy, Anglican Ink.
The vision for Shine at Midnight Vigils has been crystallising over the past year but triggered after last week’s vote by MPs to take away a woman’s criminal liability for an abortion up to birth, and the vote to back Kim Leadbeater’s Bill to assist those with a terminal illness to die.
CHURCHES across the UK have been called to reinstate the ancient practice of Night Vigils of Prayer following last week’s House of Commons votes on abortion and assisted dying, and the United States bombing of Iran.
The call comes from Pastor Jonathan Oloyede, Founder & Convenor of the National Day of Prayer and Worship (NDOPW). Since 2006, NDOPW has united thousands of churches across the four nations for local prayer, as well as in 2012, hosting over 32,500 Christians in Wembley Stadium for eight hours of prayer and worship.
In recent years, NDOPW has been developing a growing network of churches and intercessors who are passionate to pray and witness in their local communities. Over 1600 events took place as part of Shine Your Light 2024 with carol services and events going out onto the streets and into the marketplaces. NDOPW also hosts a weekly online prayer gathering of hundreds ofChristians, and a daily 7am and 7pm prayer Zoom with over 1,000 intercessors meeting regularly from across the Isles.
The vision for Shine at Midnight Vigils has been crystallising over the past year but triggered after last week’s vote by MPs to take away a woman’s criminal liability for an abortion up to birth, and the vote to back Kim Leadbeater’s Bill to assist those with a terminal illness to die.
In an open letter to the UK Church, published this week, Dr Jonathan Oloyede said his spirit has been stirred to make this call. On waking on Sunday to the news that the United States had bombed nuclear facilities in Iran – sending global leaders clamouring to meetings with their national military and security advisers, the pastor says he “sensed the time was right to call the UK church to focussed prayer.”
Dr Oloyede explained: “In the quiet hours of the night, when the world sleeps and darkness cloak the land, the heavens have often been torn open by the cries of praying saints. There was a time – not so long ago – when church halls across the UK would echo to the sound of earnest intercession through the night. Bonfires of Prayer lit up our spiritual landscape. The early Methodists, the Moravians, the Welsh revivalists—they all knew this holy secret: the power of night vigil prayer. But now, the wells are dry.”