This year’s annual World Day of Prayer service was hosted by SHAP and took place at St. Michael’s Church last Friday. 

The church was wonderfully decorated with flags, posters, flowers and vegetables relating to the 2022 focus countries of England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

We had an excellent turnout and were very pleased to be joined this year by the delightful Year 6 students and teachers from Cranbrook and Kambala Schools. 

We heard from our Readers about the things that women in the focus countries need prayer for. We also prayed for the people of the Ukraine and those in flood affected areas along our East coast. 

SHAP member, Verity Thomson, spoke on Jeremiah 29: 1-14 and highlighted God’s promise to look after us and not to harm us and the promise that He will never abandon us. In a nod to the British spirit of the Blitz, Verity suggested that God wants us to ‘Keep Calm and Carry On!’.

It was a time of great encouragement as we sang and prayed together and then enjoyed a delicious spread which included English scones and a special Welsh tea cake called ‘Bara Brith’. 

Please make a note in your diary for next year’s World Day of Prayer which will be held on Friday 3 March.