A group of Australian Christian leaders has called for Christians of all denominations to join in daily prayer for the nation and for churches to hold a National Day of Prayer on 29th March.
The prayer initiative, which is being coordinated by the Australian Prayer Network, will be officially launched at 7pm on Thursday, 19th March, and continue daily.
The APN’s national coordinator Brian Pickering has also asked for churches to include prayer in Sunday services each week and observe a National Day of Prayer and Fasting on 29th May.
Pastor Wayne Alcorn, president of the Australian Christian Churches and spokesman for the campaign, said in published comments that he had been convicted that it was time for the Australian church “to stand united in prayer until we see this pandemic stopped”.
“I have been overwhelmed by the unprecedented support and unity that has been expressed when I have spoken to leaders of denominations and ministries across Australia,” he said. “We all agree that we should pray, regardless of our traditions.”
The APN, which hopes the prayer campaign will go viral, has asked for prayer this Sunday with regard to three specific areas.
They include that Australian Christians would “throw off our differences and join together in united prayer for our nation” and that God “would grant wisdom and energy” to Prime Minister Scott Morrison and state premiers in order to “avoid a financial calamity as well as shielding our nation from a health crisis that cannot be properly managed”.
They also asked for prayer that Australia’s National Medical Advisory Team “would be sharp, accurate and wise in the recommendations they make and that the Australian public will respond with a calm measured response and not the panic that we have seen in recent weeks”.
