Global Day of Prayer

THE Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, has said that efforts by the National Secular Society to ban prayer at council meetings were a “load of cobblers”.

Speaking after his appearance in front of 10,000 Christians at the Global Day of Prayer (GDOP) at West Ham Football Club’s stadium on Sunday, the Mayor said: “Pol iticians, no matter what their beliefs, pray and think about the sacred trust they have been given.”

The Mayor was introduced by the Bishop of Barking, the Rt Revd David Hawkins, who chairs the GDOP. Before leaving the stage, Mr Johnson was prayed for by Steven Clifford, the general director of the Evangelical Alliance. The Mayor told the Church Times that he was “grateful for any kind of inter cession, be it divine or human”.

Stephen Timms, the MP for East Ham, made his first public ap pearance after a knife attack last month.

Worship was led by Graham Kendrick, Noel Robinson, Godfrey Birtill, and Lara Martin. Mr Ken drick said: “It’s a great catalyst to unity. It makes our prayer more powerful. It’s a bit like a birthday party. You get family round and refresh the relationship.”

The atmosphere was celebratory, with a 60-strong gospel choir per forming on one side of the stage and dancers waving flags on the other. A colourfully dressed multi-ethnic children’s choir sang.

In a statement before the event, Bishop Hawkins said that large sig nature events made waves in a city or nation: “Thus the idea of bringing really large numbers of people to gether in the common activity of prayer, and with an intent to go from that place in transformation and community engagement.”

Dr Jonathan Oloyede, the GDOP convener for London, said: “We’ve been praying 24 hours throughout the year. That’s an underground thing. We’re now bringing that to the surface. Its a national canopy of prayer.” Mr Oloyede, who is a con vert from Islam, said that the Salva tion Army was planning a year of prayer in 2012.

Lesley Jones, from All Saints’, Peckham, south London, which was recently featured on Pentecost, a BBC programme shown on Pentecost Sunday, said: “It gave me a sense of hope that the nation can turn back to God, and I felt encouraged by the words that revival can happen in this country. I believe that prayer is effective.”

GDOP London, a movement of daily prayer, is urging one million Christians to pray the Lord’s Prayer at noon every day. It is also en couraging all churches and networks to be part of 500 days of prayer for the UK, from 1 August 2010 until 31 December 2011.

Details at: www.gdoplondon.com