New Messy Church Prayer Resource
At Messy Church we love to introduce people of all ages to engage in informed prayer and prayerful action. A good way to start is by joining in with the World Day of Prayer.
The World Day of Prayer (WDP) is a worldwide movement led by Christian women of many traditions, who call the faithful together to observe a common day of prayer on the first Friday in March. More than 120 countries participate in an annual day of celebration, which brings together people of various races, cultures and traditions, sharing God’s word and worship.
The 2026 World Day of Prayer service was prepared by an ecumenical group of Christian women from Nigeria, with a focus on the invitation of Jesus found in Matthew 11:28–30, as they call us to come closer and find rest in God.
World Day of Prayer England Wales and Northern Ireland committee, have collaborated with the Messy Church Team to create a Messy Church session based on the 2026 WDP material, written by the Christian Women in Nigeria. We are grateful to Rachel Gotobed, part of our readers and writers support team, for creating this session.
Download the session in English
Rachel writes…
I first remember going to the World Day of Prayer service as a child with my Mum and being intrigued by the idea that people all around the world were following the same service and saying the same prayers. Ever since I have tried to attend a service each year and to encourage others to join in. Being aware that many services are attended predominantly by older people, I wanted to do something to make the service more accessible and having successfully tried a family cafe church last year, I was delighted to be given the opportunity to write this Messy Church session.
Inspired by the material prepared by the women of Nigeria, I hope that this Messy Church session will help people of all ages explore what it means to find true rest in knowing Jesus, and to be amazed at the fact that someone, somewhere, is always praying.”
You may also like
Messy Momentum road trip – August and September 2026
28th Sep 2026Over the past six weeks, Sophie has travelled across the UK visiting six of our pilot projects, seeing first-hand how the Messy Churches involved are creating vibrant, creative and Christ-centred spaces where young people can belong, explore faith and have fun. From giant volcanoes and homemade meals to Bible discussions, games, boats and plenty of laughter, every visit brought a fresh glimpse of what’s possible when we make space for young people. Read the full story to join the road trip and discover how you could be part of the next chapter in 2027!
Messy Momentum visits – June 2026
26th Jun 2026Read more about Sophie's Messy Momentum Youth Pilot visits to West Sussex and Suffolk.
From Merengue to Mission: Messy Church at ECCE 2026
15th Jun 2026Surrounded by the stunning Swiss Alps, delegates from across Europe came together last week for the European Conference on Christian Education. Representing Messy Church, we spent five days worshipping, learning and reflecting on what it means to hear and value the voices of children. Follow the link below for some of the highlights from our time in Leysin.
Messy Momentum May visits
21st May 2026Sophie hit the road last weekend, to get out and about to visit some of the wonderful Messy Momentum pilots in action!
