Thy Kingdom Come 2024

From May 9 to 19 (Ascension Day to Pentecost), we join together with Christians around the world in Thy Kingdom Come, a global wave of prayer when we pray for more people to come to know Jesus Christ. Below you can find some prayer activities you can do as an individual or in a group.

In praying ‘Thy Kingdom Come’ we all commit to playing our part in the renewal of the nations and the transformation of communities.
(Archbishop Justin Welby)

DAY 10 (May 18) – Location Prayers: The challenge for today is to go to different locations (safely) to pray. People in the Bible pray in all sorts of places: out of the depths, in exile, on the mountaintop, in the temple, in the silence of the heart, by the sea, or even inside a whale! Remembering to observe trespassing laws and personal safety, find similar places near you (at home, on a walk, or even on a road trip) and spend some time there saying a prayer for people to come to know the love of Jesus. Challenge yourself to think of locations that represent a deep or low place, a place that is higher up, a cluttered place, a narrow passage, the quietest place you can find, a spot under a bush or in a tree, some place that is smelly, by water’s edge, under the sun, or in the dark. (Be safe and sensible; don’t put yourself at risk!) See how many you can get. Maybe post on social media with the TKC hashtags. If this doesn’t appeal, revisit one of the prayer recommendations above. Might be a fun day for a Fizzy Prayer or maybe some Praying Hands or “Lego” Prayer.

Day 9 (May 17) – “Lego” Prayers: Use Lego to pray for people to build a relationship with Jesus. Use the Lego pieces to make the initial letter of the name of each person you are praying for. Either build a freestanding letter or make the letter on a baseboard. You can also do this with any other media 0r manipulatives, such as beads on a wire, needle pointing or cross-stitching, dried macaroni glued to squares of cardboard, sticks arranged on the back deck, etc. (Channel your inner kindergartner or crafty creator and have fun with the idea.) . If you’re inclined toward adult colouring, you can download and print the first name initial (https://coloringhome.com/coloring-pages-letters-adult) of each person you are praying for. As you create each initial, pray for that person that they will come to sense God at work in their lives and will build a relationship with Jesus.

DAY 8 (May 16)– Breathing Prayer: Many believers use good breathing techniques in conjunction with prayer in order to still and centre themselves. It’s a win-win for you and the person you are praying for. Settle yourself in your Prayer Space or in another location conducive to prayer and meditation. Think of the 5 people you would are praying will come to know Christ’s love for them. Practise breathe as follows:

• Breathe in through the nose, counting 1… 2… 3
• Hold the breath in, counting 1… 2… 3
• Let the air out through your mouth, counting 1… 2… 3

Now replace the numbers, 1, 2, 3 with the words below as you breathe a prayer for someone to know Jesus:

• God… of… love
• Help… [X]… know
• Your… great… love

DAY 7 (May 15) –  Fizzy Prayers: This is a potentially messy prayer activity that dramatizes the power of Jesus to touch lives. You will need: baking soda; white vinegar; liquid dish soap; food colouring; 5 non-staining glasses (preferably narrow and small). Mix food colouring into white vinegar to colour it. Create 5 different colours, keeping each colour of vinegar in a separate glass. Place the glasses on a non-staining tray or baking sheet. Add 1-2 drops of dish soap to each glass.  Add the baking soda and watch the eruption ensue! Start small with the baking soda (about a 1 tsp but if you want a larger explosion, add more dish soap and baking soda!) Let each coloured glass of vinegar represent someone you would like to pray for. As you drop the soda in the vinegar, pray that the power and love of Jesus will touch that person’s life. If you don’t have the materials needed for this prayer activity, try an earlier suggestion from those below, like the Starting 5 Prayer or Prayer Walk.

DAY 6 (May 14) – Tic-Tac-Toe Prayers: Make a grid of three squares by three square. Choose a theme for your grid, e.g., people, places, professions, world problems, individuals who are sick, etc. Write something to pray for related to your theme in each of the nine boxes (see the professions sample here). At intervals during your day, choose items on the grid to pray for and mark them with an X or O alternately, as if playing the game. Or ask a family member to pick a number between 1 and 9 to randomize the selection. For real fun, have someone play with you, and try to get three in a row (but keep praying after someone wins). If you want to repeat this prayer until Pentecost, pray for nine things under one theme today; tomorrow pray for another nine things on a different theme, and so on.

DAY 5 (May 13) – Praying Hands: Trace your hand on 5 sheets of paper and write the name of someone you will prayer for in the middle of each hand. These would be people who you want to grow into a relationship with God or to be called to come to church. Tape the hands on the walls or doors around your house in prominent locations, or place them randomly on counters and table tops. As you move through your house during the day, you will pass these Praying Hands. Pause and pray before each Praying Hand that the person might come to know the presence of God in their life. You can pray by standing there staring, or by physically laying your hands on the outlines of the Praying Hands. You could repeat this activity daily until Pentecost with the same 5 names or with new names each day.

DAY 4 (May 12) – Pebble Prayer: Take a walk to a body of water and find 5 small stones, sticks or shells that will represent the people you are praying for. These might be the 5 people you’ve been praying for all throughout Thy Kingdom Come, or they may be new names. Go up to the water’s edge and, taking care that there are no people or wildlife between you and the water, fling each pebble into the water as you shout out a prayer using simple words like, ‘Please help [Name] know Jesus’ love’. You can adapt this activity for a water feature, or even a bowl of water in your garden or home. Finish by throwing a stone in for yourself or family, asking God to show you where you can be building God’s kingdom. You might like to keep a stone in your pocket for the rest of the week, as a reminder of your commitment to spread God’s kingdom.

DAY 3 (May 11)  – Prayer Walk: Take a walk  around your neighbourhood and pray for God’s kingdom to be and to grow in these places. Start by walking slowly in silence for a short while. Next, walk and give thanks for anything beautiful and say sorry to God for things that are damaged or spoiled. If walking with other members of your household, share your prayers out loud with each other. Next, walk and pray about how to share God’s kingdom in your community. Pray for the people (by name if you can) in the houses, schools and shops that you pass. (If you are not able to get outside, walk around your home and rest your eyes on 5-10 different household items and pray for individuals in fields with a connection to that item (e.g., kitchen cupboards=grocery store staff; a blanket=those in hospital; a garbage can=waste management workers, books=students and teachers, and so on). Maybe make a prayer walk part of your everyday routine until Pentecost, or even beyond that.

DAY 2 (May 10) – Starting 5:   If you haven’t yet, decide on five people to pray for. Write each one’s name on a square of cardstock, a popsicle stick, or a smooth stone. Carry these with you in your pocket for the day. Whenever you see or touch those 5 tokens during the day, pray, ‘Dear God, please may [Name] come to know Jesus’ love.’ At the end of the day, go to a quiet Prayer Space (see belwo). Hold each token, one at a time and think about that person. Draw a heart on each paper, stick or stone, and pray, ‘Dear Jesus, we know that you love [Name]. Please help us show them your love. Amen.’  Leave the 5 tokens in your prayer space. Repeat this activity daily for ten days with the same names or with new names each day.

DAY 1 (May 9) – Creating a Prayer Space: Arrange meaningful items, such as some tealights or a pillar candle, a cross, Bible, or other sanctifying objects, on a piece of coloured cloth to designate a special place in your home. This will remind you and everyone in your household that prayer is an important part of everyday life and that God is present, even when we cannot gather in our church building.  A bowl on the table can be used to hold petitions or prayer requests written on pieces of paper. Alternatively, you may want to gather your Prayer Space items in a pretty basket or gift box. Then, at a specific time each day, you can take your portable Prayer Space with you to a comfortable chair in a quiet place where you sit and reflect, or to an outdoor location conducive to prayer and meditation. Plan to use your Prayer Space daily through Thy Kingdom Come 2024.

Prayer for the Israel Palestine Conflict