FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(FALLS CHURCH, VIRGINIA – November 1, 2024) For more than 70 years, Baptist women around the world have united every November for Baptist Women’s World Day of Prayer. Traditionally celebrated on the first Monday of November, the Day of Prayer movement has grown over time to include gatherings throughout October and November hosted by Baptist World Alliance Women (BWA Women) continental unions, national Baptist women’s unions, regional associations, and individual churches across the globe.
This year BWA Women leaders have created numerous Day of Prayer resources, including a 30-day prayer path sent daily via email, testimonies from women about living lives of purpose, and a detailed prayer guide with prayer requests and praises from each of the seven continental unions. The guide also includes a Bible study written by BWA Women President Karen Wilson focused on this year’s theme “Purposeful Life” drawn from the biblical text of Romans 8:28: “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”
“It is an honor to build upon such an amazing legacy and to anticipate how God will move as we gather again this year to pray in homes, churches, and communities around the world,” said Merritt Johnston, BWA Women Executive Director. “I praise God for the chorus of women in more than 100 countries who are interceding for one another and seeking to live out God’s purpose in the world through sacrificial giving and service.”
Thousands of women joined the Day of Prayer Global Worship Celebration on October 12 that featured worship, prayers, ministry updates, and the Day of Prayer theme song performed by Dimapur Sumi Baptist Church in Nagaland, India. Replay viewing remains available via the BWA Women YouTube channel: YouTube.com/bwawomen.
Women are also encouraged to participate in the annual Day of Prayer Global Offering that supports initiatives across each of the seven continental women’s unions and advances BWA Women’s five core ministry areas: (1) Strengthening Worship, Fellowship, and Unity; (2) Leading in Mission and Evangelism; (3) Responding through Aid, Relief, and Community Development; (4) Defending Religious Freedom, Human Rights, and Justice; and (5) Advancing Theological Reflection and Transformational Leadership.
This year’s projects include vocational training for women displaced by ethnic conflicts in India, providing shelter and support for women recovering from addiction and abuse in Chile, advocating for an end to female genital mutilation in Sierra Leone, hosting a community outreach in Tonga to share gospel-centered hope with victims of violence, developing a nationwide women’s network in Bhutan, equipping women in Lebanon for leadership in the face of war, reaching refugees who are on the brink of homelessness in the United States, constructing a water well for a community in need in Guyana, and mentoring a global cohort of next generation leaders.
“The Day of Prayer is a reminder to me that there is no distance in prayer. I look forward to this day when I can come together with other sisters for collective prayers for women around the world,” said Karlene Edwards-Warrick, President of Caribbean Baptist Women’s Union and BWA Women Vice President. “It is important to the global family to know that our hearts are connected and that we are united through prayer although we may be distances apart.”
Women are encouraged to follow BWA Women on Facebook and Instagram for updates from Day of Prayer gatherings around the world. To learn more or to access Day of Prayer resources, visit BWAWomen.org.
