Dear Friends,

‘Thy Kingdom Come’ is a phrase that trips off the tongue of Christians every time they pray the Lord’s Prayer. It sums up the purpose of Jesus and of his body, The Church. We exist, with Jesus, to build the Kingdom of God. We do that, in part, by seeking to transform the unjust structures of society and conforming them to the intentions of God. We also do it by sharing our faith, hope and love with others. However we help build the Kingdom of God, we must do it in partnership with God and so pray as Jesus taught us: Thy Kingdom come. Prayer is what ensures our partnership with God. Without it, we risk trying to establish not his Kingdom, but some lesser vision of our own.

Thy Kingdom Come has become the title and focus of a worldwide wave of prayer during the period between Ascension Day and Pentecost (25th May – 4th June, this year). Every one of us is invited to join in this wave of prayer that more people may come to know, love and follow Jesus – and so become joyful fellow-workers in building up God’s Kingdom.

There are countless ways to join in this worldwide wave of prayer, as churches, as families or groups, or quietly as individuals. Last year, many churches hosted day-long events embracing many different kinds of corporate and individual prayer. I was privileged to share in several. This year a website has been launched: www.thykingdomcome.global. I urge you to visit it if you can and to discover how you can best be a part of this wave of prayer, whether or not your church is hosting a special event.
With thanks for our partnership in prayer,
+Mark, Bishop of Horsham