World Day of Prayer Nigeria hosted at Knox United

By Heather Cameron
Taber Times
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Knox United Church in Taber is serving as a host site to a World Day of Prayer Nigeria event at 1 p.m. on March 6.

Peggy Westerhoud, coordinator for the Taber Knox United Church event, says that the ‘Christian-led’ prayer event is prepared yearly by the World Day of Prayer Committee of Nigeria and that this year’s theme is “I will give you rest: come,” with the scripture behind the theme being Matthew 11, verses 28-30. This event, Westerhoud says, will also give attention to Nigeria’s history, culture and concerns. 

World Day of Prayer is an international, ecumenical movement which enables us to hear the thoughts of women from all parts of the world: their hopes, concerns and prayers. 

Westerhoud says that the preparation for the day includes with the selection of a country and theme several years in advance, and once the service is written, it goes to the World Day of Prayer International Committee in New York for translation and then dissemination to the National Committee in each participating country. From there, Westerhoud says, the service is discussed and edited by the Women’s Inter-Church Council of Canada before being presented nationally, regionally, and locally so host churches can make their plans for or near the first Friday of March to invite people to gather and celebrate the day. 

Ultimately, Westerhoud says, the World Day of Prayer is celebrated in over 120 countries, beginning in Samoa on March 6, 2026 or whatever date is best suitable, and travelling throughout the world – through Asia, Africa, the Middle East, Europe, and the Americas before finishing in American Samoa approximately 38 hours later. 

According to https://wdpcanada.ca/world-day-of-prayer/what-is-wdp/, the World Day of Prayer began in the 19th century when Christian women of Canada and the United States became involved in missions at home and worldwide. Specifically, the website says, since 1812, women have encouraged one another to engage in personal prayer and lead communal prayer within their mission groups and in 1887, Presbyterian women in the United States then called for a National Day of Prayer, while Anglican women in Canada established a national day of corporate intercessions for mission in 1895. The website also highlights that on Oct. 19, 1918, representatives of five Women’s Missionary Boards – Anglican, Baptist, Congregational, Methodist and Presbyterian – came together “to promote the spreading of Christ’s kingdom through united prayer and action,” and that first inter-church meeting led to the launch to the Interim Committee on the Federation of the Women’s Missionary Society Boards of Canada, which organized a national and inter-denominational day of prayer on Jan. 9, 1920. The website also states that in 1922, the Canadians elected to use the same theme and day for the Day of Prayer as U.S. women, and the event became the Women’s World Day of Prayer in 1927, with the Canadian committee changing its name to become the Women’s Inter-Church Council of Canada. That Council, the website says, holds representatives from 11 church partners and it coordinates the World Day of Prayer in Canada and also speaks to issues that concern women of faith nationwide.

“How do I feel about the World Day of Prayer?” questioned Westerhoud. “I feel that it’s a very important mission. I think that it gives us something to think about and to make us realize that we have a privileged country and that many of these countries are not as privileged as we are. But these countries believe in God and their Christian women prepare these services with thoughtfulness and caring to let us know what is going on in their country.”