The Archbishops of Canterbury and York are encouraging Christians to pray systematically in the run-up to the election.
The Church of England is launching a campaign known as #PrayYourPart – to promote prayer and participation in the life of our nation and communities, both as voters and as citizens.
A series of daily thematic reflections written by bishops, drawn from the Bible and exploring major themes will be covering the final three weeks up to polling day. They will be available as a booklet, in audio form for smart speakers, as free opt-in emails and through social media. Throughout the coming weeks, a range of Christian voters from across England will be invited to share what they are praying for for the nation, through a series of videos under the banner #PrayYourPart.
Archbishops Justin and Stephen said: "The coming General Election is a critical moment in the life of our nation, which will shape our future by electing those who will make decisions affecting generations to come. It is a time for us all – people of all faiths and of none - to ask important questions about what kind of country we want to be.".
This 21-day journey of prayer and reflection is designed for use in the run-up to the UK General Election. Each day explores a different theme, with a short Bible reading, reflection and prayer for a different aspect of our common life.
You can access free digital versions of this reflection journey and find out how you can get involved in #PrayYourPart at churchofengland.org/PrayYourPart
Sign up for daily election reflections here
The prayer diary can be bought from Church House Publishing
Archbishops Justin and Stephen continued, "We are facing epic challenges both in our country and our world: from questions of war and peace, to poverty and injustice and very future of the Earth God has given us. Faced with such huge questions, our instinct as Christians is to turn to God in prayer and so we want to put prayer at the very heart of this campaign".
"We are therefore inviting everyone who is willing to dedicate the next few weeks as a time not just to think about the big questions but to pray for our nation and our world. And we want to invite everyone to think about how we all can play our part both as voters and, more broadly, as citizens".
“We would add a plea that no matter how big the issues as stake over the next few weeks, this will be a time marked by respect for one another, for good grace and a commitment to truth and integrity. It is our prayer that, even in the heat of the debate, we will treat each other with respect and kindness. And we give thanks for the dedication of all who stand for public office in service of our communities – often at great personal cost - and those who support the process.”