At Hope into Action our faith is at the core of our identity as an organisation. In one hand, we hold a passion for the Gospel of Jesus, and in the other a commitment to delivering work marked by excellence and professionalism.

On Monday 8^th April we gave the day over to 24 hours of prayer and fasting. We laid aside emails, projects and other priorities and gave the day over to the profound and powerful act of prayer.

Over 150 different people joined in a wide variety of prayer from 12.01 to 11.59.

These included staff, volunteers, church leaders, investors and supporters. We gathered together to ask God to empower us to do what we can’t do alone. Through online prayer sessions, early morning prayer walks, events hosted by partner churches and late-night bible studies in our Peterborough offices, we humbled ourselves before God and asked him to move.

Isaiah 58

The whole day was based on Isaiah 58 – a key chapter in our story which inspired Ed Walker back 14 years ago when he started Hope into Action.

It is a challenging chapter because it criticises the kind of religion which makes no difference to how people live and leaves oppression, poverty and violence unchallenged.  In contrast it calls for a ‘fast’ that leads to justice and compassionate action:

“Is this not the fast that I choose:

To loose the bonds of wickedness.

To undo the straps of the yoke,

To let the oppressed go free,

To break every yoke.

Is it not to share your bread with the hungry,

And bring the homeless into your house;

When you see the naked, to cover them,

And not to hide yourself from your own flesh.”

Isaiah 58: 6-7

As the passage goes on to say, when we act in this way, our light will shine in the darkness and we will be strengthened by God. We will be like a well-watered garden and we will be people who rebuild and restore communities.

It was a great day and fully worth the commitment of time and creativity:

“If Empowerment workers are on the front line of our ministry, then prayer and fasting days are where we ALL get on the spiritual front line.”

We’re so grateful to all those who gave their time to join us throughout the day, and particularly to those who led us in prayer: Derek Tidball, Clive and Florence Morton, Tom Bowring, Andy Fitzgerald, Fr Gaston Forbah and Jon Kuhrt.

If you would like to join us in future prayer days please send an email to [email protected] and we’ll sign you up!