Pray to Pentecost – Ten Days of Prayer
An invitation from Bishops Justin and Anashuya
As we travel across our Diocese, visiting parishes and communities, we have been deeply encouraged by the growing anticipation for our 10 Days of Prayer from Ascension to Pentecost. It is heartening to see so many of you preparing your hearts, expectant that God will move in new and powerful ways.
Two years ago this very week, I, Bishop Anashuya, experienced God’s healing power in a way that set me on a path I could never have imagined. It was a breakthrough moment – a reminder that God is still at work in and through us. As Ven Scottie Reeve reminded us recently, Pentecost is when God shows up and does what only God can do.
We are inviting you, our diocesan whānau, to pray with us, with open hearts and great hope that God will do it again.
“People of New Zealand, why do you stand here looking into the sky?” (Acts 1:11, adapted).
This is our call in this season—to lower our eyes from the clouds and turn our gaze to the people and places around us. As we pray, we align ourselves with Jesus’ vision: God’s kingdom come, on earth as in heaven.
For many of us, this way of praying is woven into our daily rhythm. However, over the next ten days, we will be placing particular focus on it.
We invite you to mark the beginning of this sacred season by attending an Ascension Day service on Thursday, 29 May. While these may be few, the Wellington Cathedral of St Paul will hold a beautiful Eucharist at 5:30 pm, an opportunity to step into the story afresh.
To help guide your prayer over these ten days, we encourage you to consider three simple practices:
Pray for 5 – lift up five people in prayer, asking that they come to know the power and freedom of Jesus.
Host a prayer vigil – whether for a few hours, a day, or the full ten days, create a space for unbroken prayer.
Continue prayer walking – let your footsteps be guided by the Spirit through your neighbourhood or town.
More information and resources can be found on our website. And we’d love to hear how you are joining in—email us your stories at communications@anglicanmovement.nz so we can celebrate and encourage one another.
As we pray to Pentecost, may we be united in faith, in hope, and in deep expectation that the Spirit of God is near and moving.
With every blessing,
+Justin & +Anashuya
