Pray Without Ceasing Initiative

The call to prayer runs through Scripture: the community gathered before Pentecost, the faithful praying to receive the Word in Nehemiah, some 150 Psalms calling us to pray alone and together. Now, in this time of significant change, we pray.

As people who follow Jesus, we pray. Alone and together, we pray. And, in times of great change, we pray.

We can agree that 2025 has begun as a time of significant change, particularly in our federal government. Whether we agree or disagree with the changes, the very speed of the actions gives us pause. And so we pray.

We pray for peace. We pray for victims of war, violence, and persecution. We pray for those who have lost jobs or vital services. We pray for children, people with disabilities, elders. We pray for those experiencing anxiety in the face of rapid change. We pray for government leaders. We pray for civil discourse in our communities. We pray for our congregation and for the renewal of the church. And we pray that we might each be faithful disciples, good listeners, and loving Christians.

We invite you to join with congregations and communities across the ELCA to gather for weekly, community prayer as part of the Bishops’ Pray Without Ceasing Initiative.

Specifically, we ask your ministry make two commitments:

  • Establish and host a regular, weekly prayer gathering – welcoming all. We encourage congregations to consider Sunday at 5:00 p.m. (local time), but trust that you will determine a time and day that is best for your situation.

  • Think ahead and invite two other congregations (ELCA, full communion partners, other faith communities) to make the same two-fold commitment (to host a weekly, welcoming prayer gathering and to ask two other congregations to make the same commitment).

Our prayer is that by Pentecost Sunday on June 8, numerous communities in our synod and in each participating synod will have begun gathering weekly to Pray without Ceasing, and invite others to do so. How amazing that over the weeks, this number will continue to grow and multiply!