On Tuesday 31st March 2026, the Scottish Episcopal Church is holding a Day of Prayer for the churches and people of the Middle East.
The Primus asked the College of Bishops whether this could happen, as he had planned to visit Jerusalem and the West Bank during Holy Week, to show support for our friends in the Diocese of Jerusalem and to see how things had changed since his last visit. On Tuesday of the visit (31st March), the Primus would have been on the West Bank.
Individuals and congregations are asked to pray for peace. Resources can be found on the Scottish Episcopal Church website’s Day of Prayer page (towards the bottom). These include prayer stations, scripture, a vigil for peace and links to existing Scottish Episcopal Church liturgy such as the Liturgy for Lament.
This includes a prayer written by Archbishop Hosam Naoum, the Anglican Archbishop in Jerusalem and Primate of the Province of Jerusalem and the Middle East:
God of mercy, look with compassion
on all who are affected by the present conflict.
Grant insight to hardened hearts,
comfort to the fearful,
protection to those in danger,
and hope to those who are despairing,
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
To help with your prayers, the Diocese has prepared a PowerPoint presentation with images of churches and congregations in the affected region, along with Archbishop Hosam Naoum’s prayer. The PowerPoint file (first download) is set to rotate through images every 30 seconds, whilst the PDF version is static.