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07 August 2012

Prayer for the world's most vulnerable children

Christian charity Samaritan's Purse is partnering with the National Day of Prayer (NDOP) to mobilise thousands of believers towards Wembley Stadium, to join with them in praying for some of the poorest and most vulnerable children around the world.

Operation Christmas Child (OCC) is the largest project of Samaritan's Purse and on 29 September, as tens of thousands of Christians gather together at Wembley there will be a time of prayer for the children in more than 105 countries who will be receiving OCC shoeboxes this year.

"We'll be coming together to pray for some of the neediest children around the globe, including those who are orphaned, living in poverty and disease and victims of trafficking," said Samaritan's Purse UK executive director Simon Barrington.

He added: "We're also coming together to praise God and celebrate all that's been done through the 94 million acts of compassion that have been carried out through Operation Christmas Child over the last 22 years. Each one of these shoeboxes is an opportunity to share God's love and for churches overseas to point children to Jesus Christ as their saviour at Christmas.

"NDOP Wembley is delighted to be partnering with Samaritan's Purse, as we strongly believe in the importance of praying for our future generations both in the UK and around the world.

"It's particularly important to mobilise the thousands who'll be gathered at Wembley Stadium to pray for the most marginalised of children being reached with the gospel through the wonderful work of Operation Christmas Child," said GDOP London convener Jonathan Oloyede.

Last year, hundreds of thousands of children and adults from across the UK got involved in OCC - including many churches, schools and workplaces - wrapping, packing and sending nearly 1.1 million shoeboxes full of gifts to disadvantaged children in Africa, Eastern Europe and Central Asia.

Simon Barrington believes prayer is fundamental to the work of Samaritan's Purse, and is the key to the Church reaching out to children in the UK and overseas, which is why the charity is partnering with NDOP Wembley.

He said: "Children have often been neglected by the Church and neglected in mission. Prayer is vital to reaching the next generation, so I think this is a significant moment when the church comes together to pray for the world's children and to pray for the global Church as we all seek to bring the good news of Jesus Christ and the life of Jesus Christ into our neighbourhoods.

"We also need to pray for a fresh outpouring of God's Holy Spirit on the children of the UK and on churches as they seek to present the gospel to them in a relevant way. They are the future and the present and the real hope for our nation."

To book your tickets today for NDOP Wembley call 0800 756 5451 weekdays 8:30am – 5pm or you can book your tickets securely online at www.ndopwembley.com