The annual worldwide Week of Prayer of the Seventh-day Adventist Church will take place from 4 to 11 November. This year's theme is "Be His Witness". The world church leadership is providing a prayer reading for the almost-22 million Adventists worldwide, which will be translated into many languages.
Author
The author of the daily readings is the academic and freelance author, Sarah Gane Burton, from Berrien Springs, Michigan, USA. According to the introduction in this year's prayer reading, she is interested in the history and culture of the Old Testament, particularly the everyday life of people in antiquity.
Prayer gatherings
The daily sections of the reading are traditionally read together in the so-called "prayer meetings". Afterwards, the participants discuss them before praying. In the 32 Adventist congregations in German-speaking Switzerland, both members and guests are invited to special prayer meetings, which usually take place in the evening.
Invitation from the church president
In the introduction to the 2023 Week of Prayer, Pastor Ted Wilson, president of the General Conference of the Seventh-Day Adventist Church, invites church members to take time during this week to ask themselves how God "wants to use you to share His love with others as a faithful witness".
Theme of the readings: Being His Witness
Pastor Mario Brito, church leader of the Adventist Church in Western and Southern Europe (Inter-European Division - EUD), writes about the theme: "This year's Week of Prayer draws our attention to the lives and ministries of faithful men and women of different ages and social status who had a consistent, fruitful relationship with God and made a positive impact on their families, fellow believers and the society in which they lived."
Biblical characters whose lives are discussed in the day's readings are: Abraham; Joseph; the Israeli maidservant in Syria as well as Gehazi, the servant of the prophet Elisha; Daniel; the Samaritan woman at the well; Tabita; Aquila and Priscilla; and Apostle Paul.
Collection of donations at the end of the Week of Prayer for world mission activities
Every year, at the end of the Week of Prayer, a collection is made for the designated "Day of Prayer Offering". This is a traditional collection which is used for the worldwide mission of the Church. In 1922, the consequences of the Great Depression were the trigger for the introduction of the special collection at the end of the Week of Prayer. This factoid comes from Norbert Zens, chief financial officer of the Adventist Church in Western and Southern Europe, writing about the use of the money received. The money received prevented missionaries from having to be recalled from mission areas due to lack of funds.
Today, there are almost 23 million Adventist Christians, but the missionary challenges are still great, says Zens.
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