World Day of Prayer

The World Day of Prayer (WGT, also known as the Women's World Day of Prayer) is the largest ecumenical grassroots movement of women. Its motto is: "Pray informed - act praying". Introduced in 1927, the World Day of Prayer is celebrated in ecumenical services in over 120 countries. Locally, women from different denominations work together to organize and conduct the services. Every year, women from a different country in the world write the order of service for the World Day of Prayer. The World Day of Prayer takes place on the first Friday in March.

There have been days of prayer since 1887, which were initiated by the women's missionary organizations in the USA and Canada. In 1897, the first interdenominational "Day of Humiliation and Prayer" was celebrated jointly by women involved in the US domestic mission. In Germany, Methodist women organized the first World Day of Prayer in 1927.

In 1947, the first ecumenical World Day of Prayer service was held in Berlin with US women on the initiative of the Methodist Luise Scholz. The range of denominations taking part in the World Day of Prayer grew steadily. In 1970, the Roman Catholic women's associations also joined in.