At the very heart of the ecumenical movement is the reality of prayer. Jesus prayed that we may all be one, united in God in the mystery of the Trinity. That is the basis and the goal of our search for unity.

The Ecumenical Prayer Cycle enables us to journey in prayer through every region of the world and through every week of the year affirming our solidarity with Christians all over the world, brothers and sisters living in diverse situations, experiencing diverse problems and sharing diverse gifts. Lord, hear our prayer …

These pages are based on the Ecumenical Prayer Cycle “In God’s Hands – Common Prayer for the World” (ISBN 978-2825414880). The book and the website offer valuable aids for intercessory prayers, prayer on behalf of and in solidarity with others.

Share the ecumenical prayer cycle on your blog or your website!

This week and next week we pray for:

Bolivia, Chile, Peru: Give thanks for: Those who feed the poor, even when they do not have much themselves. Charangos, pan pipes and drums, sounds which give glory to God. Liberation theology and those who put it into practice by working for social justice with and for the poor. Saint Martin de Porres, the first black Catholic saint from Latin America, who spent his life caring for the poor of Lima. Languages and cultures which try to retain an old identity while coming to terms with the modern world. Machu Picchu, Lake Titicaca, and the Andes.

Overview for the whole year:

*Week #*	*Countries* *	*Dates in 2016*
Week 1	Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories	3-9 January
Week 2	Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Oman, Yemen, Iran, Iraq	10-16 January
Week 3	Cyprus, Greece, Turkey	17-23 January
Week 4	Algeria, Libya, Morocco, Tunisia	24-30 January
Week 5	Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden	31 January – 6 February
Week 6	Ireland, United Kingdom	7-13 February
Week 7	Belgium, Luxembourg, Netherlands	14-20 February
Week 8	Portugal, Spain, Italy, Malta	21-27 February
Week 9	Germany, France	28 February – 5 March
Week 10	Austria, Liechtenstein, Switzerland, Andorra, Monaco and San Marino	6-12 March
Week 11	Myanmar, Thailand	13-19 March
Week 12	Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam	20-26 March
Week 13	China, Hong Kong, Macao	27 March – 2 April
Week 14	Brunei, Malaysia, Singapore	3-9 April
Week 15	East Timor, Indonesia, Philippines	10-16 April
Week 16	Japan, North Korea, South Korea, Taiwan	17-23 April
Week 17	Djibouti, Somalia	24-30 April
Week 18	Eritrea, Ethiopia	1-7 May
Week 19	Sudan, South Sudan, Uganda	8-14 May
Week 20	Kenya, Tanzania	15-21 May
Week 21	Malawi, Zambia	22-28 May
Week 22	Botswana, Zimbabwe	29 May – 4 June
Week 23	Lesotho, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland	5-11 June
Week 24	Angola, Mozambique	12-18 June
Week 25	Brazil	19-25 June
Week 26	Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay	26 June – 2 July
Week 27	Bolivia, Chile, Peru	3-9 July
Week 28	Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela	10-16 July
Week 29	Costa Rica, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Panama	17-23 July
Week 30	Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico	24-30 July
Week 31	The Caribbean: Antigua and Barbuda, the Bahamas, Barbados, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago	31 July – 6 August
Week 32	Canada, USA	7-13 August
Week 33	Aotearoa New Zealand, Australia	14-20 August
Week 34	The Pacific islands: Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, Western Samoa and the French Overseas Territories of New Caledonia (Kanaky) and French Polynesia (Tahiti)	21-27 August
Week 35	Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania	28 August – 3 September
Week 36	Czech Republic, Poland, Slovakia	4-10 September
Week 37	Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, Slovenia, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Kosovo, Montenegro, Serbia	11-17 September
Week 38	Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania	18-24 September
Week 39	Belarus, Moldova, Russia, Ukraine	25 September – 1 October
Week 40	Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia	2-8 October
Week 41	Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan	9-15 October
Week 42	Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal	16-22 October
Week 43	India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka	23-29 October
Week 44	The Indian Ocean islands: Comoros, Madagascar, Mauritius, Seychelles, Maldives	30 October – 5 November
Week 45	Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda	6-12 November
Week 46	Republic of Congo, Gabon, Sao Tomé and Principe	13-19 November
Week 47	Cameroon, Central African Republic, Equatorial Guinea	20-26 November
Week 48	Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania, Niger	27 November – 3 December
Week 49	Liberia, Sierra Leone	4-10 December
Week 50	Cape Verde, the Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Senegal	11-17 December
Week 51	Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Togo	18-24 December
Week 52	Ghana, Nigeria	25-31 December
Week 53	Stateless people and migrants