Participants Guide
Introduction
For 30 years, Viva has been supporting networks of churches and organisations around the world, and one special way they connect is through the World Weekend of Prayer for children at risk. This annual event is much more than just a programme for Viva’s partner networks, however.
Held over the first weekend of June, the World Weekend of Prayer invites individuals, families, schools, organisations and churches to set aside time to pray for children around the world, particularly those who are at risk or vulnerable – children impacted by loss, bereavement, poverty, and conflict.
In 2025, more than 350,000 children and 250,000 adults in 53 countries participated (including 27 countries where Viva doesn’t currently directly support a partner network). Children filled churches, schools, streets and plazas, doing prayer walks, singing, dancing, and using other creative means to pray for the needs of children in their communities and around the world. We hope that this year’s events will bring more children and adults than ever before to pray together for children - especially because this year, we are celebrating 30th birthdays for both Viva and the World Weekend of Prayer.
“Aaradhana serves as a teacher for children's fellowship in a rural village. She was deeply moved by the manner in which the children in the church united to pray for others. It was both emotional and amazing for her to witness them praying on various topics that they themselves brought up. They prayed for the children in their village to experience the love of Jesus.”
Christina, CarNet Nepal, World Weekend of Prayer 2025.
The World Weekend of Prayer has always been bigger than Viva, and through the resources we create and curate each year, we seek to serve the wider community of churches, organisations and networks who are passionate about praying for and with children at risk.
This year, we are delighted that the Global Children’s Forum, the Lausanne Movements' Children and Family & Children at Risk Issue Networks and World Without Orphans are supporting the World Weekend of Prayer.
Anyone and everyone is welcome to run a prayer event over the World Weekend of Prayer, which this year will run from 6-7 June 2026. Thank you for joining us, as, together, we pray for children at risk around the world.
This Year’s Theme
He’s got the whole world in His hands
The idea of the world being held in God’s hands is a reassuring image about trust and security. It’s not an image of a distant God that occasionally engages with His creation – with a lightning bolt or something similar.
Neither is it an image of a forceful God with a tight, restrictive grip. It’s an image of a God who cares for His creation – a God who is big, present, involved – a God who can be trusted.
It’s Psalm 95 that introduces the concept of being in His hands: “In His hand are the depths of the earth, and the mountain peaks belong to Him.” The depths and the peaks – the tough times as well as the joyful times. The next verse goes on to say, “The sea is His, for He made it, and His hands formed the dry land.” In Hebrew literature – so, in the Old Testament of the Bible – the sea represents chaos, disorder, evil, threat, danger and death. Therefore, this verse is saying that God is holding it all in His hands – He hasn’t dropped us – He’s able to hold it all.
Psalm 95, verse 7, explicitly states that God cares for us human beings: “for He is our God and we are the people of His pasture, the flock under His care.” We can have confidence that we are His people for whom He cares – despite the chaos and evil in the world. God is holding the world in His hands and is close and involved in His creation. That makes us co-labourers with God, giving us the opportunity to – the privilege to – nurture all that He has created to make this world a better place.
Read the full devotion or watch the video at worldweekendofprayer.com
Held over the first weekend of June, the World Weekend of Prayer invites individuals, families, schools, organisations and churches to set aside time to pray for children around the world, particularly those who are at risk or vulnerable – children impacted by loss, bereavement, poverty, and conflict.
In 2025, more than 350,000 children and 250,000 adults in 53 countries participated (including 27 countries where Viva doesn’t currently directly support a partner network). Children filled churches, schools, streets and plazas, doing prayer walks, singing, dancing, and using other creative means to pray for the needs of children in their communities and around the world. We hope that this year’s events will bring more children and adults than ever before to pray together for children - especially because this year, we are celebrating 30th birthdays for both Viva and the World Weekend of Prayer.
Prayer Events
The World Weekend of Prayer is all about praying for children around the world and will look different for each participating prayer community.
Churches, schools and organisations that decide to run a World Weekend of Prayer event are welcome to do so in any way they wish – with children participating in planning and leading events at a level appropriate to their age and ability. Adults may lead activities or serve as guides and encouragers to children who take on the roles of planning and leading. Some tips on helping children participate in a meaningful and ethical way can be found on our website (worldweekendofprayer.com).
Prayer events can happen at any time over the weekend, 6-7 June, with the main purpose being prayer. However, an event may also include art, drama, games, or other child-focused activities, and the resources on the Viva website can be adapted for use in each setting as appropriate. Special events can be organised, but prayer for children by children can be embedded in regular activities where children gather, or prayer for children by adults can be part of a regular church gathering.
“Amanda, José Félix and Luis Fernando were very excited, as it was the first time they participated as moderators worshipping through songs and with the instruments. They are the relay of the first child prayer warriors, who are already teenagers. It was a beautiful time where the children learned about the reality of other countries and cried out for the children of those nations.”
RENACSENIV, Venezuela, World Weekend of Prayer 2025.
In previous years, the following have been done by different groups around the world:
Holding a special ‘For Children by Children’ prayer event as part of a normal activity in a youth club or children’s group meeting.
A special focus on praying for children in a normal church service or prayer meeting.
Children leading a special prayer session during school assembly.
Children leading prayers during a church service – or leading the whole service!
Children or youth sending out prayer requests on WhatsApp, email or other digital platforms.
Children asking friends or neighbours for prayer requests, during supervised home-to-home visits.
Children, youth and adults doing a prayer walk or march in a safe location (with required permissions).
Children sharing their prayer requests for other children on the radio or television.
Public dialogues or debates on the issues that impact children in their community or city that require both prayer and practical action.
Helping children plan a prayer event
“I was a little nervous at the beginning of the video. We reminisced about what we've learned in church classes about Jesus, and I also had fun playing with the ball. I want lots of children to come to church so I can pray for them.”
Isabella, aged eight, from Cuba, who helped to make a video in preparation for World Weekend of Prayer 2025.
Where possible, inviting children to participate in planning a World Weekend of Prayer event is encouraged.
Not only does this give children an opportunity to understand the importance of praying for themselves and others, but it also helps build confidence and leadership skills, with adults providing guidance and support. This may take time and a number of meetings and possibly may involve setting up a small committee of adults, young people and children. However, the effort will no doubt bear fruit.
There are guidelines on our website (worldweekendofprayer.com) to help children plan a prayer event, with question prompts to help children and their adult supporters as they organise.
-
Prayer Resources
Prayer resources, such as art pieces, Bible lessons, videos, and child-friendly activities, have been created by children and child practitioners serving in Viva-supported networks and partners. They can be found at worldweekendofprayer.com, and you are welcome to translate and adapt them to suit your needs. The World Weekend of Prayer logo is also available for you to add to T-shirts, banners, flyers, etc.
-
10-minute Church Session
Access a short presentation with photos, drawings and prayers created and written by children in preparation for the World Weekend of Prayer on our website (worldweekendofprayer.com), which can be used for praying during a church service.
Suggested Programme Outline
The suggested outline below is for a one-hour special programme and can be adapted as desired.
It would be very encouraging for children if they were involved in leading some or all of the events. Theme-based content and resources are available at worldweekendofprayer.com.
“The children loved being part of World Weekend of Prayer. One child said, ‘I felt like a national leader, standing with pride, because I was given the honour of leading the group in prayer.’"
Peace Team Cambodia, World Weekend of Prayer 2025.
| # | Activity | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Welcome & opening prayer
|
5 min |
| 2 |
Introduction to the theme
"He's got the whole world in His hands"
|
5 min |
| 3 |
Bible lesson
Includes interactive activities
|
15 min |
| 4 |
Dramas, songs or performances
Led by children
|
15 min |
| 5 |
Prayer time
Praying for submitted requests and those generated by children present
|
15 min |
| 6 |
Thanks & closing prayer
|
5 min |
| 7 |
Art, crafts or games Optional
E.g. a mural or collage, with children in smaller groups
|
20–30 min |
-
Prayer for Children
The World Weekend of Prayer is all about praying for children at risk. At the beginning of 2026, we invited some partner networks to run an exercise with children on this year’s theme, ‘He’s got the whole world in His hands.’ After some reflections on a Bible passage, the children were invited to create an Art Piece on the theme or take a photograph. They were then invited to think about children in other parts of the world and share what they would like to pray for them. The prayer points, found at worldweekendofprayer.com, were encouraging, enlightening and inspiring. As we invite you to use these prayers, written specially for the World Weekend of Prayer, we also encourage each group running a prayer event to generate its own prayer requests for children around the world, and to share them with us. You will find a brief exercise to help children generate prayer points on our website, and these can be emailed to us at wwp@viva.org.
-
Theme Song
The familiar song ‘He’s got the whole world in His hands’ was chosen for use during the World Weekend of Prayer. It has been recorded in a couple of languages, and other adaptations are welcome - we especially encourage creativity in writing new verses that apply to your context or in your language. Please email audios or videos to wwp@viva.org - or simply email us lyrics translated in your language, so that people in other countries can try to sing along!
-
Feedback
If you have adapted one of the prayer resources above or created something unique, we would love to see it! Please email wwp@viva.org.
We always love to hear about events and see photographs from the World Weekend of Prayer. Please send updates to wwp@viva.org.
A short feedback form will be available on our website, and we would love you to fill it out as an encouragement to us and others. It would be ideal to fill this form out with the children who participated and make it a learning experience for everyone involved.
If you are not already on our World Weekend of Prayer mailing list, you can join it at worldweekendofprayer.com. This will mean you can receive a report from this year’s event, and be informed about next year’s event.
-
Thank you
We are so thankful to everyone who participated in the World Weekend of Prayer this year, from helping draft prayer guides and coming up with creative activities, to the drawings by children, to the songwriting, to those organising prayer events. We trust you will find the ideas in this Guide and the resources on our website useful. We look forward to a wonderful season of prayer together.
