
National Day of Prayer for the Media
It is alleged the 18th Century Parliamentarian, Edmund Burke, once stood up in the House of Commons, and said:
“There were three estates (or powers) in Parliament; but in the Reporters’ Gallery yonder, there sat a Fourth Estate more important far than they all.”
Love it, or hate it, media affects us all. It is crucial to holding those in power to account; to calling out injustice; to be a voice for those on the margins of public life; a gatekeeper bringing information, news and stories that lead to debate and discussion crucial in any society.
In recent years, the traditional media landscape has dramatically changed. It has moved from a relatively clear, structured media to a digital world that is constantly evolving. Today, in many countries, the internet competes with television as the main source of news and information, and social media is used for news by a substantial minority.
This abundance of news sources has drastically challenged our understanding of how news is produced and distributed, making it difficult to decide which information to trust, which to ignore, and which to dismiss as false and misleading.
A former Christians in Media trustee once commented, “Media is moving at a hundred miles an hour. Each morning, we seem to wake up to a new media platform.” This has led to a greater polarisation of opinions, as human nature emboldens us to lean toward media voices which align with our own prejudices.
But there is one constant that will never change: the need to share stories that reach deep into the human condition; stories that enrich and encourage; that bring people together, break down barriers and differences; stories that point people to a greater meaning and purpose.
At Christians in Media, our desire is to see Christians working in, and with, media flourish in their faith and be influential for the Kingdom; to see the media content increasingly filled with God’s love, grace and mercy; for churches and charities like Jubilee+ to engage with their local, regional, national and social media to share stories of lives transformed by the power, and grace, of God’s love working through his people in the local community.
We recognise we cannot do this in our strength. So, prayer underpins everything we do at Christians in Media; prayer for wisdom, guidance and for strength. That is why we are inviting churches, prayer groups, Christians across all denominations to set aside time in various church meetings on Sunday, 29 October, to pray for a media that is filled with truth, integrity, compassion and, yes, with love. As you pray, we encourage you to look beyond the abstract notion of media, and pray for the people, the hearts behind those who feel called to serve in this crucial area of public life.
The National Day of Prayer for the Media is an opportunity for us to be united in prayer right across our nation, and pray for Christians in the media public space to be truth tellers: to be an important voice for so many escaping persecution across the world in search of a safer and better life: to be the light of Christ in what can be a very dark space.
To guide our prayers, we’ve had some very encouraging contributions from faith and media leaders, including Natalie Williams, CEO, Jubilee+. As we pray, may these truths from John’s Gospel be an inspiration:
‘In him was life, and the life was the light of men (and women). The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.’ (John 1: 4-5)
Find out more about Christians in Media and the National Day of Prayer for the Media here.
Written by Steve Cox, Chair of Trustees, Christians in Media