A MESSAGE of hope has been delivered to Cumbria through the help of a 24-hour county-wide prayer initiative last weekend.

Pray24Cumbria invited members of all denominations to pray for the NHS, Cumbria police, schoolchildren, key workers and more over the course of 24 hours.

The aim was to bring hope to people during what has been an incredibly difficult time for many.

Canon Gary Cregeen, Penrith Mission area leader, said: “One of the things that really strikes us at this sort of time is that the coronavirus crisis has changed how we see the world.

“It’s really reminded us of the fragility of life and our human frailty in a way because, whether as individuals or governments, it is something that has been quite overwhelming.

“Churches have had to find new ways to both operate and to provide hope and light in what can seem a dark situation.”

This is not the first time that Gary has led church-goers in a 24-hour prayer initiative. However, it is the first time it has been on such a scale – countywide hundreds of people signed up to take part and pray for the community.

“It’s something that has gone far bigger than we initially expected,” he said.

“We did a similar 24-hour prayer relay in Penrith and the surrounding area about a month ago.

“Throughout that period different people from different communities in and around Penrith committed to praying.

“What came out of it at the end was people were asking me when were we going to do the next one.”

They contacted community groups and leaders to ask them if there was anything the group could pray for on their behalf.

The group was asked to pray for a range of things by groups like the NHS.

He said: “They were appreciative but I think some

of them were quite moved by it.

“The fact is that it was another element of support.

“This is something anybody can do, anybody can pray any time and anywhere.”

The initiative is emblematic of a broader trend among entire communities of people coming together to support one another in various ways.

People are getting to know their neighbours who were once strangers but they are going beyond that to provide spiritual, and physical support.

“As well as trying to galvanise people so that the whole county will just be embraced with prayer, in all of this people are looking for hope,” said Gary.

“One of the great things that has come out of it, even though it has been a really challenging time, is these acts of kindness that people across the communities are showing for each other.

“It’s given us an opportunity to re-imagine things as they ought to be.”