This year's Alliance Prayer Week revolves around hope and focusing on Jesus Christ, according to the German-speaking evangelical alliances in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Together, they launched a prayer brochure to provide inputs for devotionals during the annual prayer week, held this year from Jan. 12 to 19.
The brochure provides short texts, reflection questions, prayer suggestions and practical tips for readers during the week, helping believers looking to the year ahead with optimism.
It follows 1 Thessalonians 5 in the Bible, when Paul wrote a letter to the church in Thessalonica, anticipating the Lord’s return at any time and encouraging believers to build one another up in fellowship. “For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep, we will live together with Him. Therefore, encourage one another and build one another up, just as you also are doing.” (1 Thessalonians 5: 9-11)
Following this passage, the main theme focuses on hope: where is it needed and how should Christians deal with it? The daily texts in the prayer brochure address such questions, reassuring readers of the peace that only God can give, which is the basis for real hope in the world.
“Going through life with hope is not easy - especially not in times of many wars, crises and disasters,” stated the Schweizerische Evangelische Allianz (Swiss Evangelical Alliance/SEA) in its newsletter, announcing the brochure.
“There are many factors that influence people's hope. One of them is their faith. The Christian faith offers many reasons to be hopeful.”
Living this hope together is what the Alliance Prayer Week 2025 is “all about,” according to the SEA. “Numerous churches across the country and beyond will celebrate and pray together during this week.”
"We do not have to hope alone. That is a great strength of the Christian faith. We can share and live this hope with one another in Jesus Christ," said Viviane Krucker-Baud, co-secretary general of the SEA.
The purpose of the week is also about “changing your perspective” to refocus away from “crises and problems and towards Jesus Christ, the reason for Christian hope,” added the SEA.
The Alliance Prayer Week has been part of the global evangelical alliance movement since it began in 1846, according to the SEA. The prayer week has served a purpose in uniting Christians from different churches to pray together and to “live in hope together,” which is the driving theme for the January prayer week.
Other activities for the prayer week involve resources by the SEA, such as various forthcoming events for children and young people. Speakers from the SEA network are also available for booking by local evangelical alliances. More information is available at www.allianzgebetswoche.ch
