Representing 37 member denominations and more than 30 million Christians across Orthodox, Mainline Protestant, Evangelical, Anglican, Peace, and historic African American traditions, the NCC has issued this bold call to collective prayer as an extension of its ongoing #WeWillNotBeSilent campaign, which has mobilized people of faith to raise their prophetic voices for justice, compassion, and the protection of the vulnerable.

The NCC is asking people across the country, regardless of religious tradition, to join in a unified act of faith. Here?s how to participate: 

• Pray daily at noon wherever you are. 
• On Ash Wednesday, participants are asked to wear black throughout the day as a visible sign of witness and unity. 
• Create or obtain a sign bearing the words "Deliver Us from Evil ? Matthew 6:13," take a photo, and share it on social media platforms and tag NCC (IG: @nccc.usa, FB: @nationalcouncilofchurches, X: @ncccusa). 
• Gather with prayer partners, prayer groups, or your congregation. 

??Deliver Us from Evil? takes its name from the prayer Jesus taught, recognizing that the challenges facing today?s communities demand more than strategy. They require spiritual intervention,? explained Bishop Vashti Murphy McKenzie, NCC president and general secretary.

Bishop McKenzie continued: "This is a communal cry. Jesus did not pray, deliver me from evil. He prayed, deliver us from evil. We pray for parents, teachers, and caregivers who are weary, children going hungry, pastors under pressure, families facing loss, and communities under threat. We pray for one another because none of us is safe alone."

"Deliver Us from Evil" builds on the foundation laid by the NCC?s #WeWillNotBeSilent campaign, which called on the ecumenical community to use its collective voice as an instrument of justice and moral witness in the public square. As #WeWillNotBeSilent declares that the church will speak boldly against injustice, "Deliver Us from Evil" anchors that prophetic courage in the oldest discipline the Church has known: prayer. 

"The Lord still answers prayer,? Bishop McKenzie affirmed. ?The God of the Exodus is still breaking chains. The Christ of Calvary is still defeating sin, death, and hell. Then, after we pray, we get up off our knees, roll up our sleeves, and go to work!"