God’s Power in Prayer and Unity 

Scotland’s United in Prayer National Gathering

Locals may well have wondered at the spectacle of over three hundred church leaders suddenly converging on their town from all directions, mid-week in mid-January, for the sole purpose of praying. Not that you could guess they were pastors, nearly all being dressed in casual attire (though the Bibles in hand may have aroused some attention).

The event in question was the National Gathering of Scottish church leaders, and the location the town of Cumbernauld, to the north-east of Glasgow. Organised by United in Prayer Scotland (UiP) – a recently established charity – evangelical leaders from across the denominational board met to pray and fast for the nation and Church over the course of a Tuesday evening (7-10pm) and Wednesday morning (7-10am). One main focus was revival within the Church and awakening across the nation and society.

United Prayer

2026 marked the fifth such national prayer gathering north of the border since UiP’s inception in 2020. Due to increased attendance year by year, a move of location was soon required – from Falkirk to a massive auditorium in Cumbernauld. A graph shows the growth in attendance, and especially in the past couple of years - 41% and 24% growth in 2025 and 2026, respectively.

United in Prayer takes as its motto the well-known adage by US missionary and writer A. T. Pierson; “There has never been a spiritual awakening in any country or locality that did not begin in united prayer.”

United in Prayer recognises that it is God who is putting on the hearts of church leaders and their congregations the desire to pray. The charity, therefore, is clear that it is not initiating this movement, but, rather, facilitating and helping enable something God is already doing in our time across the land.

The charity, therefore, is clear that it is not initiating this movement, but, rather, facilitating and helping enable something God is already doing in our time across the land.

Origins and Developments

A key aim of the group is to enable united, sustained prayer across the nation. The movement and UiP’s involvement go back to 2018, when church leaders in the Edinburgh area began meeting weekly to pray for a move of God in the city.  This has continued ever since, and the group has expanded to include Edinburgh, Lothian and Fife, meeting weekly both in person and via Zoom to pray for an hour. Over one hundred church leaders are now part of it, while, in addition, other regional pastors’ prayer groups have begun to form.

An important aspect of the prayer movement is consistency. Jesus said that we are to ask, seek and knock (Matt 7:7). Aware that what is meant is to ask and keep on asking; seek and keep on seeking; knock and keep on knocking, UiP commenced bi-monthly National Gatherings, where church leaders across the nation regularly meet online to pray together. 
 
Local gatherings of pastors and ministers committed to meet on a regular basis (similar to the Edinburgh group) also began to appear. Out of these groups has grown practical unity in sharing the gospel together in their communities, as well as supporting each other and their churches when needed. Several City-Wide Prayer Gatherings have also been held.

Unity

A striking array of church denominations and groups is represented at the Prayer Gatherings: this year 40 came from the Assemblies of God, 19 from the Apostolic Church, 32 from the Baptists, 29 from the ⁠Church of Scotland (a significant rise from previous years), and 18 from Elim Church. There were 42 independent and 28 parachurch representatives (I was among the latter number, representing Issachar People), along with several from each of: the ⁠Episcopal Church; the Free Church; Redeemed Christian Church of God; ⁠Vineyard, Struthers, and ⁠a host of smaller church groups.

It is apparent that a growing evangelical movement of united prayer is wonderfully alive, not only in Scotland, but right across the United Kingdom

Such display of unity is heart-warming. Scripture is clear that it is through unity that God blesses His people: “Behold, how good and pleasant it is for brothers and sisters to live together in unity! For the Lord commanded the blessing there—life forever.” (Ps 133:1, 3). Unity in Prayer also likes to highlight the observation of 17^th century Puritan, Matthew Henry: “There is power in prayer and power in unity; Imagine the power when we pray together in unity.” 

A perusal of the postcodes of those attending the 2026 event is revealing – the vast majority of men and women present hail from central Scotland – chiefly Glasgow, Edinburgh and the Lothians, north Ayrshire, Falkirk, Paisley and Fife. Other than Aberdeen and Inverness, there was next to no-one from the North, and few also from the Borders and southern Scotland – suggesting, among other things, that the Gathering has the potential to become much bigger still as more from further afield begin to recognise the significance of this national event.  
 
There were a good number present from south of the border, too, eager to participate in what God is doing in the land. Indeed, it is apparent that a growing evangelical movement of united prayer is wonderfully alive, not only in Scotland, but right across the United Kingdom.
 
The Spirit Comes
 
This year’s two meetings each consisted of three hour-long sessions, each led by a different leader and each with a differing theme: Parliament; health and growth of the Church; the nations of the UK; awakening/transformation in the land. Sometimes we split into small groups to pray, other times we prayed in unison, all interspersed with musical worship. There was a tangible sense of deep passion and commitment in the audible prayers.

Such was the sense of spiritual urgency, and of God’s brooding presence over the building, that I felt compelled not to leave – even for a minute.

But it was during one of the Wednesday morning sessions that I sensed a real shift occur. The pastor of a new church plant in Glasgow led us in fervent prayer for revival in the Church in Scotland and for renewal within existing churches and denominations. I had just come into the hall and intended to go to the restroom before coming back to pray. But such was the sense of spiritual urgency, and of God’s brooding presence over the building, that I felt compelled not to leave – even for a minute. I could hear one or two people kneeling beside me, literally groaning in the Spirit, as they appeared to be overtaken with the burden of God’s heart. This was true intercession – praying with His heart for the people of our nation.

I became aware this wasn’t just a group of church leaders calling out to the Lord in their own strength. It was something God-breathed – a movement of His Spirit among the shepherds of His flock. Prayer became easy from that moment – with God’s enabling presence so very evident.

Holy Desperation

As the leader of that prayer session shared with me later, wonderful as these signs are, what many in the Church continue to lack is an insatiable hunger for God – a holy desperation for Him, and to see Him move in our land.

May they be holy occasions when we bare all before the living God, where our very heart-cries become anointed, and where nothing will satisfy but the shekinah, manifest presence of Jehovah God Himself.

May our coming together for prayer – be that in the form of National Gatherings like these, in online groups, or where literally two or three are gathered together – may they never become formal, institutionalised events that we hold just because that’s what we did last week, or last year, or because it seems a good Christian thing to do.  

May they be holy occasions when we bare our souls before the living God, where our very heart-cries become anointed, and where nothing will satisfy but the shekinah, manifest presence of Jehovah God Himself. May they become powerhouses of the Holy Spirit, where each person becomes channels through whom the Spirit of God can freely move and intercede.

For the sake of the lowly state of the nation in which we live, and for the glory of Almighty God whom we serve, may we give our all in seeking Him, in full knowledge that He has already given His all to us – and will ever continue so to do.

(With thanks to Rev Dean Norby, member of the National Pastor’s Prayer Steering Group, for his assistance in compiling this article).