Week of Prayer for Christian Unity
18-25 January, 2026
“There is one body and one Spirit,
Ephesians 4:4
just as you were called to the one hope
of your calling”
INTRODUCTION
The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity is an important opportunity for us in the Sword of the Spirit to pray for unity with Christians from around the world and from various church traditions. We work with materials provided by the Faith and Order Commission of the World Council of Churches in conjunction with the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity of the Catholic Church.
This year, our theme is based on Ephesians 4:4: “There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling”. The brothers and sisters tasked with composing the 2026 materials come from the Armenian Apostolic Church, part of the Oriental Orthodox tradition.
The Armenian Church is one of the oldest Christian communities, deeply rooted in the teachings of the Apostles Thaddeus and Bartholomew, who evangelized in Armenia as early as the 1st century AD. St Gregory the Illuminator greatly contributed to its flourishing in the early third century. During the Armenian Genocide of 1915, the Church became a sanctuary for those suffering and preserving hope for a brighter future. Following the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, Armenia experienced a religious revival, and the Armenian Apostolic Church reclaimed its central role in society.
The Armenian Apostolic Church has a rich tradition of ecumenism, striving to build bridges with other Christian communities. In recent decades, it has engaged in dialogue with various traditions, including Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, and Protestant Churches, seeking common ground while preserving its unique heritage.
We hope this journey together through the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity will increase our hope for greater unity among us and among the Christian people.
This Introduction is excerpted from the Sword of the Spirit Week of Prayers for Christian Unity, © 2026.
See links to the week of daily prayers, reflections, and personal witnesses:
- Verse for the year
- Introduction
- From the International President
- Day 1: Sunday, January 18 – Our Calling
- Day 2: Monday, January 19 – Bearing With One Another in Love
- Day 3: Tuesday, January 20 – The Bond of Peace
- Day 4: Wednesday, January 21 – Called to One Hope
- Day 5: Thursday, January 22 – One Faith, One Baptism
- Day 6: Friday, January 23 – One Lord and Father
- Day 7: Saturday, January 24 – God’s Gift Given in Baptism
- Day 8: Sunday, January 25 – Growing Into Christ
- Spanish translation in PDF format.
Top Photo Credit: Dome of the Church of the Holy Angels in Aragatsotn, Armenia by Martin Browne/WCC. Text added on top by the WPCU Booklet Team of the Sword of the Spirit Ecumenical Commission.
The Sword of the Spirit is a network of charismatic and ecumenical covenant communities and movements around the World.