Prayer for Sussex
Praying for Revival, Taking the Gospel to the City
On Friday evening, 9 October, Christians gathered at St Peter’s Church in Brighton for a Regional Prayer Night for Revival. Churches from across Sussex came together to worship, pray and seek God for a fresh move of his Spirit across our region.
The gathering followed an earlier meeting in March, and the heart of the evening was simple: we believe God is at work, but we long to see more. More churches flourishing, more Christians growing in faith, and more people encountering the good news of Jesus.
As the evening began, we were reminded that revival is not something we can manufacture. There was no call to hype things up or rely on our own efforts. Instead, we came together in unity to say: Lord, we need you. We desire you. We long for more of you.
Beginning with ourselves
Using Psalm 24 as a framework for prayer, the evening began with a call to consecration: setting ourselves apart for God and surrendering afresh to him.
Before praying for our churches, our city or our region, we were invited to examine our own hearts. Were there attitudes, ambitions, frustrations or distractions that had taken a place that belonged to Jesus? Were we relying on our own opinions and preferences rather than submitting ourselves to God's word and his purposes?
The example of Gideon was used to illustrate how God sometimes begins his work of renewal by asking his people to confront the things that have taken first place in their lives. Likewise, Jesus' cleansing of the temple reminded us that God's house is to be a house of prayer for all nations. This was not about condemnation, but about the loving work of the Holy Spirit. Repentance is an opportunity to return to God, to receive his grace and to become more available to him.
We prayed for a fresh intimacy with Jesus, a renewed reverence for God and a church willing to be cleansed and equipped for his purposes. The challenge was clear: if we long to see God move in our city and region, we must first be willing to let him work in us.
An awakening across Sussex
From personal surrender, our prayers widened to encompass the Church across Brighton & Hove and the whole of Sussex. We prayed for churches to wake from their sleep, for the Holy Spirit to breathe fresh life into God's people, and for a deeper, more sacrificial love between Christians. That love, we prayed, would overflow into our towns, cities and neighbourhoods.
The gathering named communities across the region, from Brighton and Hove to Hastings, Eastbourne, Lewes, Worthing, Chichester, Crawley and the many towns and villages in between. The desire was not simply for one church or one place to flourish, but for the whole Church to be strengthened and mobilised.
One prayer captured the heart of the evening: that God would teach his people to wash the feet of our towns and cities and neighbourhoods. It is a compelling picture of Christian witness. We are not called simply to occupy church buildings or to wait for people to come to us. We are called to take the love of Jesus into the places where people live, work, study and spend their time.
Drawing on Psalm 24's call to lift up the gates and welcome the King of glory, we prayed for God's presence to be welcomed into the everyday life of our communities: at the school gate, in the office, in the factory, in the pub, in the gym, in the park and over the garden fence. We prayed for healing across the region, for people to encounter salvation in Jesus, and for the Church to grow as we make ourselves available to God's work.
Praying for people to encounter Jesus
Church growth was another focus of the evening. We prayed that Jesus would knock on the doors of homes throughout the region, and that people would open their lives to him.
We also prayed that this shared burden would continue beyond the gathering: in our churches, small groups, workplaces and homes. A regional prayer meeting is an important expression of unity, but the invitation is to keep praying when we return to our own communities. The evening closed with a striking image shared by Kate Millest, from The Pilgrim's Progress: a key called Promise, able to open doors and prison cells that seem firmly locked.
There are people in our city who feel trapped, whether by fear, loneliness, addiction, despair or circumstances they cannot see a way out of. We prayed for Jesus to break open those doors and bring freedom, hope and new life. It was a reminder that the gospel is not merely an idea to be discussed. It is good news for real people, offering the hope of transformation through Jesus Christ.
A Saturday encouragement on the streets of Brighton
The following morning brought an encouraging report from a prayer coordinator whose daughter was visiting Brighton with friends. Her daughter had encountered several groups of Christians out on the streets sharing their faith. Someone had given her a copy of the Gospel of John, and she had enjoyed a conversation about Jesus. She also heard someone singing worship music about his return. In another unexpected encounter, she was walking and talking with her friend about God when the person in front of her turned around, and a conversation about Jesus began with them too. There was also a street stall where someone was talking with passers-by about the sanctity of life in the womb and engaging people in conversations about God.
We cannot know whether or how these street encounters were connected to Friday's prayers, and we should be careful not to claim more than we know. But they are an encouraging reminder that Christians are already taking the gospel into public spaces, making themselves available for conversations and offering people opportunities to encounter Jesus. This is the kind of outward-looking Church we were praying for on Friday night: a Church that worships and prays together, and then carries its faith into the everyday life of the city.
Prayer and action belong together
At Christian Action Brighton, we believe that the Church can serve Brighton & Hove more effectively when Christians work together across congregations, denominations and organisations. Prayer is a vital part of that shared calling.
Our Pray Brighton & Hove initiative seeks to build a rhythm of city-wide prayer, bringing Christians together to intercede for the people and places of our city. We pray for children and young people, schools and universities, those experiencing poverty or isolation, our neighbourhoods, and those who have yet to discover the love of Jesus.
That vision sits alongside the wider work of Christian Action Brighton: connecting Christian initiatives, encouraging collaboration and helping the Church contribute to the flourishing of the city. The regional gathering at St Peter's reminded us that we are part of something bigger than any individual congregation. Our hope is not simply for more activity, but for a Church renewed by the Holy Spirit, united in love and confident in the good news of Jesus.
The report from Saturday gives us a glimpse of what that outward movement can look like: ordinary Christians on ordinary streets, sharing Scripture, worshipping openly and being ready to talk about their faith when opportunities arise. We cannot manufacture revival. But we can seek God together, allow him to change us, love our neighbours and be ready to respond when opportunities come.
So let us keep praying for Brighton & Hove and for the whole of Sussex. May our churches be renewed, our unity deepen, and our communities encounter the hope and love of Jesus.
Find out more about praying for Brighton & Hove at Christian Action Brighton – Prayer .