Families under pressure are to be encouraged by supporters of the nationwide initiative Hope08.

A new quarterly prayer diary, Friday Focus, which facilitates a call to prayer across the nation in preparation for Hope08, challenged readers: 'How could you help a family known to you who are facing challenges?'

Not long after, a UNICEF report emerged revealed that British children are the worst off among the richest countries.

Friday Focus encouraged people to pray for those who work for the protection of the family, for families in conflict and for single parents.

"We felt the call to pray was very timely," said Jane Holloway from Friday Focus. "The UNICEF report represents an enormous challenge to the nation. We are urging people to pray - and to care - as a practical Christian measure."

The UK came bottom of UNICEF's 'league table' for child well-being across 21 industrialised countries. Researchers looked at 40 indicators, including poverty, family relationships, and health.

The document Report Card: An Overview of Child Well-Being in Rich Countries, said, "Children's subjective sense of well-being appears to be markedly higher in the Netherlands, Spain, and Greece and markedly lower in Poland and the United Kingdom."