Hundreds of Christians from around the world gathered in Nairobi, Kenya, on Sunday to participate in the first National Day of Prayer for Eritrea.

The event was organised by the Eritrean Evangelical Fellowship in Africa and the Middle East. As well as members of the Eritrean Christian diaspora, participants at the prayer gathering included Kenyan, American and Ethiopian Christians and messianic Jews, one of whom had travelled from Israel with a message of encouragement and blessing for persecuted Eritrean Christians.

The meeting started at 2.30pm and ended at 11pm and was marked by powerful prophetic declarations, insights and visions alongside intercession and praise.

Following the meeting, several delegates at the event expressed the belief that change in Eritrea was imminent. "We are really expecting miracles" said one key Eritrean leader. "We are expecting to see the God who answers prayer by fire and to witness divine intervention in our nation."

Another leader added, "Something huge, beyond our imagination is about to take place."

The Eritrean leaders expressed their thanks to Christians around the world that had joined them in prayer that day.

"I would sincerely like to thank the international Christian Community," the EEF-AME General Secretary said. "May all those who have been praying about Eritrea share in its coming blessing as you have shared in our suffering."

Christian Solidarity Worldwide's National Director, Stuart Windsor, said: "Now that Eritrea is such a closed nation, we rely on the power of prayer to see an end to the spiritual repression they are suffering. Christians around the world have a duty to pray for the approximately 2000 Eritrean Christians, including the Patriarch of the Orthodox Church, who are currently indefinitely detained and often tortured for their faith.

"We congratulate EEF-AME on organising such a successful event, and hope that this is a spring-board for ongoing intercession for freedom of worship and a truly democratic society."