Apostle James said the prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. The Methodist Church has proven just how right that is as its fourteen months of non-stop prayer finally come to an end.

And the prayer marathon initiative, Pray Without Ceasing, has certainly bore fruit. Not only has it encouraged churches and individual church members to re-dedicate themselves to prayer, it has also strengthened existing prayer efforts in the churches and encouraged them to think newly about prayer.

The initiative – the brainchild of Methodist youths - was initially launched with early-morning beach gatherings in Torquay in June 2005 before it spread across the UK and finished in North Wales on 1 September.

The nationwide marathon was interspersed with a number of national events, including a multi-faith prayer conference, but its success lay mainly in the enthusiasm and commitment of local churches.