Christian relief and development agency Tearfund has launched a campaign encouraging Christians around the world to pray for poor communities.

The campaign, Be Part of a Miracle, is at the centre of a new effort from Tearfund to lift 50 million people lifted out of poverty through a worldwide network of 100,000 churches over the next 10 years.

Christians are being invited to visit a special website (www.bepartofamiracle.org) to register their pledge to pray. Each time an individual, group, or church signs on to pray they will appear on a map of the world, denoting the country and area where they live.

Christians are also being encouraged to join in prayer with others around the world by adding actual written prayers to a Global poverty prayer chain. Christians can email, text or post a prayer directly onto the Be Part of a Miracle website. People can also email video clips or photos in to go alongside their prayers.

Matthew Frost, Chief Executive of Tearfund, says: "In the next 10 years at least 30 million people will go hungry because of climate change and currently 1.1 billion people lack access to safe, affordable water. We are asking people to commit and join a worldwide movement of Christians praying for change."

The Be Part of a Miracle campaign culminates in the Global Poverty Prayer Week that runs from the 12 to 18 November 2007. During that week churches will be running prayer events, getting the congregations to pray over a 24 hour period in 24/7 style prayer, and encouraged to hold prayer meals or dedicate time in the Sunday service to focus on global prayer.