National Prayer Breakfast for Scotland Shines Spotlight on the Marginalised

In the quiet early hours of Wednesday morning, the sound of collective prayer filled a chamber in Edinburgh as around 300 people gathered for the National Prayer Breakfast for Scotland—an annual event that this year took aim at some of the country’s most pressing social challenges.

Held in the capital with members of the Scottish Parliament, charity leaders, and faith representatives in attendance, this year’s breakfast placed special emphasis on vulnerable and marginalised groups—from the homeless and young people to families overwhelmed by debt.

Representatives from Christian charities working across Scotland and beyond joined hands in solidarity, among them CAP Scotland, IJM UK Scotland, and Tearfund Scotland, all organisations known for their frontline work in areas of poverty, exploitation, and global development.

‘Prayer Must Be Central’

Bee Roy, Head of Tearfund Scotland, spoke passionately about the connection between faith, justice, and action.

“We’re an international development charity working in over 50 countries, and we always say Christ is at the centre of everything we do,” she said. “So naturally, prayer has to be central to all that.”

While Tearfund is active in some of the world’s poorest and most fragile communities, Roy emphasized that their work begins at home—with the Scottish church joining in prayerful commitment to global transformation.

“If prayer is not the start, the first central bit of that, it’s not going to happen anyway,” she added. “We are joining with the Holy Spirit. He is the one that works through us in bringing about a change, particularly when it comes to extreme poverty and global justice.”

A Call to Spiritual and Social Action

The keynote address came from Pete Greig, founder of the global 24/7 Prayer movement, who delivered a stirring Gospel message encouraging attendees not to lose sight of why they serve.

Greig urged the audience to remain grounded in prayer while working for justice and dignity, calling it the “fuel” that sustains every movement of real change.

This year’s gathering comes at a time of rising cost-of-living pressures, increased demand for mental health services among youth, and deepening concern about homelessness in urban areas across Scotland. Many attendees reflected on the urgency of turning not just to policy or charity, but to faith.

Bringing the Church Together for the Common Good

The Scottish Parliamentary Prayer Breakfast has become a fixture in the civic calendar—a rare moment where faith leaders, politicians, and frontline workers gather around a shared purpose.

And while the breakfast itself lasted just a few hours, the sentiment behind it—to see transformation through prayerful action—echoed long after the final amen.