London Mayor Boris Johnson extended an invitation to thousands of Christians yesterday to work with him in giving more opportunities to young people in the capital.

Speaking at a day of prayer for the nation at West Ham stadium on Sunday, Mr Johnson praised Christians for the work they were doing to help those who “don’t get the best start in life”.

“That’s what Christianity does and means to so many people,” he said.

He called on Christians to come forward as volunteers to help with the Mayor’s projects to “turn around the lives of some of the most disadvantaged kids in the London”.

The Evangelical Alliance’s General Director Steve Clifford led prayers for the Mayor, Prime Minister David Cameron, politicians at Westminster, the new coalition, and local councillors, as he reminded them of their calling to be “servants”.

Speaking to journalists later, Mr Johnson expressed his support for the prayer gathering, which drew together around 10,000 Christians, and spoke of his desire to “work with” Christians.

“People who don’t have opportunities that others have deserve our prayers,” he said. “Events like this are an incredible way of mobilising the church across London to do good works. In my time as mayor I have been amazed by the strength and ambition and good that they do.”

He went on to dismiss a campaign being led by the National Secular Society to end prayers at the start of council meetings, saying that any attempt to ban the prayers was “misguided”.

He said: “Irrespective of your religious views, the fact is that every day Parliament begins with prayers for Her Majesty and indeed all politicians that they will govern justly and it is a very interesting moment because everybody, no matter what their beliefs, they all pray and think about the sacred trust they have been given by the people …, they focus on what they are doing and the importance of what they are doing.”

The day of prayer was put together by Global Day of Prayer London and joined by the Bishop of Barking the Rt Rev David Hawkins, GDOP London Convener Jonathan Oloyede, and worship artists Graham Kendrick, Lara Martin, Noel Robinson, Dave Bilbrough and Muyiwa.

It comes ahead of the launch of GDOP London’s 500 days of prayer on August 1. The group is hoping to mobilise Christians across the UK in prayer and outreach in the run-up to a major prayer event planned for September 2011 at Wembley Stadium.

Mr Oloyede said he wanted the West Ham event to be a “catalyst” for prayer and mission. GDOP London is inviting churches to sign up to be part of a 24/7 prayer chain and is asking individual churches to set their alarms or mobile phones to noon each day to spend a moment praying the Lord’s Prayer over the nation.

Mr Oloyede said: “We want more churches to be praying churches. The national day of prayer is a catalyst for people to pray more actively for the nation and to get enthused for mission – enthused to tell their story.”