Christians are being asked to come out of their homes at 3pm on Good Friday and pray the Lord's Prayer in an expression of unity during the coronavirus lockdown. 

The shutdown of the country has forced the closure of churches, making it the first Easter that Christians nationwide are having to meet virtually. 

Jonathan Oloyede, coordinator of the National Day of Prayer and Worship, is leading the campaign for prayer on Good Friday.

In addition to saying the Lord's Prayer at 3pm, Christians are being invited to take a moment to sing the hymn Amazing Grace from their doorsteps. 

It is inspired by the 'Clap for Carers' campaign that has brought people to their front doors to applaud NHS workers on the frontline of the fight against coronavirus.

The prayer campaign is asking Christians to pray together about the ongoing pandemic, while uniting in a public expression of their faith. 

"As Christians who believe in the power of prayer, we can only imagine the impact of millions of believers praying at the same time across Northern Ireland, Scotland, Ireland, England and Wales," said organisers.

"May the Grace and Peace of Christ be with us all during these challenging times and may we see the answer to our prayers with an end to Covid-19 and the lockdown."

It is part of a wider effort that has brought together a number of churches from different denominations across the British Isles and Ireland to join together in a 24-hour prayer chain until June.

Together, they are praying round the clock for an end to the pandemic. Organisers are inviting more churches to get involved by contributing days, hours or even just minutes to the effort.