Christians across Scotland are uniting in a year of prayer leading up to the independence referendum in September 2014.
A twelve-hour session of worship and prayer will be held on St Andrew's Day - 30 November 2013 - in Glasgow's Queen's Park Baptist Church, to launch 'The StAnd'.
The initiative was inspired by the Moravian Church, which undertook a hundred years of prayer in the small village of Herrnhut in eighteenth century Germany.
The StAnd has been organised by a coalition of church leaders and Christian organisations in Scotland including the Evangelical Alliance, Tearfund and Alpha Scotland.
The coalition recognises that 2014 will be one of the most important years in Scotland's history.
Lynne Paterson, Tearfund Scotland Director, said: "We can't replicate the move of God experienced by the Moravians, but we can take time – take a StAnd together – to seek Him in prayer and fasting, in worship and repentance." She added: "We trust that as we do our part, God will also do his."
Like the Christians in Herrnhut, who committed themselves to regular hour-long prayer watches, the StAnd will encourage churches, families and individuals to sign up to pray for an hour each week.
Fred Drummond, Director of the Evangelical Alliance in Scotland, said: "If the Moravians could pray continuously for over a hundred years, could we in Scotland take hour watches and pray for one?
"The media have been calling the independence referendum on 18 September 2014 Scotland's 'Day of Destiny'. "Regardless of the outcome, we want to pray throughout the year that God's destiny for Scotland will be the one that prevails."
As well as the independence referendum, Scotland is awaiting another important date in the summer of 2014 - the Commonwealth Games – and the StAnd will also be praying for their success.
The Church of Scotland is also making preparations to engage the Scottish population ahead of next year's big vote. Member churches across Scotland will be hosting public meetings with campaigners and politicians to give people an opportunity to hear more the issues and reflect on their own vision for the nation.
