A prayer tree at a church in Weymouth town centre has been inundated with more than 700 prayer requests.

The symbolic tree currently sits in the church foyer of St Mary’s Church.

Visitors are encouraged to write a prayer on the labels supplied and hang them from the tree’s branches.

Each Sunday the prayer requests are taken down and given thanks for by the church family.

Geoff Murray of St Mary’s Church said: “St Mary’s sees this as a valuable means of discovering people’s greatest concerns. The prayers are often personal intercessions on behalf of the writer or a family member, sometimes pictures, but also encompass wider concerns for wellbeing and giving thanks such as birth of a baby.”

The concept of the prayer tree emerged from the planning for a 24-hour “prayer vigil” held last Spring in St Mary’s as part of Thy Kingdom Come prayer initiative, introduced by the Church of England.

Mr Murray said this was a great success with the church never empty even in the middle of the night.

He said those taking part found the prayer initiative a ‘wonderful opportunity’ to meditate and ‘recharge their spiritual batteries’.

He added: “We are very much looking forward to the next vigil in January.”

Feel free to hang any of your prayers from the tree too.