Pray for Our World: Thailand

Leave a comment

Thailand has been a kingdom since the 13th century, has the longest reigning monarchy, and never been ruled by a Western power.  Thailand is a Buddhist state but they do have freedom of religion.  Only one percent are Christian, but it is growing.  The Thai culture is tolerant and relaxed, and I found the people to be very polite on my visit there.  The young people like American things – music, clothes, shopping, but there are not many American women who visit there, and so my female co-workers and I quickly became a tourist attraction on our visit.  People were eager to ask us about American movies, especially Elvis and John Wayne, and they asked my co-worker, who is African-American, if she was Obama’s wife.  They thought we were rich, though they didn’t ask us for money.  It was an eye-opening experience to a different culture.

I loved the climate and the people, but for Christianity to take root in a Buddhist culture that has stood for centuries, Christians must understand and be sensitive to Buddhist worldviews.  Buddhists believe that you should not to try to change your fate in life, even if you live in poverty, because suffering in this life is essential to being reincarnated into a better next life. You have to pay your dues, so to speak. This thinking is counter-intuitive to the Christian view of helping the poor, charitable aid, and having a new life through Jesus Christ.  It becomes a struggle for them to understand the teachings of Jesus Christ.  Pray that they may know that Jesus Christ has already died for them and been resurrected, so that they can have a better life now and for eternity in heaven.

Pray for Our World: Tanzania

2 Comments

Tanzania lies between Kenya and Mozambique on the eastern coast of Africa. There are 150 indigenous ethnic groups, with the Bantu peoples being the majority. Tanzania is an “island of peace” among many surrounding troubled nations. They have maintained stability over the last 50 years after becoming independent from Britain. They have complete freedom of religion, and religious harmony among both active Christians and Muslims is remarkably high. Christians are mostly Protestant, with a large number of evangelicals and pentecostals. There is widespread poverty, and most of the churches lack resources, discipleship and Bible knowledge. Pray for more missionaries and aid, Christian literature, and Bible translations, so that the people can grown and learn more about their faith.

Pray for Our World: Tajikistan

Leave a comment

Tajikistan borders on Afghanistan and China. It is very mountainous covering 93% of the area. The Soviet collapse and civil war damaged the economy and infrastructure, ranking it one of the poorest of the former-USSR states. The majority of the Christian population was greatly reduced afterwards from emigration. Though they have freedom of religion, the fear of radical Islam in the 94% Muslim majority prompts the government to attempt to control all religious expression. There is a recent birth of a new church, the Tajik Church, that is now growing.  Pray for the new church, and for the importing of Bibles and Christian literature for the people, which is extremely difficult.

Pray for Our World: Syria

Leave a comment

Syria is an ancient civilization, located on the Mediterranean coast between Turkey and Iraq.  Damascus is known as the oldest continuously inhabited city in the world.  Syria is written about throughout the Bible, both Old and New Testaments.  Its people trace their origins back to Noah, as descendants of Shem, Noah’s son.  King David of Israel led a successful conquest against Syria and the Hittites, Jebusites, and Amorites who occupied the land.  In New Testament times, Syria became a Roman province.

Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people. News about him spread all over Syria, and people brought to him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering severe pain, the demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed; and he healed them.  Matthew 4:23-25

The apostle Paul and members of the Early Church spent a lot of time in Syria.  Antioch was the center of one of the first Christian churches and they primarily preached to the Gentiles.  In 634-640 AD, Syria was conquered by the Muslim Arabs. The Orthodox and Catholic churches that had existed since before Islam still endure and have many members. The majority in the Church are Arab but there is also a large Armenian community. Christians do experience some discrimination in housing and employment, and must exercise caution and wisdom in relating to the state and Muslims.

Pray for this ancient country, once walked upon by Jesus and where Paul had his conversion. Pray that the historical sites will be preserved and not destroyed by the fighting, and that the people will once again be renewed in the faith of Jesus Christ and the Apostles, in one of the most ancient and historical countries on earth.

Pray for Our World: Switzerland

Leave a comment

The Swiss Alps in Switzerland are one of the greatest tourist attractions in the world. Switzerland is a very wealthy industrial state with an educated and skilled workforce. Tourism and banking are important foreign exchangers.

The great reformers of the past, Calvin and Zwingli, who expounded the truths of Scriptures, are all but forgotten in Switzerland. Not too long ago, almost every person would have been either Catholic or Protestant, but today, many consider themselves non-religious. The churches are reaching crisis proportions with a lack of clergy and the spreading of liberal theology in the congregations. Yet, there is modest growth in the Free churches, which is an active movement for the renewal of Reformed churches. Catholics are also returning to a more conservative and traditional faith. Pray that these trends to return to their faith will continue in Switzerland.