Pray for those affected by terrorist attacks.France has seen numerous small and larger scale terror attacks by Muslim extremists over the past several years. Unfortunately, many French people blame religion in general for such attacks and they are therefore no more drawn toward Christianity than they would have otherwise been. Pray that missionaries and French believers would be able to clearly differentiate themselves from others and appeal to nonbelievers in a way that makes sense to them.
Pray against the forces of darkness that are constantly at work in France. Pray that through terror attacks and the spread of fear among French people, that God will reveal Himself as the Hope of all nations. Pray for more full-time Christian workers, French and foreign.There simply aren't enough French Christian workers to begin to meet the need. This is partly because it is difficult for French evangelical churches to support a pastor since most have small congregations and little income. There is also a shortage of French evangelicals undergoing ministry training. Pray that more French believers will be led by God's spirit into ministry and will then pursue ministry training. Pray also for more foreign missionaries to feel burdened by the incredible need in France.
Pray for the 1,200 Christian Missionaries in France.Adapting to a life of ministry in France can be difficult. France has been called a missionary graveyard because often times many years go by before a missionary sees the fruit of his or her labor. Pray for missionaries' ability to identify with French culture, to persevere in adversity, for effectiveness in ministry, and for adequate provision of financial support.
Pray for boldness in proclaiming the message of the gospel, for rest from ministry and a proper balance in life responsibilities. Pray for strength and unity in ministry teams, families, and marriages. Pray for clear direction in every decision and for a growing, continued desire to know God, study His word, and make Him known to the people of France. To most French people the evangelical message is still seen as an alien ideology of immigrant groups and the American right wing rather than an indigenous expression of spirituality. This bias has led to discrimination and difficulties in dealing with local authorities. Pray that French people will have an open heart toward missionaries and for God's favor as those missionaries deal with local authorities. Pray for the young people and University students in France.Ministry among young people is increasingly important. Young people are often searching, longing for meaning and purpose in life. Statistically, most people accept Christ before the age of 21. A rise in violent crime and unemployment among young people in France has led to Europe's highest rate of youth suicide.
Today in France there are over two million students in hundreds of universities in France. Of these, 270,000 are foreign students (the world’s third highest number) so ministry to these students can potentially have global implications. Witness in this highly secular and post Christian environment can be difficult. Pray for wisdom and patience among Christian workers in this challenging ministry. Pray also for the blessing of the whole Francophone world through foreign students who graduate and return to Francophone countries. There is incredible potential to impact all French-speaking peoples. Pray for French believers and the local church.The French Church needs to address growing concerns caused by rapid immigration of Africans to France as well as the sharp decline in religious interest by the majority of French citizens. Fear and ignorance prevent Christians from reaching out to Muslims and only around 100 full-time Christian workers are involved in ministry to Muslims. Pray that French believers will begin to have a better understanding of their Muslim neighbors and have the boldness to step outside of their comfort zones and share the love of Jesus.
Pray for a deepened unity between immigrant churches, which continue to pop up, and French congregations. There is a negative bias toward these churches which attract the poorest and most vulnerable people of society. Pray for French churches to gain a vision for world evangelization. French evangelicals have sent out around 400 missionaries to other nations but interest and support is still low. Pray for the immigrants living in France.The North Africans who have moved to France are almost entirely Muslim and very few have ever heard the gospel. There are currently over 1.4 million immigrants in France just from Algeria, a nation that is 99% unreached by the gospel. The ability to freely witness to these groups in France creates an incredible opportunity to reach the unreached. Pray for increased outreach to these groups by French believers and missionaries. Pray especially for immigrants from West Africa as there has been even less outreach toward these groups.
The majority of African immigrants live in low-cost housing areas. Unemployment is common as is discrimination and frustration among youth. Difficulties with integrating immigrant communities have led to tightened policies, a climate of fear and insecurity, and increasing frustration for both sides. The large increase in immigrant populations and high birth rate among them have made Islam the second religion of France. There are also an estimated 150,000 French converts to Islam, mostly via marriage. Over 70% of Muslims in France are of North African origin but many mosques are funded by hard-line groups from other Muslim nations. Lastly, the French Jewish population is the largest Jewish population in Europe and the third largest in the world, following the US and Israel. Pray for increased outreach to the Jewish people of France. |
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
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