Elijah Project: Day 12

All of the following information comes from Operation World by Jason Mandryke and is in no way my own work. 

Country: Christmas, Keeling, and Norfolk Islands

Three small Islands off the coast of Australia. In fact, Australia actually gives them the aid to keep them going. Population averages around 1000 on Christmas Island, 700 on Keeling, and 2000 on Norfolk.

While tourism certainly boosts the economy, the islands depend on the mining of phosphate, the farming of coconuts, and self sufficient agriculture.

What to pray for:

1) The isolation of the islands make Christian ministry very difficult. Pray for God to move throughout the churches for a heart to reach out to the people of the islands themselves. Also pray against natural disaster as isolation hinders immediate help from Australia.

What the Lord put on my heart:

Father I pray that you would just embrace the people of these islands. That while it might be easy to get lost and comfortable in the smallness of the island, that they would see how huge they are in your eyes. That the churches wouldn’t just sit back feeling comfortable in their small, consistent islands, but that they would be passionate about sharing the love of a Father with their people. I pray that you would just be very real to them and that it would be the greatness of your love portrayed.

Country: Austria

Austria is known for beauty, culture, art and music. With the Alps along their southern border and the Danube River running through the north, there’s much to see. They run on a balance of tourism, agricultural, industrial and commercial sectors. There is freedom of religion throughout, with a constitutional relationship between the catholic church and the state.

What to pray for:

1) The presence of the living God

·      Although Austria has one of the highest percentages of those who believe in God, the church and number of evangelical believers is steadily declining. High rates of suicide, abortion, and alcoholism display a need for biblical foundation.

2) Catholic and Lutheran church numbers are falling drastically. There is slight growth in the evangelical/ charismatic churches, but the numbers still remain very low.

·      Within these growing churches, there is a great need for pastors. There is little training taking place and as congregations multiply, there is no shepherd for the sheep.

·      Austria potentially has more believers serving outside of their country than within. Pray for Austrians as well as outsiders that are willing to come train and teach in an area of such great need.

3) There are many immigrants and refugees piling back into Austria after WWII. Pray that Austrian believers will greet these strangers with compassion and love.

What the Lord put on my heart:

Presence, not just tradition.

I pray that they would thirst for your presence. Father I pray for a movement within Austria to capture their attention in a big way. I pray that you would place in them such a huge desire for your voice. That the traditions and lifeless churches would not hold back, but that it would be a real life changing encounter with You. I pray life into the people of Austria.

I also pray for a stirring within their hearts for their own country. That while you do tell us to go, that they would hear your heart and your voice to stay as well. That even if there is a great passion to go out into the world, that if they heard your voice to stay, there would be an even greater fire within them.