Today pray for Sweden

November 12, 2012

Today pray for Sweden

Geography

Area: 449,964 sq km

The largest of the Scandinavian countries, a land of mountains and forests. Only 10% of the land is cultivated.

Population: 9,293,026 Annual Growth: 0.49%

Capital: Stockholm

Urbanites: 84.7%

HDI Rank: 7 of 182 (UN Human Development Reports 2009)

Peoples

Peoples: 64 (14% unreached)

Official language: Swedish, with five official minority languages Languages: 30

Religion

Largest Religion: Christian

Christians

5,314,682

Evangelicals

642,248

Answer to Prayer

Increased unity among evangelicals is a praiseworthy outworking of the continued decline of state-sponsored Christendom and a sign of God’s Spirit at work. Evangelical groups from across the theological and denominational spectrums increasingly work, pray and worship together as they see themselves as a minority in a secular society. Each year at Pentecost, around 20,000 from around the country gather in Stockholm for “Jesus Manifestation”.

Challenge for Prayer

The Church of Sweden is no longer the State Church. Its size, political influence and social impact are large, but on the wane. Liberal theology and practice dominate the Church, from endorsing same-sex marriage to universalism and rejecting the divine authority of Scripture. Politicians (often without any clear faith in Jesus) are frequently chosen to sit on parish councils. Unsurprisingly, the Church is in numerical decline and attendance is between 1-2% of membership. On the local level, there are a number of evangelical congregations, pastors and members, but the national structures are dominated by a liberal agenda. Pray for God to shake and refine this Church. Movements such as Taizé, Oasis and Pilgrimage are having a positive and inspirational influence on the Lutheran Church.

As a swede id like to say there are no 5 milion christians. When u are born u are automatic "signed up" for the swedish state church membership, i think 1% of taxes goes to the state church that would be i guess a "Lutheran church" but is widley liberal today. So this number comes from the memberships in this church whitch all born in sweden are automaticly signed up in at birth.

The true christians would be maybe the evangelicals, but in these you have all others, baptists, pentecostals, charasmatics etc, even the "false gospels" as mormons, the watch tower organisation and so on.

And within these numbers it is my personal belif a large number may be false converts.

I would say maybe a few 100 000 truly know the Lord God and His risen son in sweden today.

The reached are very few, i never since coming to Christ meet 1 person that knew the gospel that where not saved, they have some information, like Jesus was born at christmas and he died on a cross, but no knowledge of the gospel.

So prayers and workers are greatly needed.

May God come and visit us here up "north".

brother christian

Thank you.

I am also from Sweden.