Euro Voices - SwitzerlandSusanna Rychiger - 4 Jun 2010
This week we continue our season of prayer for the continent of Europe by looking at how we can pray for my home nation... Switzerland, in central Europe, is the land of the Alps. Founded in 1291 as a union of three cantons chafing against Habsburg rule, Switzerland has been independent since 1815; its borders now encompass 26 cantons embracing three major languages—German, French, and Italian...
For a long time Switzerland was a neutral state till the nation joined the UN. Pray that the spirit of neutrality is not a curse on the Christians. We want to stand for the biblical values which our nation is founded on. We believe in the bible and want to stand for its values which are not neutral.
The nation of Switzerland is a direct democracy, which means that the national, cantonal and regional parliaments are elected by the people, as are many other laws. Therefore we need more Christians making a political stand in the nation. Our average electoral turn-out is less than 40%!!!
Switzerland is famous as a rich nation, but we don’t take enough responsibility to care for the poor and for social justice. Pray that Christians will motivate the nation to use its finance to care for the poor both in and outside of our nation.
- Pray that people trafficking becomes an openly discussed topic!
- Pray for the youth who don't know values and respect anymore, and for all the Christian initiatives investing into their lives.
- Pray for the ‘old’ prayer warriors that they will keep on standing for our nation, so they can see the blessing that comes from their prayer heart. Pray that their faithfulness will be multiplied across the younger generations.
On June 13, 2010 40'000 Christians will meet in the football Stadium in the capital Berne! This is a proclamation into our nation – a nation based on Christian values! Pray that the media will cover the day positively and that it will be a statement for Jesus and unity among Christians.
Sources: National Geographic Atlas of the World, Eighth Edition, and www.infoplease.com
To join with Christians all over the world in praying for the prodigal continent of Europe visit our new website 24-7prayer.eu where you can sign up to pray, for weekly newsletters and prayer resources. You might also like to read Ian Nicholson's article Restoring the Romance or watch our excellent European Prayer video.
If you've missed our earlier posts in the European Voices series you can catch up: