Strategic prayer

  • The Orthodox Church was a rallying point for Greece during the long Ottoman and then German occupations. Orthodoxy became a deep part of Greek identity and contributed to an attitude of xenophobia. Other expressions of Christianity are seen as a threat. Pray for spiritual renewal and reformation in this ancient church and for the relationship with Protestant communities.
  • Many Greeks have never clearly heard the gospel. More specifically, pray for: a) The 150 islands. Most of the Dodecanese, the Cyclades, the Ionian Islands and others are without evangelical congregations.The believers who are there find themselves spiritually isolated. Hellenic Ministries uses its yacht The Morning Star in short-term outreaches to evangelize these isolated communities. b) University students. CCCI and IFES have strong works among students in Thessaloniki and Athens, but most of the 300,000 students in tertiary education have little exposure to the gospel. c) Albanians number at least 500,000, many of whom are in Greece illegally. Involvement in smuggling and criminal activities results in stigmatization and high incarceration rates. Pray for Greeks and others to reach out in Christian love to this, Greece’s largest ethnic minority. d) Immigrant communities. Many thousands of immigrants and asylum-seekers pour into Greece every year from Iraq,Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran and other places.After a long history of emigration, Greece must recognize that more than 10% of those in the country are foreigners – many from unevangelized nations. The fastest growing churches are the immigrant churches – Russians, Romanians, Filipinos, Africans, Afghans, Iraqis and Pakistanis. Helping Hands (HH) is one ministry that combines compassion with evangelism; many refugees and immigrants have encountered the risen Lord through such outreach. Pray for more churches to get involved in this fruitful ministry. e) Indigenous ethnic minorities in the north. Centuries-old Balkan conflicts have left these groups less-reached than most groups in Greece. Pray for effective outreach to the Albanians and to the Muslim Turks, Romani (Gypsies) and Bulgarian-speaking Pomaks. f) The 200,000 drug addicts. PhilemonCenter, Kerameas, Pan-Hellenic Mercy Mission, Betel, Reto and others have a year-round ministry to them. g) Ministry to the 10,000 prostitutes is bearing some fruit. Among ministries working in this area are Lost Coin (International Teams), United World Mission, Nea Zoh (New Life), Porta Zohs (Door of Life). Most women are trafficked in from other countries.