Published on Operation World (http://www.operationworld.org)
Sep 25: Pakistan
Pakistan
Islamic Republic of Pakistan
Asia
See Prayer Information
Geography
Area: 796,095 sq km796,095 sq km, which includes 83,700 sq km of UN-divided Kashmir controlled by Pakistan. Arid mountains in the north and west. Desert in the east and southeast. Vast irrigation schemes in the fertile Indus River valley.
Population: 184,753,300 Annual Growth: 2.19%
Capital: Islamabad
Urbanites: 37%
HDI Rank: 141 of 182 (UN Human Development Reports 2009)
Peoples
Peoples: 463 (97% unreached) All peoplesUnreached Peoples Prayer Card
Official language: English is the official government language, Urdu is the national language and becoming widely understood by most Pakistanis Languages: 77 All languages
Religion
Largest Religion: Muslim| Religion | Pop % | Ann Gr | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Christians | 4,526,456 | 2.45 | 1.8 |
| Evangelicals | 1,140,589 | 0.6 | 3.3 |
| Muslim | 176,993,661 | 95.80 |
Challenges for Prayer
The Church continues to grow despite many obstacles. In effect, most Christians exist as second-class citizens, coming from poor backgrounds and classes. Pray for:a) Revival. Poverty, illiteracy and lack of teaching have hastened corruption, carnality and lowering spiritual standards. Substance abuse occurs frequently enough among Christians to be a terrible testimony to Muslims. There are pockets of real devotion (perhaps 10% are reckoned to be committed, vivid believers), but the large majority of the Church is nominal or immature.
b) Spiritual leadership in churches. Leadership struggles, court cases, factions and divisions are far too common. Many minister for the financial gain to be had. Pray for the raising up of humble, committed leaders with a passion to serve the Church.
c) Unity. Recent intensified persecution and violence serve to bring somewhat more unity among Christians, but much further progress is needed. The National Council of Churches and the Pakistan Evangelical Alliance aim to draw Christians together and foster united prayer and collaborative ministry.
d) Finances. Most Christians are from poor backgrounds, and material support from the outside world appears to be decreasing. Secure compounds for churches, Bible schools and other Christian facilities are now necessary for higher security measures, which are financially costly or downright unaffordable. Much of Christian-used infrastructure is in disrepair with few resources just to maintain, let alone increase, buildings. Pray for creative solutions to this long-term issue.
e) Relationship to the state. Despite discrimination and often outright hostility from the government, most Pakistani Christians love their nation and wish it to prosper. Believers are considering demonstrable ways they can be both Christian and Pakistani. Pray for a healthy dynamic between state and Church, and that Christians might be a blessing to their land.
f) Education is an area in which Christians could potentially have great strategic impact on Pakistan. In the past, schools run by Christians helped shape many of the country’s top leaders. But many Christians who receive quality higher education leave Pakistan for better opportunities abroad. Pray that more might stay as redemptive influences in Pakistan.
Leadership training is a hugely critical need for the Church. Pray for educational and training institutions, for an increase in students, for wise and godly leadership, for sufficient qualified faculty and for adequate financial resources. Give thanks for the new generation of emerging Pakistani leaders, and pray that a higher proportion of them may be able to serve in national churches without needing the support of foreign agencies.
a) Residential training centres. There are 12 Protestant and six Catholic theological colleges and Bible schools, most significantly Gujranwala Theological Seminary, United Bible Training Centre, Full Gospel Assembly (FGA) Bible College, Zarephath Bible Institute and St. Thomas’ Theological College.
b) Church-based training centres. Most denominations also use TEE courses from the Open Theological Seminary in Lahore which has 3,000 students in more than 200 centres taking accredited courses up to the bachelor of theology level.
c) Bible Correspondence courses. The Pakistan Bible Correspondence Institute operates out of five cities, with around 3,300 enrolled. It also sends out large numbers of NTs and copies of the JESUS film. Enrolment for these courses has declined of late; pray for a resurgence in student numbers. The vast majority of Muslim-background believers have taken a BCC as part of their spiritual pilgrimage.
For an additional 12 Challenges for Prayer see Operation World book, CD-ROM, or DVD-ROM.
