Latest Prayers by France Mission

France finally has a new government three months after the general election. The new Prime Minister is Michel Barnier, who was previously the chief EU negotiator in relation to Brexit. The centre-right government is very fragile because it was the left-wing parties that did best in the election. Please pray that French Christians may be salt and light during these difficult political times, committed to all aspects of the ministry of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5).

About 30 French delegates attended the 4th Lausanne Congress in South Korea at the end of September. Representatives of the CNEF (French Evangelical Alliance) returned with a desire to take forward initiatives developed at the Congress, specifically the urgent need for wider mobilisation for mission, the need for greater collaboration between churches, the importance of training, and the transmission of missionary values to young people. Please pray for the CNEF as they seek to put these priorities into practice across France.

Please continue to pray for the Paris Games. At the time of writing, it's Day 5 of the Olympics; the Paralympics will follow on from 28th August to 8th September. The opening ceremony proved controversial, but please pray that Christians will take opportunities to use this controversy to share their gospel hope. Give thanks for good security so far; pray for those whose job is to protect all those present at the competitions. Please pray particularly for the Christian chaplaincy teams who will be serving in the athletes' village throughout the Games. May they have many opportunities to share the love of God and point people towards the Lord Jesus.

The Paris Olympics are due to run from 26 July to 11 August, with the Paralympics to follow from 28 August to 8 September. Please pray for French Christians as they seek to bless their communities and to share Jesus during this period when the world will be focused on France. You can find out more about all that's happening at https://www.ensemble2024.com/en/

There are currently (mid-February 2024) two major ethical issues in France that are in the political spotlight. (1) Likely legislation on end-of-life matters where much will depend on whether palliative care and assisted suicide are linked in the same bill or made the subject of two separate pieces of legislation. French Christians are praying that they will be kept separate. (2) The possible inclusion of abortion as a "guaranteed freedom" in the French Constitution (abortion has been legal, and widely practised, in France since 1975). French MPs voted in favour at the end of January; French senators (who play a similar role to the House of Lords in the UK) are currently debating the issue. Evangelicals (and others) are arguing against the change, on the grounds that it is unnecessary and would diminish the rights of children and medical staff. They would appreciate your prayers on both these topics.

The situation in Israel and Palestine has exacerbated tensions in France which has the largest Jewish and Muslim populations in Western Europe. In particular, over 1500 antisemitic acts have been recorded in France since the events of 7th October 2023 and there is real concern among the country's Jewish population. Pray for politicians, faith leaders, media outlets, police, and the judiciary as each plays their part in trying to defuse tensions and promote peaceful co-existence.

Please pray for ongoing and urgent renovation work at the Nogent Bible Institute near Paris (www.ibnogent.org). The work is crucial for the Institute to continue its mission of training the next generation of francophone pastors and other church workers, so prayers for staff and students would also be very welcome!

From the CNEF (National Council of French Evangelicals): “Pension reform, water management, inflation: French people are worried. The National Institute of Statistics reported in March 2023 that the Household Confidence Index is deteriorating. As children of God, we remember that we have a great and sovereign God who has a plan for peace for humanity. We encourage prayers for social peace in our country, so that elected officials and political and union leaders might have wisdom and discernment. Let us pray for the most vulnerable in French society and for those who have responsibilities in our Churches.”

Give thanks for the growth of the evangelical church in France. The most recent statistics show there are now 745,000 believers, a figure 15 times higher than in 1950. Praise the Lord for this increase and please pray for continued growth, as the figure still only represents just over 1% of the national population. Please pray too for more pastors to lead these believers; it's estimated that at least 1000 new pastors will be needed over the next decade.