Lausanne World Pulse – PEOPLES OF THE WORLD – A Focus on East Europe and Eurasia: 188 Least-Reached People Groups Remain

Overview
Eastern Europe and Eurasia are comprised of twenty countries with 188 least-reached peoples remaining among them. Serbia and Montenegro lead with 66.8% of their population. Here almost seven million people remain least-reached. Less than two percent are evangelical and less than five percent adhere to any form of Christianity. However, in sheer numbers, Russia exceeds them with over twelve million least-reached people in seventy-two different people groups. A decade of democracy associated with greed, crime, self-seeking politicians, a pervasive mafia and degeneration of the quality of life has caused many in Russia to hanker after the authoritarian certainties of Communist dictatorship.

The long-term disastrous distortions of Marxist economies in Eastern Europe adversely affected national infrastructures, ecology and the work ethic of the people. The dominant realities of the 1990s have been the gradual recovery of most former Communist states and the strengthening and planned expansion of the European Union from thirteen original members to most nations in Europe. Ethnocentrism and religion have become important and major causes for political confrontations since 1990. The Church overall in Eastern Europe and Eurasia is small and struggling; however, there are rays of hope in places such as Ukraine. Pray that the spirit of prayer will sweep through the Church and revive it. Pray for laborers for this volatile environment that is ripe for the good news.

Prayer Points

  • Deliverance from addictions. Pray God sets the captives free from bondages to addictions such as alcohol and drug abuse, sexual addictions, pornography and gambling in order that they may be as lights in the world, examples of God’s grace and the goodness in Jesus.
  • Hound of heaven. Pray the Holy Spirit searches for the lost and demonstrates to them God’s goodness that leads them to repentance.
  • Overcome evil with good. Pray that God shows believers how to overcome evil such as greed, crime, self-seeking, organized crime and degeneration with his goodness and love and that his kingdom may rapidly grow.
  • All things to all people. Pray that the Church understands Paul’s command to become all things to all people that they might win some in order to bring the gospel in a way that can be understood and accepted.
  • Invisible means of support. Pray for God to pour out his heavenly provision through those whose hearts are completely his so that he supplies and multiplies all resources needed for reaching those who have not yet heard the good news.

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