Prayer Points
- For mature beliefs free from tribal or animistic thinking
- For more Biblical training for indigenous Church leaders
- For more than 100,000 AIDS orphans in Botswana
- For young people to choose abstinence
- That people will make use of services providing ARV’s
- For the ending of stigma toward HIV/AIDS sufferers
- For congregations to work together
LOCATION:
Southern Africa, north of South Africa
POPULATION:
2 343 981 (2017 est.)
RELIGION:
Christian 79.1%
Badimo 4.1%
other 1.4% (includes Baha'i, Hindu, Muslim, Rastafarian)
none 15.2%
unspecified 0.3% (2011 est.)
INTERNET USERS:
690 000 (2017)
UNEMPLOYMENT RATE:
20 % (2013 est.)
MISSIONARIES (2010):
Sent: 90
Received: 440
LEAST REACHED PEOPLE GROUPS:
0
KEY CITY
Gaborone
Population of city:
208 411
Urbanization Rate:
1.29% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)
Major religion in city:
Christianity
We Pray...
Father, we want to pray for the nation of Botswana. We pray for mature beliefs free from tribal or animistic thinking. Lord, we ask that You will establish more Biblical training for indigenous Church leaders so that the full Gospel of Jesus Christ can be preached in all the churches, without being mixed with animistic beliefs. Please help congregations to work together, Lord.
We also pray that the youth will choose abstinence to cleanse their nation of HIV/AIDS. Father, we ask that You will show Yourself as a Dad to more than 100,000 AIDS orphans in Botswana.
We pray, Lord, that people will make use of services providing ARV’s in order to prolong their lives. Father, will You please bring an end to the stigma toward HIV/AIDS sufferers.
State of the Church
Over 70% of people in Botswana are Christians. Unfortunately many of those Christians still cling to their traditional or animistic beliefs. There are still some least reached people in Botswana living in the deserts. Not only does terrain make it difficult to reach them, but they also speak among the most difficult languages in the world.
There has been no recent accounts of persecution in the country other than secularism.
Overview
Botswana’s origins as a state go back to the late 1800s, when Britain, as colonial authority, formed the “Protectorate of Bechuanaland”. A protectorate is an autonomous territory that is protected diplomatically or militarily against third parties by a stronger state or entity. Britain did this to stop the Voortrekker expansion of Transvaal (Central South Africa) and German expansion from South West Africa (Namibia).
In 1966, Bechuanaland got its independence and became known as The Republic of Botswana. More than four decades of uninterrupted civilian leadership, progressive social policies, and significant capital investment have created one of the most stable economies in Africa.
Although Botswana is one of Africa’s best examples of a successful state, it is unfortunately terrorized by droughts and HIV-Aids. According to the UN, more than one in three adults in Botswana are infected with HIV or have developed AIDS. This high number has forced the government to develop Africa’s most advanced treatment programs.
While Botswana is a prosperous middle-income country, the median per capita household income in the capital city, Gaborone, is only $2 per day (2012). With two-thirds of the city's population spending nearly half its income on food, rising food prices present a particular problem. Recent surveys suggest that 63 percent of households in the capital are severely food insecure, and 21 percent of households in rural areas sometimes go for a day without eating.
More Resources:
- Regional Prayer Initiative: Pray4sea
- African Prayer Initiative: Pray Africa
Bibliography
- INcontext ministries – http://incontextministries.org/
- CIA World Factbook
- Atlas of Global Christianity – Todd M.Johnson & Kenneth R. Ross (Published by – Edinburgh University Press) (Missionaries and national workers: Africa 2010, page 267)
- Prayercast – http://prayercast.com/
- Unreached people groups – http://www.joshuaproject.net
- The voice of the Martyrs – http://www.persecution.com/
- Jul-Dec, 2010 International Religious Freedom Report – http://www.state.gov/j/drl/rls/irf/2010_5/index.htm
- Operation World – http://www.operationworld.org/african-countries