Prayer Points
- For the formation of an effective national government.
- For Christian leaders of moral integrity to be raised up in society.
- That nominal Christians will find new life in Christ.
- That the Bible will be read, used and applied in churches in the DRC.
- For integrity of pastors in the “Revival Churches”.
- That syncretism, witchcraft and false teachings to be rooted out of the Church in DRC.
- For endurance and protection over those who are traumatized by war activities.
- For the peace of Christ to rule in the unstable North and East.
LOCATION
Central Africa, northeast of Angola
POPULATION
82 242 685 (2017 est.)
RELIGION
Roman Catholic 50%
Protestant 20%
Kimbanguist 10%
Muslim 10%
Other (includes syncretic sects and indigenous beliefs) 10%
INTERNET USERS
3 101 210 (2017)
UNEMPLOYMENT RATE
NA%
MISSIONARIES(2010)
Sent: 1200
Received:15 000
LEAST REACHED PEOPLE GROUPS
3
KEY CITY
Kinshasha
Population of the city:
7 785 965
Urbanization Rate:
3.96% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)
Major religion in the city:
Christianity
We Pray...
Lord, we pray for the formation of an effective national government in the DRC. We pray for Christian leaders of spiritual maturity and moral integrity to be raised up for ministry both in the Church and in society in the DRC.
We pray, Holy Spirit, that Nominal Christians will find new life in Christ; that the pure Gospel will be preached, and the people of the DRC will clearly grasp what repentance and faith in Christ means.
Father, we ask that the Bible will be read, used and applied in churches in the DRC and that Your Word will be the light onto their path. Lord, we pray for the pastors in the “Revival Churches”; that they will preach the truth which Jesus taught and not lead people astray by making promises of wealth for a population in desperate economic situations.
We pray, Lord Jesus, that syncretism, witchcraft and false teachings will be rooted out of the Church in DRC. We ask that you bestow upon the people of DRC a BIBLICAL CULTURE of love and repentance.
Father, we bring before you the people who are traumatized by warlord activity. We pray also for endurance and protection for believers ministering to them. We also pray for the peace of Christ to prevail in the unstable North and East. In the Name of Jesus we pray. Amen.
State of the Church
Although the DRC is a country with a more than 80% Christian population, the government still guarantees religious freedom. Many churches are looted by rebel groups making it difficult for them to finance their mission.
Many of the proclaimed Christians do believe in a syncretic religion where they add some of their traditional beliefs into their Christian faith.
There has been little persecution of Christians in the DRC.
Overview
The Democratic Republic of the Congo has the potential to be one of the richest countries in Africa. It abounds in agricultural and mineral resources. Unfortunately, the DRC is still recovering from a long period of conflicts, many of them coming from rebels in the eastern territory.
Since independence, the state has seen only war and corruption. Immediately after the DRC became independent the army took over. What followed was a series of coups. Until in 1965 when Mobutu took over. He turned the country into a springboard for operations against Soviet-backed countries. This helped the country to get support from the US, as Russia and America found each other in a stalemate, better known as the cold war.
Background:
The cold war spilled over into third world countries where America (Democratic) and Russian (Marxist-Communism) tried to win their war by proving whose political ideology is best.
After the cold war the DRC lost most of its support coming from the US and again fell into the hands of rebels. The anti-Mobutu rebels got a boost from invading Rwandan groups, who crossed the border to flush out extremist Hutu militias. The anti-Mobutu rebels quickly captured Kinshasa (the capital) and made Laurent Kabila their new president.
This set the stage for a war that would at its end claim the lives of over 3 million lives, either as a direct result or because of malnutrition and disease.
Today they still struggle with rebel groups hiding in the dense forest trying to take over the country. The DRC’s infrastructure is slowly growing, but it is still a very volatile state.
More Resources:
- 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