Pray for Macedonia

Week of Oct.7-13, 1913

In the News: Mother Teresa finds prominence among Balkans

SKOPJE, Macedonia: The world's greatest modern-day saint - Mother Teresa is all set to come alive in her home town.

The prime minister of Macedonia has decided to name Balkan region's longest and most important highway after the founder of Missionaries of Charity.


As part of the government's plan to familiarize people of the entire region with Mother Teresa - who was born … in Skopje on August 26, 1910 with her family being of Albanian descent, Bronze plaques with her teaching are being drilled into prominent buildings and busy side walks across town.

The government is also giving thought to a proposal whether Mother Teresa's picture can be put on the currency note.

A massive 60 feet statue of the greatest humanitarian of modern times is also coming up in one of the city's main boulevards,…

According to the Nobel Institute that awarded Mother Teresa the Nobel peace prize, Mother Teresa felt a strong calling from God at the age of 12 and knew she had to be a missionary to spread the love of Christ.
 

Mother Teresa exemplifies the strong humanitarian efforts and heart of the Catholic Church. We must applaud the Catholics and their work with the poor. At age 12 Mother Teresa knew she had to spread the love of Christ and she was successful. On one of her rear visits to the White House, Mother Teresa boldly told President Clinton that he needed to stand up against abortion in America.

Let us pray:
1.    Lord, we ask You to bless the Macedonian government for making Mother Teresa and her teaching an important symbol in the country.
2.    May her statue, bronze plaques with her teaching on prominent buildings and the highway named after her, be an inspiration to Macedonia. May Mother Teresa be a role model to a new generation and her values be a guide to many.
3.    Let us pray that parents and teachers will present Mother Teresa as she was. An example of Jesus.
4.    Lord we pray that Macedonia and the Balkans, would be blessed in return as a result of Mother Teresa’s labor among the poor.  Macedonia’s population living below the poverty level is 30.4% vs. India’s 29.8% and is highest among all 12 Balkan countries (CIA Fact Sheet). Lord, provide much needed Humanitarian Aid to Macedonia and the region.

In the News: Bulgarian and Albanian 'historians' gather to negate Macedonian history - end up fighting each other ...

A 'scientific' conference in Struga was organized by Albanian and Bulgar[ian] 'historians'  to commemorate a Struga/Debar revolt against the Serb army in 1913. According to the organizers of the meeting, it was Albanians and Bulgars who organized the revolt.  Joining the conference were professors from Sofia, Pristina and Tetovo.

What should have been a happy occasion for the Bulgars and Albanians in negating Macedonian history quickly turned into a nasty verbal fight between the two sides.

According to the Albanians it was them who organized and led the revolt, but the representatives from Sofia thought otherwise and claimed it was them who organized the revolt.

The verbal insults came close to a fist fight after Bulgarian representatives started mocking their Albanian colleagues about their contribution to the revolt.

I’m sure many Macedonians are laughing over this but there is a sad reality behind this dispute. Ethnic hatred is a curse all across the Balkans. All you have to do is go on Facebook or Twitter and read the continuing hatred fired back and forth. The key to the healing of those nations will be found in these people groups acknowledging the wrongs they inflected on others and repenting to one another.  

5.    This is a prayer subject that goes deep. There are wrongs that go back over a thousand years that have never been set right. Let us pray for the people groups to recognize these wrongs, recant, repent and decide to forgive.
6.    Some say it will take generations to heal these hatreds but let us pray that God will do a quick work. God can change hearts in a moment.  We can pray and believe for a “great awaking” in the Balkans.
7.    May the Holy Spirit go across the Balkans into every church, every born again believer’s heart and every pastor to lead them in repentance for their respective nations.
8.    What if national repentance started in Macedonia? Let us pray that Macedonian Christians would examine their hearts and carry repentance across the Balkans. What if the glorification of Mother Teresa (whom was ethnically Albanian) could be the trip-line to spiritual change in Macedonia?
9.    As intercessors, ask the Lord for His heart for the Balkan people and the pain they live with.

Zechariah 1:1-3
In the eighth month of the second year of Darius, the word of the Lord came to Zechariah the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo the prophet, saying,  “The Lord has been very angry with your fathers.  Therefore say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts: “Return to Me,” says the Lord of hosts, “and I will return to you,” says the Lord of hosts.

Please leave a Comment or Reaction so we will know you Prayed.

Pray for Macedonia

Week of March 25-31, 2013

In the News: Judicial reforms make courts more efficient in Macedonia
Once full reform is implemented in Macedonia's judiciary sector, the result will be a transparent and efficient justice system, experts said.

According to officials, citizens will be able to quickly resolve their disputes, judges will be held responsible for their work, and the system will be able to handle an increase in the fight against crime and corruption.    

One of the constant reoccurring themes for intercession at Prayer for the Balkans Project is corruption, so the above article is a praise report. History shows that government, politicians, courts, etc. are easily corrupted. Greed, the flesh, our human nature is to evade the laws for favors.

1)      This is an encouragement that the Macedonian government is enacting laws that check the courts adherence to the laws. Let us pray for righteousness in government and righteous government servants.
2)      Let us pray that Macedonian judges would have a deep rooted conviction to interpret the original intent of the law as written. This takes a servant’s heart that values all men as equal.
3)      Because an individual’s motivation and their steps of enactment in a crime can be different, judges need a flexibility to “let the punishment fit the crime”. Let us pray for the judges of Macedonia to exercise wisdom on a case-by-case basis.
4)      Most of all, Macedonia needs Christian judges. Judges that are first accountable to God. Lord, we ask for the positioning of your chosen ones in the courts.
5)      So many times as Christians we think our dealings with government agencies are outside biblical principles. May the Christians of Macedonia make every effort to walk with integrity, honoring the law of the land.
6)      Let us pray that righteousness and holiness would shine through God’s people in Macedonia. Lord, give the Christians boldness to stand for what is right.

Recently, my pastor taught on right and wrong. He explained that the biblical standard goes beyond right and wrong and lines up with what is true. Without God’s word as a solid foundation, right and wrong can be a product of human judgments.

7)      Let us pray for Christians in Macedonia, to study the Word and order their lives accordingly.

We must remember Matthew 25: 31-33   “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne.  All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.  He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.”

Pray for FYROM Macedonia

Week of Dec. 17-23, 2012

Skopje Fortress >

The Macedonian parliament has started working on reforms in their military laws/statutes that are aimed at giving equal benefits for all ethnic groups in Macedonia.

Quote:  “Today we start our battle to save the inter-ethnic relations and build bridges between Macedonians and Albanians,” said during the session Xhevat Ademi from the Democratic Union for Integration, DUI.

The draft law, pushed by the main ruling VMRO DPMNE party of Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski, envisages state pensions, free healthcare and other benefits - but only for Macedonian army veterans of the 2001 conflict between government forces and Albanian insurgents.

But there is opposition from the Democratic Party of Albanians (DPA); they want the same rights extended to former Albanian guerrilla fighters, or want the bill dropped altogether.
Ethnic divisions in Macedonia have been the greatest hindrances to a smooth civil government.

1)    Lord, we thank You for these steps in the government to solve ethnic differences. May these lawmakers be forgiving of the past injustices and have wisdom to set into law a respect for all ethnic groups.
2)    Democratic government usually requires compromise on behalf of opposing parties in order to establish a law. Also compromises can be impacted by a greater idea, usually delivered by a statesman, that can create a more sure solution. Lord, we pray for a solution that solves the needs (not wants) of all parties involved. May they work toward the unity of one country and not a fragmented society. 
3)    Lord, we believe it was and is Your will to set apart a northern Macedonian nation. We pray that the citizens can put aside past abuses and work together to bring forth a “sheep nation”.
4)    As the government’s reforms laws, we pray that all religious expression would not be legislated against. Let us pray for total religious freedom in Macedonia.

Macedonia’s Economy:  Macedonia has maintained macroeconomic stability with low inflation, but it has so far lagged the region in attracting foreign investment and creating jobs, despite making extensive fiscal and business sector reforms. Official unemployment remains high at 29%, but may be overstated based on the existence of an extensive gray market (illegal trade), estimated to be more than 20% of GDP that is not captured by official statistics.

I was overwhelmed by all the scriptures in the Bible concerning the poor.

Psalm 41:1
Blessed is he who considers the poor; The LORD will deliver him in time of trouble.
1)    Let us go beyond considering the poor and ask for the lifting up of the poor in Macedonia. Lord, release innovation and relax government restrictions on opening small business.
1 Samuel 2:7
The LORD makes poor and makes rich; He brings low and lifts up.
2)    It is true, the Lord makes the poor and makes the rich, but we want to pray into the second part of the verse; “He brings low and lifts up”. Lord, we know You desire to bless all the people of Macedonia so we pray that both rich and poor would be lifted up.
1 Samuel 2:8
He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the beggar from the ash heap, To set them among princes And make them inherit the throne of glory.  
3)    God knows how to bless whom He wants to bless. God chooses the lowly and blesses them. Let us pray that the poor would give their financial concerns unto the Lord and therefore be able to receive His blessings.
Psalm 10:2
The wicked in his pride persecutes the poor; Let them be caught in the plots which they have devised.
4)    The wicked persecute the poor because they are an easy target. Let us pray that the wicked of Macedonia would be humbled before the poor.  Lord, expose the financial schemes that are designed to rob the poor.
Psalm 12:5
“For the oppression of the poor, for the sighing of the needy, now I will arise,” says the LORD; “I will set him in the safety for which he yearns.”
5)    Let us stand in the gap and join in their yearnings. I truly believe your prayers are highly considered by the Lord when He decides to bless a people or nation. Let us agree with the Lord and ask for His favor on the poor of Macedonia. Lord, we ask that the spirit of poverty be broken over Macedonia.
Romans 15:26
For it pleased those from Macedonia and Achaia to make a certain contribution for the poor among the saints who are in Jerusalem.
6)    There was a time when Macedonians gave to the poor of Jerusalem. (These were likely Greek Macedonians) Lord, we ask that churches outside Macedonia would repay a blessing for a blessing that was given long ago.
Luke 14:13
But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind.
7)    Let the churches be full of feasting and let the poor be invited to sit at the Lord’s table.
Psalm 72:4
He will bring justice to the poor of the people; He will save the children of the needy, And will break in pieces the oppressor.
8)    The will bring justice, so we declare it – What was spoken in heaven for the poor, we declare it on earth in Macedonia. Lord, we pray for the children of Macedonia. May the Gospel be presented to them.
9)    Lord, we pray for the widows and orphans. May the churches take the responsibility to minister to them as You commanded.

Please leave a Comment or Reaction so we will know you Prayed.

Pray for FYRO Macedonia

Week of Sept. 17-23, 2012

Kale Fortress in Skopje, Macedonia >

In a municipality in Skopje, the capital of Macedonia, the ethnic Albanians that are a majority want to rename their schools Albanian names and take away the names of Macedonian heroes. The Albanians have placed plaques in front of four schools with the new names and the education department is demanding their removal.

1)    Let us pray for a peaceful solution to this situation. Let us pray for a wise maneuver that will satisfy both sides.
2)    Let us pray for reconciliation between the ethnic communities in Macedonia. May common ground be found and celebrated.
3)    Lord, let Your blessings, good works and peaceful co-existence be seen in the evangelical churches. Albanians, Macedonians, Bulgarians, etc. all praising the Lord together.

Presidents of Macedonia and Albania – Gjorge Ivanov and Bujar Nishani, held their first meeting in Ohrid, Macedonia. Ivanov and Nishani were unanimous that the arguments and problems in the region should be solved through dialogue.

4)    Let us pray for these two men that are taking steps to peacefully resolve disputes. We pray that both men would listen to calm reason and be surrounded with wise counsel.
5)    Lord, we pray for intercessors that will pray for these men and stand in the gap for Macedonia.

1    Timothy 2: 1-2 I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.

Unemployment in Macedonia is currently at around 31 percent, one of the highest rates in Europe.

6)    Lord, Macedonia needs help. Let us pray against despair. Let us pray that hope will be renewed. Let us pray that innovation, investment and vision would come together in Macedonia to advance business.
7)    With 31 percent unemployment, then the churches are suffering from lack of finances. Pastors have to work in the marketplace and that drains their pastoral duties. Lord, meet every Macedonian pastor right where they are at and bless their store-house with plenty.
8)    Lord, we ask that You start with the churches and bless all the faithful with good paying jobs.  Every Christian has talents and skills that should be profitable to them and their family.
9)    Let us pray for the children of Macedonia. Starting in the house of faith, may the families be protected from cultural sins, alcoholism, divorce and parent neglect . May the fathers and mothers take their jobs serious to raise up children to follow the Lord. May the Christian families be a testimony to their neighbors and their extended families.

Please leave a Comment or Reaction so we will know you Prayed.

Pray for Macedonia 7-2-2012

Pray for Macedonia 

Week of July 2-8,2012

 Acts 2:  38- 40 (NKJV) Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off —for all whom the Lord our God will call.”

With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.”

1)      I read these verses and knew I needed to pray for evangelist to be sent and raised up in Macedonia. Let us pray to the Lord for the ministry of evangelism.

2)      Pray for evangelism to not merely be taught in the Macedonian churches but that it would be acted upon. Street evangelism, mass evangelism, radio evangelism, internet evangelism, neighbor to neighbor, family to family may the Good News be proclaimed.

3)      May the Lord expose the sin of this “corrupt generation” and call many Macedonians unto salvation.

Luke 8: 11-15

“Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God.  Those by the wayside are the ones who hear; then the devil comes and takes away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved.  But the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, who believe for a while and in time of temptation fall away.  Now the ones that fell among thorns are those who, when they have heard, go out and are choked with cares, riches, and pleasures of life, and bring no fruit to maturity.  But the ones that fell on the good ground are those who, having heard the word with a noble and good heart, keep it and bear fruit with patience.

4)      As the Good News goes forth and many are saved, may there be great celebrations when they are baptized.

5)      Lord, we ask that You protect the seeds. I can’t help but believe that as we fervently pray for the mission field, God causes the ground to be “good ground”.

6)      Lord, You know men’s hearts and how they will receive. May the Macedonian Christians enjoy sowing the seeds and watch as the Lord brings increase. 

7)      Holy Spirit, we cry out for Your fire to come and dwell in Your people in Macedonia. Some say Macedonia is the heart of the Balkans, may the heart catch on fire for Jesus.

In my research I am finding there are investments coming into Macedonia because they have created sound economic policies. The culture is modernizing.

8)      Modernization can have positive and negative effect.  Lord, we ask for Your protection of Macedonia. Lord, draw well-intended investors. Let us pray for Christian based businesses to invest.

9)      It is believed that the gray-market business in Macedonia is 40% of the economy, which can breed corruption. Lord, we pray for the exposure of those involved in dishonest trade.

10)  With a rate of 29% unemployment, let us pray for the Christians in Macedonia to be blessed with jobs.

11)  May the Christians bring their gifting to the market place. Lord, inspire them with inventions and successful methods of commerce.

12)  We pray also for Christians in the Macedonian government. Lord, open doors of influence.

Please leave a Comment or Reaction so we will know you Prayed.

Pray for Macedonia FYROM

Week of March 16-22, 2012

In October 2009 the following prayer directive was sent out by Praying for the Balkans, Project for Macedonia, “Lord, raise up intercessors that spend time with You and seek Your direction on how to pray for Macedonia.” The following request from one of our prayer partners in Macedonia shows God is rising up intercessors.


Prayer Points for Macedonia:

1. Focused prayer is needed NOW for an increase in ethnic tension between Albanians and Macedonian that has risen in the last 2 months. Tension has not been this high since an escalation of violence in which 80 people were killed in 2001 - thankfully ending in the Ohrid Peace Accord. In February an off-duty Macedonian police officer shot and killed an Albanian man over what looked to be a dispute over a parking spot. What actually happened was not made public and Albanians believe that justice was not served. The next weeks there were different Macedonian and Albanian gangs attacking people on public buses. Police cracked down and arrested 30 people. Things had been calm until last Thursday when 5 Macedonian men were found murdered by a lake on the outskirts of Skopje. So far no suspects or motive have been identified. There are calls for calm, but clearly people are upset.

Please Pray for the PEACE of Jesus to reign over this nation.

Source: http://www.foxnews.com/world/2012/04/14/macedonia-declares-day-mourning-for-5-killed/

2. Pray for unity of the body of Christ in Macedonia. In recent years there has been a desire among church leaders to pursue reconciliation and grow in unity according to the prayer of Jesus in John 17. Pray that God would pour out a spirit of reconciliation and unity over all churches and believers in Macedonia. To know how to pray more specifically for this, go to the following website: www.ee.mk

3. Pray for the House of Prayer that the Lord is raising up in Macedonia and in the Balkan nations. On May 1-3 a core group of prayer leaders from multiple Balkan nations will gather in Skopje to pray and seek the Lord for the whole Balkans. Pray that God would breath His spirit over this gathering and release a new fire for prayer and unity that will spread through the region. A website has been set up to increase prayer for an among believers in all of the Balkan nations: http://www.balkannetworks.org/Join us for Balkan Prayer Day on Sept. 2, 2012.

4. Pray for a week of prayer in Macedonia that will be from May 11-17, 2012. We plan to have 5-7 hours a day, lifting Macedonia and her people before the Father.

5. Pray for pastors and leaders who are currently planning for the Global Day of Prayer. A 24/7 prayer room will be set up to run for 10 days from May 17-26. On Sunday, May 27, believers from all churches in Skopje will be invited to gather together, joining with churches around the world to pray for their nations and the world. Source: http://www.globaldayofprayer.com/

Please reread the above, stopping to Pray where the Spirit tells you to. Also for more information about prayer in Macedonia or other questions about Macedonia, email: praymacedonia@gmail.com.


1 Timothy 2:1-4 “Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.”

1) Let us thank the Lord for raising up Intercessors. May they be encouraged daily to continue to cry out. Lord, put a hedge of protection around them. Lord, show them Your heart.

2) Let us pray for a revival fire to come forth in the evangelistic churches that are in Macedonia. Lord we ask You to;

   a. Put eternity in their hearts,

   b. A Passion for Jesus,

   c. Brokenness for the lost,

   d. For finances to fund a revival,

   e. Apostolic over-site to guide and set things in order,

   f. And evangelistic meetings where the manifested presence of God is evident in signs and wonders.

3) With there being large ethnic groups in Macedonia, tension is quick to arise. Pray for the Macedonians, Bulgarians, Albanians and Roma (Gypsies) that they would learn to live together. Pray the courts would judge according to law in regards to disputes and not showing a bias. Also pray that the truth would not be hidden.

Pray for (FYROM) Macedonia

23 October is being celebrated because of the founding of the Macedonian Revolutionary Organization.

Back in 1893, on October 23rd in the house of Ivan Hadzi Nikolov in Salonica, 6 young men gathered and founded the Macedonian Revolutionary Organization, which has later become a symbol and flag of the Macedonian struggle for freedom.

Later on, the organization was turned into Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization and its members were struggling for liberation and independence of Macedonia.

The founding of IMRO marked the beginning of an organized Macedonian revolutionary struggle, which with the Ilinden rebellion as well as the National Liberation movement in the Second World War has resulted into the creation of the Macedonian State.

1)      Let us pray for Macedonia as they continue to struggle at making their country secure in the Balkans and the world. Let us pray for people of wisdom to ascend to positions of authority for the good of the country.

2)      There was a recent loan of 100 million EUROs to Macedonia to be channeled into businesses for the creation of jobs. Let us pray that this money would get into the hands of wise men and women. Let us pray that more investment money would flow into Macedonia.  Let us declare that it is time for Macedonia to blossom like a rose.

3)      Along with economic advancement there needs to be advancement in the Gospel. We see from history that the Gospel brings wisdom to a country. Pray that the evangelical Christians would be the voice of hope for Macedonia. May doors of opportunity be opened to the churches in Macedonia.

4)      Lord, I ask for Your blessing on the evangelical churches in Macedonia. May the Holy Spirit visit them with overcoming power. May the seeds planted there by the Apostle Paul and his converts come forth in another harvest.

5)      Lord, we seek Your favor for Macedonia. Let us pray for more intercessors for Macedonia. Let us fill the sensors before the throne of God with prayers for Macedonia.

I feel the the following is prophetic:

Acts 10:3-5

New King James Version (NKJV)

3) About the ninth hour of the day he saw clearly in a vision an angel of God coming in and saying to him, “Cornelius!” 4) And when he observed him, he was afraid, and said, “What is it, lord?” So he said to him, “Your prayers and your alms have come up for a memorial before God. 5) Now send men to Joppa, and send for Simon whose surname is Peter.

6)      It is time for visions to come to the Macedonian pastors, business people and government officials. It is time for their good deeds to be a memorial before the Lord. It is time for them to seek out the men and women of God to impart wisdom to them.

7)      Lord, send your trained ones to Macedonia. Those that have been prepared for this time. Let us pray for “tent maker” ministries to go to Macedonia.

The above I pray will be judged by God’s called out prophets. I do feel it came from the heart of God but it should be judged. Sometimes there is that place of prayer where you see things in the spirit and you must proclaim it.

Please leave a Comment or Reaction so we will know you Prayed.

Pray for Macedonia

Please read my Personal Note at the end.

Sitting down to pray for Macedonia I heard two words, Faithfulness and Courage.

Faithfulness: Hebrews 10:23 “Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for He is faithful that promised;)”

Courage: Isaiah 40:29 “He gives power to the faint; and to them that have no might He increases strength”

1) Let us pray for the Christians in Macedonia. May they stand even when things look bleak and dreary.
2) Lord, we pray they are reassured daily of Your great promises. Lord, we pray that You will intervene in their daily lives; showing Your manifested presence (undeniable acts of God).
3) May the Macedonian Christians stand fast and not waver in the days of trial.

The steadfast reassurance of King David:

8 I have set the LORD always before me;
Because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved.

9 Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoices;
My flesh also will rest in hope.
10 For You will not leave my soul in Sheol,
Nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption.
11 You will show me the path of life;
In Your presence is fullness of joy;
At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore. (Psalm 16:8-11)

4) Let us pray that the Macedonian Christians would determine to set the Lord before themselves daily.
5) May they know that the Lord is always at their side.
6) Lord, let their flesh rest in hope. May they have supernatural healing that will mystify the physicians in Macedonia.
7) May the Christians in Macedonia grow in faith and maturity. Make them strong, full of courage and ready to stand strong against the enemy.
8) The warrior spirit that once rested upon the Macedonian hero, Alexander the Great, let it now be spiritually applied to raise up mighty warriors of faith.

NEWS:
Eight soldier figures, representing a part of Alexander the Great's phalanx, have arrived
in Macedonia's capital Skopje, where they will be placed on the central square.

The bronze soldiers are "accompanied " by eight lions. All new sculptures will be a part of the grandiose composition involving the statue of Alexander the Great himself, who has been imagined as the forefather of the Macedonian nation.

Personal Note: Three years ago today (8-8-2008) I officially started FreeBalkans.com. Now for three (3) years I have systematically been praying for the Balkan countries. (freebalkans.blogspot.com) Actually it was about ten years ago that God told me to concentrate my calling of intercession on the Balkan countries. Up until Aug. 2008 I had prayed but not systematically. I want to thank you for praying with me. Often I get reports from the Balkan countries of God doing great things.

Here is what I am believing for the future. I believe the day will come when I will walk the land and see what the Lord has done, and see confirmed what He spoke to me in prayer. This has happened before in my life. Back in the 70s and 80s I prayed for Eastern Europe for ten years. Then from 1985 to 1988 I was able to spend four years there and was able to prayer-walk many of the cities. One thing I am convinced of, God is faithful and His leading has a purpose. I seen Eastern Europe when it was bound by communism and the faithful were few. Now when I have occasion to go there I am amazed at His faithfulness.

Please leave a Comment or Reaction so we will know you prayed.

Pray for (FYROM) Macedonia


Listed 8-31-10

While seeking out information on present conditions in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, I received the following letter from a very knowledgeable Christian worker in Macedonia. Marshall Rich’s letter can help guide our prayers for Macedonia.

Here is some general information.
Macedonia is primarily Orthodox Christian and the majority view protestant Christianity as a sect. This sometimes (or oftentimes) results in born-again followers of Christ to be persecuted by neighbors and even family members. Persecution is not physical, but often psychological persecution in the form of name-calling, rejection, and talking behind one's back can be equally devastating.

2/3 of the population is Macedonian and that translates to nearly 2/3 Orthodox Christian. 30% are Albanian which are nearly all strict muslims. There is also a large Roma Gypsy population which is primarily muslim but with fortune-telling/magic arts/superstition intermixed with their faith.

There seems to be a religious rivalry between Orthodox Christianity and Islam. They compete for bigger religious structures in prime areas and even after the war in Kosovo in 2001 some churches/mosques were destroyed by fanatics/patriots. There are cities/villages which are exclusively Albanian and others exclusively Macedonian. Tensions exist. Some cities are mixed but with separate areas of business/residence.

In this region ethnicity is tied to faith. It is expected if you are ____ then you are _____. If you are Macedonian then you are Orthodox. It is not as much as a personal endeavor as it is heritage.

The true Church is Christ is alive and present although numbers are small. Zero churches exist among the Albanians, although some Albanians attend evangelical churches of primarily Macedonian composition. There are several strong established churches among the Roma gypsies. I enjoy attending services there and appreciate strong adherence to the Bible and sound preaching. The gypsies are more open to listening to Christ but are also open to other doctrines such as the Jehovah's Witness church growing among the Roma.

A prior Macedonian President was a Methodist which had a profound effect on acceptance of protestant faiths, especially after his tragic death in a plane crash. Baptist missionaries are active in several cities. Primarily the churches are overseen by Macedonian elders, many of whom have degrees in theology. Sound doctrine. Good leadership. Excellent Biblical preaching.

Problems in the church are lack of finances. Macedonian has high unemployment and most churches are funded from foreign countries. Tithes are insufficient. Largest denomination is called Evangelical, holding doctrine like Alliance churches or somewhat like Assemblies of God. They have the most churches established and have dedicated pastors.

-Praise points: domestic leadership of the churches, nationals are pastoring, ministering
-prayer points: Albanians to come to Christ, to overcome cultural and ethnic barriers, for the church to be support itself, for Christians to work hard and be employed, for fearless testimony of Christ in the face of rejection,

Hope this helps,
Salutation in Christ,
Marshall Rich, - Read More at http://macedoniamissions.com/

1) With the Macedonians mainly being Orthodox and regarding Evangelicals as a sect, then let us pray that the Evangelicals would, with love and acts of righteousness, earn the right to speak into the culture.
2) We thank the Lord for the former president that was a Methodist and how the Lord used his death to soften hearts toward the Protestants. Let us pray for more events within the culture that can change attitudes and reveal the true motivation of Jesus and His church.
3) Let us pray for the present President, Gjorge Ivanov. May the Lord surround him with wise counselors.
4) Lord, we ask that You strengthen Your saints in their days of persecution. James 1:2-4 “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.”
5) Let us pray for peaceful co-existence between the ethnic Macedonians and the Albanians. May they learn how to respect one another.
6) Let us pray for the Albanian population, especially since they are mainly Muslim. Lord, protect those few Albanians that have become Christians and give them open doors to testify of Your great joy and salvation.
7) Let us pray for directed evangelism and/or acts of kindness toward the Albanian population; even involvement from foreign Christians. Raise up intercessors, senders (givers) and goers.
8) Lord, we ask that the Churches be strengthened and be a safe place for people to receive healing and enjoy their salvation.
9) The report is that many pastors and church leaders are on a solid foundation. Lord, may You continue to bless Macedonia. Lord, we ask for an economic blessing also. May barriers to productivity be reduced so prosperity can flow into the country.
10) May the Christians be blessed with wisdom to influence the culture spiritually and economically. Lord, raise up godly gatekeepers and give them wisdom and resources to bring wealth into the cities so poverty can be reduced.

More News of Macedonia at http://freebalkans.com/Macedonia.html