Pray for the Czech Republic

The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central-Eastern Europe.

It is bordered by Poland in the north, Germany in the west, Austria in the south and Slovakia in the east.

Its capital and largest city is Prague.
The population is over 10 million.

FACTS
The Czech Republic was originally part of Czechoslovakia.

The country has two main regions:
Bohemia in the west
Moravia in the east
Silesia in the northeast

The city of Prague is famous for its castles and palaces.

The famous reformer Jan Hus (c. 1369–1415) was from Bohemia.

The Czech Republic is famous for its beer.

Budweiser' was originally a Czech beer, until an American brewer borrowed the name in 1876.

FAMOUS CZECHS
Sports
Jaromír Jágr(b 1972) Ice hockey right winger
Barbora Špotáková (b 1981) Javelin thrower. World record holder
Emil Zátopek (1922-2000)Long-distance runner, three gold medals at 1952 Olympics
Jan Železný (b 1966) Javelin thrower, world, World record holder.

Inventors
Václav Prokop Diviš (1698–1765) Inventor of the first grounded lightning rod.
František Křižík (1847–1941) Inventor of the arc lamp.
Jakub Kryštof Rad (1799–1871) Inventor of sugar cubes.
Josef Ressel (1793–1857) Inventor of the screw propeller and modern compass.
Otto Wichterle (1913-1998)Inventor of contact lenses

Teachers/Scientists
John Amos Comenius (1592–1670)  The founder of modern education.
Jan Janský (1873-1921) Classified the four blood types(A, B, AB, O)
Gregor Mendel (1822–1884) Often called the "Father of genetics"

DEMOGRAPHICS
89%   Czech
11%   Other(Moravian, Slovak, Unspecified)

79.4%  Agnostic/Atheist/Irreligious
10.3%  Catholic
0.8%   Protestant
9.4%   Other

HISTORY
The area of Bohemia was formed in the late 9th century as a small duchy around Prague.
At first it was ruled by the Moravian Empire.

When the Moravian Empire fell in 907, the centre of power was transferred to Bohemia
Bohemia merged with Moravia in 1055.

The Kingdom of Bohemia existed from 1198-1819.
It reached its greatest territorial extent from the 13th–14th centuries.

After 1526 Bohemia was gradually integrated into the Austria-Hungarian Empire.

When the Austro-Hungarian Empire collapsed in 1918 Czechoslovakia was formed from
the areas that now make up the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Carpathian Ruthenia.

In 1948 Czechoslovakia became a Communist-ruled state.
Under Communist rule, Christians suffered persecution.

In 1993, Czechoslovakia peacefully dissolved into its constituent states,
the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

CONDITIONS
The Czech Republic is one of the most stable and prosperous of the post-Communist states.

The main industries are machine-building, iron and steel production, chemical production,
electronics and transportation equipment.

Substantial revenue also comes from tourism.

The increased economic freedom has only benefited a minority of the population.
Prices are increasing.

There is a shortage of doctors
Often one has to wait months for a check up at a specialized practitioner.

There are problems with drug abuse, crime and prostitution.

Domestic problems are rising.
More families are finding it difficult to stay together.

SPIRITUAL CONDITIONS
Historically, the Czech people have been characterized as "indifferent towards religion."

The Czech Republic is the most atheistic country in Europe and one of the 10 most in the world.

Over 70% of the population described themselves as irreligious.

The Catholic church is the largest denomination, but its influence is steadily fading.
Both the clergy and laity are aging.
The average age for priests is 69

Many young people are searching for answers.

Ministry to university students, especially in Prague, has been almost non-existent
for years.

PRAYER NEEDS
Pray for the political leaders of the country.

Pray that the economy continue to improve.

Pray that there be an increase in doctors

Pray that crime decreases.

Pray for those trapped in prostitituon or drug abuse.

Pray that there be healing in homes and domestic situations.

Pray for the leadership of the Catholic and Protestant churches.
Pray for growth and renewal among the evangelical denominations.
Pray for all churches seeking to know God better.
Pray that God can equip a new generation of spiritual leaders for this nation.
Pray that Christians would be motivated and excited about sharing their faith.

Pray that Czech students, see and understand the truth of God's word.

Recently two teams (one from the U.S. and one from Poland) have arrived
to help ignite a student movement.
Pray for wisdom and boldness as these teams connect with students.