Denmark's Youth

Editor Bill recently met a Christian lady at the Baptist Church in Viborg who has an agonizing concern for the future of Danish young people. She has asked that Pray for Denmark.com add this important part of the Danish population to our prayers for the country as a whole. Her concerns are well-taken. Danish youth are subjected from early years to ideas and philosophies in their educational experience and through the various media that have contributed to the secularization of the country, a lessening of the influence of the church, and a consequent loosening of moral standards. Besides educational and career goals, Danish youth seem greatly invested in pursuing the kind of happiness that so often translates to doing whatever you want whenever you want and with whomever you please. Casual sex is accepted as "everyone is doing it" and couples living together without a formal marital contract has common societal acceptance. Even adults are prone to counsel young people to get all the happiness they can and enjoy life to the full. "Don't worry about marriage, have all the sex partners you can find and enjoy yourself--that's what life is all about." Spiritual concerns take a back seat to such a philosophy and the result is a spiritual vacuum in the lives of so many young people. The number of smokers amongst adult Danes has dropped considerably, though very common amongst tobacco-using Danish youth who in spite of significant health dangers are using it in increasing numbers. Alcohol and drug use are found as well. There are so many fine and wonderful things about Denmark, but ultimately its future and the future of families lie in the hands of its young people. Not all the news is bad, however, as there are youth who are seeking after spiritual realities and seem to be turning away from the moral drift amongst their peers. Many of them are now seen in large numbers in many of the more vibrant Danish evangelical churches that have ministries that attract young people. One major attraction presented by such churches is their emphasis on contemporary Christian music.

PRAY that the church in Denmark will find effective ways to make the Gospel of Jesus Christ and a committed Christian lifestyle attractive and appealing to young people.

PRAY that Danish youth who have been raised by Christian parents will not stray from their Christian commitment and lifestyle but resist the temptations that society packages so attractively.

PRAY for the many fine youth ministers in Danish evangelical churches who serve as role models for an uncompromising biblical lifestyle while at the same time providing wholesome activities and vibrant youth-oriented worship.

(This posting has been written while Editor Bill is in Assens, Denmark)

Editor Bill Plans Mission Trip to Denmark

Bill Hunter, the editor of Pray for Denmark's prayer requests, leaves this week on a three-week visit to Denmark, March 14 to April 4. The purpose of this missions trip is to meet with Danish pastors and Christian leaders with whom we have had contact since Pray for Denmark.com went online two years ago. Bill desires nothing more than to have a quiet spiritual ministry of listening and learning from pastors and leaders, praying with them and encouraging them in their ministries. He hopes as a result of the visit and becoming better informed about evangelical work in Denmark that the Lord will enlarge his and Brad's vision for this website, hopefully making it an even more effective prayer support instrument. Bill's itinerary is expected to include contacts in such cities as Tønder, Sønderborg, Kolding, Viborg, Aalborg, Odense and Copenhagen. He is also looking forward to the opportunity to have some time for rest and relaxation with his Danish relatives.

PRAISE God that the He has opened the way for this visit to Denmark and PRAISE Him for the Christian friends who have so graciously helped to make it possible.

PRAY that the still incomplete details of Bill's travel schedule in Denmark will come together speedily once he arrives in the country.

PRAY that the Lord will prepare Bill's heart for a warm and effective one-on-one ministry of prayer and encouragement wherever he goes.

PRAY that Bill will be extraordinarily open and sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit in the contacts he makes throughout Denmark and that he will experience an unusual bonding in Christian love with the pastors and leaders he meets.

PRAY that as a result of his visit the Lord will enlarge Bill's and Brad's vision for the ministry of this Pray for Denmark.com website and show us how we can have an even more effective ministry.

PRAY for the Lord's protection and mercies during Bill's travels and for health and stamina for what assuredly will be a rather strenuous three-week schedule.

Prayer Initiatives in Denmark

It would be foolish to think that the only prayer effort on behalf of Denmark is through this Pray for Denmark.com website. We believe God has laid Denmark on our hearts, but we recognize that we are not alone in our prayer ministry. There are many believers throughout Denmark itself and in all of the various evangelical local churches and such Folkekirke (State Church) renewal movements as Oase and Indre Mission that are committed to fervent prayer for their spiritually needy homeland. One focused nation-wide effort is called Bedehus (prayer house, place for prayer), a prayer initiative started by a group of Danish Christian leaders, including Kurt Christensen (Nexø), Bent Christiansen (Kolding), Allan Funk Hansen (Herning), Lene Knudsen (Brøderslev), Lars Bo Olesen (Herning), Palle Schær (Oase), Ruth Cilwik Anderson (Willow Creek Denmark), Inger Porsen (Women's Aglow Denmark), Jurgen Galonska (Blahøj), and John Mester (Malmø). Bedehus (www.bedehus.dk) has put together an around the clock 365 24/7 prayer network of individuals and prayer groups located throughout the country. There is also an Internet initiative called Bedeemner (www.bedeemner.dk) that solicits prayer requests that are posted on its website and makes sure these requests are prayed for systematically. Many of these requests are quite personal and touching and reflect personal needs and concerns about world events. For example, this plaintive request in English came from a 15-year old girl worried by recent events affecting Denmark in which she wrote:

"What are we going to do? Is this the end? Is our 11 September yet to come? Is the 3rd world war just around the corner? Will we die? I fear a war between Danes and Muslims. Will FN and NATO stand up for us, or are we lost because of a stupid newspaper? Will we survive? What about us children? Are we going to die too? They've scared us. They've burned our embassy and all we could do was evacuate the people inside the building. Will this madness ever end, or will we live in fear for the rest of our lives? Please God, help us. Save us from the storm--don't let them tear us apart" (lightly edited for clarity).

An advertisement for a 2005 prayer seminar in Denmark stated, "It is not only up to politicians to do something about God's purpose for a nation, but is is also up to the Body of Christ in the country to take responsibility and seek God in prayer on behalf of the nation." J. Sidlow Baxter wrote forcefully, "Men may spurn our appeals, reject our message, oppose our arguments, despise our persons, but they are helpless against our prayers." There is no denying the truth that "The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective" (James 5:16b, NIV).

PRAISE God for the upsurge in interest for prayer and intercession amongst Danish believers through the founding of Bedehus Denmark and other prayer initiatives.

PRAY for the prayer efforts within the Danish Folkekirke (Lutheran State Church) by such renewal groups as Danske Oase and Indre Mission.

PRAY that whole cities and towns will feel the full force and effect of the prayers of individual believers as well as the organized prayer groups now meeting throughout Denmark.

PRAY that those submitting prayer requests to the Bedeemner.dk website, such as the 15-year old girl mentioned above, will be strengthened spiritually as they see that God truly does answer prayer and meet needs, and that those who have yet to come to faith will openly acknowledge Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord.