WHEN WE PRAY FOR VENEZUELA

Venezuela is going through perhaps the worst economic and social crisis in its history, and the church in the country has not been immune to it. I would like to share with you some things that I encourage you to consider and present before God when you pray for the believers here.

Source

Unfortunately, in the country there are no reliable statistics to support what I will mention below. However, I write according to what I have seen and talked with pastors and members of various churches and denominations in recent years:

1. For a pastor in Venezuela it is very difficult to delegate tasks, train leaders, and disciple believers when most people, especially young people, plan to leave the country or can not congregate because of the crisis. Many Christians do not see themselves compromising more with their current local churches, but rather going to other places.

2. Many hours of the day can go in rows to get cash or food. There are constant failures in public services, the means of transport are on the verge of collapse, and the economic crisis affects the home. For a pastor in this social context it is very hard to exercise the ministry by visiting the sheep, praying and studying the Word, and preparing sermons. In fact, I know fewer and fewer pastors who can dedicate themselves full time to the ministry.

3. Although there are serious and noble efforts of various churches to offer healthy theological resources and training to men in order to prepare them for ministry, there is still much to be done and to continue to pray. It is becoming increasingly difficult to acquire books with sound doctrine and pay for Bible studies, for example. Many of the few biblical institutes are running out of teachers. Not to mention how almost impossible it is for most pastors and leaders to leave the country to study in a seminar.

4.-. Many churches have declined meetings and suspended home study groups due to the crisis. This has led countless congregations to reevaluate the planning of their activities, some more successful than others in continuing with them and adapting to the moment the country is living.

5.- The renewal of leadership in many churches, driven by the crisis, has served for good in some congregations, especially when the new pastor is more apt for ministry and has better theology than the previous pastor. God is using this move for more churches to embrace a healthier theology, thanks to the fact that many of the new pastors have benefited enough from the spread of sound doctrine in Latin America through the Internet. But this is not always the case, especially when the new pastor was appointed without being tested and taught. Either way, this situation can cause, and often has brought, divisions in some churches.

6.- Many of the Christians who leave the country do not congregate in the place where they arrive, and others decide to name themselves as church planters without anyone having ordered or sent them for that. There may be several reasons for this, but it is certainly a concern and to consider when we pray for the church.

The Lord has not abandoned his church in Venezuela. Let us not abandon it when we stop praying for her and her leaders.

7-. All the aforementioned helps us to understand why it seems that the workers are fewer each day, although the harvest is great. It would be a huge blessing that more missionaries focused on the gospel arrived in this country, and many believers and pastors in Venezuela understand this.

8.- In the middle of this panorama, the church in Venezuela is more privileged than you think. Here there are pastors and pious men who, although they are not heard or read on the Internet, are faithful to serve their churches in these hard times. God is advancing his work through a lot of strangers for whom we should thank. The Lord has not abandoned his church in Venezuela. Let us not abandon it when we stop praying for her and her leaders.

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