Pray for Poland

Situated in Central Europe, Poland is a bridge connecting Eastern and Western Europe. Early in the eleventh century, while the Byzantine Empire dominated in the East, a rising Poland was establishing its own power across fertile plains and Carpathian mountains. In its golden age, Poland was one of the most powerful empires on the continent. Yet, being a bridge between East and West came at a terrible cost. Poland’s flat, fertile plains left it wide open for foreign armies to march through, leaving the country highly vulnerable to invasion. After WWII, Poland fell under Communist rule. Despite its diverse ethnic community before WWII, Poland is now one of the most ethnically homogeneous countries in the world.

After losing between 5.5 and 6 million people during WWII, Poland experienced economic difficulty under a Soviet-influenced communist government. Though Poland became a free state in 1989, it still faces corruption scandals and political controversies surrounding government authority and civil rights. Poland’s birth rate has plummeted to one of the lowest on the globe, sparking serious concerns about a shrinking future workforce.

Saudi Arabia, despite its hostility towards Christianity and its majority-Muslim population, has more evangelical Christians than Poland. Though Catholicism is deeply woven into Polish national identity, few actively practice their faith. There is a desperate need for evangelical witnesses, as Pagan, Wiccan, and New Age religions are gaining followers. As a strategic bridge, Poland has the potential to change the spiritual wellbeing of Europe, but the Church there needs a movement of the Spirit. God has carried Poland through the years of tragedy and poverty, and He will continue to carry them still.