Day 10
Benin
Voters in Benin went to the polls for a parliamentary election seen as a test of democracy as opposition parties are back on the ballot after boycotting or being excluded from the most recent presidential and legislative votes. Benin’s image as a bastion of democracy and stability in West Africa has been dented under President Patrice Talon, who went back on a pledge not to run for another term and oversaw an opposition crackdown since coming to power in 2016. Seven parties are competing for 109 parliamentary seats. In 2019 after the opposition, parties were blocked from the legislative vote for failing to meet strict new election criteria. Polling stations were quiet in the commercial capital Cotonou and there was no sign of unrest. Pray for Benin to renounce demonic worship and for the Beninese to come to their senses and worship Jesus Christ, their creator God(The Bible, Luke 4:8).
Source:
Patrice Guillaume Athanase Talon is a Beninese politician and businessman who has been President of Benin since 6 April 2016. An economist and investment banker turned politician, Lionel Zinsou was appointed Prime Minister of Benin in June 2015. Benin is best known for its peaceful democracy, one of the most stable in Africa. However, corruption remains a significant issue. The country, once hosting main ports crucial in the slave trade, still negotiates shady deals. Poverty increases each year. The nation’s annual Voodoo Day brings thousands of participants to the country’s celebration. Voodoo, a religion approved by the government, has more than 60% devotees and contributes to significant spiritual bondages over the nation, its people, and the Church. The country allows for freedom to practice and propagates any religion.
Day 10
Indonesia
This is how our Father God showed His love among us in Indonesia: He sent His one and only Son into the world that all Indonesians might live through Him. Pray for Christian Believers in Indonesia to know the Father’s Heart and be equipped to share this with those around them who don’t yet know that God is our loving Father, who loves all His children, and desires that we all follow after Him, knowing Him better each day. Declare over the enormous Muslim population in Indonesia that Father God is close by, knows them by name, and draws all people to Himself through Jesus Christ (The Bible, 1 John 4:9).
Having Southeast Asia’s strongest economy, Indonesia is also one of the G20’s wealthiest. It is the world’s fourth most populous nation. It also has the largest concentration of Muslims, yet Indonesia has an astonishingly high level of Christian presence. More than twelve percent of the population are Christians, over 33 million people, with church growth continuing to increase. While Christianity is not illegal, provincial laws can override it and Islamic law is sometimes used. Muslim extremists continue to spread anti-Christian messages in the public sector. President Widodo’s agenda to shift Indonesia from secularism to Islamization would seem to predict elevated levels of Christian persecution in the future. Indonesia has been the worst affected nation in Southeast Asia during the COVID-19 pandemic. They currently hold the 2022 presidency of the G20 and during the Summit in Bali, Indonesia called for urgent attention to be paid to the current global food and fuel crisis.
