Albania

Praise Points

Lord Jesus, we thank You that Albania’s soil first received the Gospel through the ministry of the Apostle Paul, and that even through centuries of darkness, the seed of Your Word has remained. “From Jerusalem and all the way around to Illyricum I have fulfilled the ministry of the Gospel of Christ” (Romans 15:19).

Almighty God, we thank You for the courageous young believers in Albania who are choosing to follow Christ despite ridicule and opposition. Their faith gives hope that Christianity will not die in their nation. “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13).

Prayer Points

Almighty God, we cry out against the corruption that spreads through Albania’s government, where justice is bought and truth is silenced. Expose dishonest leaders and raise up men and women of integrity who will lead with righteousness. “Woe to those who make unjust laws, to those who issue oppressive decrees” (Isaiah 10:1).

Lord God of Hosts, we plead with You to dismantle the power of drug cartels and organized crime that lure Albania’s youth into destruction. Break the chains of addiction and greed, and deliver communities enslaved by fear. “The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil” (1 John 3:8).

Heavenly Father, strengthen those imprisoned or silenced because of their Christian faith. Give them courage to endure, peace in suffering, and voices that cannot be silenced. “Remember those who are in prison, as though in prison with them” (Hebrews 13:3).

A Call to Salvation

Lord Jesus, empower parents, pastors, and teachers to disciple children and teenagers in Albania, planting Your Word deeply in their hearts so that no trial can uproot it. “All your children shall be taught by the Lord, and great shall be the peace of your children” (Isaiah 54:13).

Heavenly Father, we pray for Your Holy Spirit to guide Christian Believers in Albania uphold integrity, and refuse to bow to corruption, bribery, or compromise. May their lives reflect Christ’s light in a dark society. “But just as He who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do” (1 Peter 1:15).

Lord Jesus, we pray that You will create circumstances to unite Albania’s churches across denominations. We pray that they will boldly proclaim the Gospel message even in persecution. May their unity be a witness to Your truth and their courage inspire generations. “Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong” (1 Corinthians 16:13).

Albania, a small Balkan nation along the Adriatic coast at the tip of the 10/40 Window region. Albania declared independence in 1912 but endured political instability, Italian and German occupation during World War II, and then decades of one of the world’s harshest communist dictatorships under Enver Hoxha, who declared Albania the “first atheist state” and brutally persecuted all religions. With the fall of communism in the 1990s, Albanians regained freedom to worship. Yet, the wounds of oppression and decades of enforced atheism left spiritual emptiness that still lingers. Albanian culture is built on strong family ties and hospitality. Still, it is also plagued by mistrust in institutions and widespread corruption.

Christianity in Albania has ancient roots. Apostle Paul spread the Gospel into Illyricum (Romans 15:19), which included Albania. Later, bishops and missionaries established both Orthodox and Catholic structures. The Orthodox Patriarchates in Constantinople and Ohrid influenced the east, while Rome influenced the north. Missionary leaders like Jesuit priests in the 17th century and Protestant missionaries in the 19th century labored to re-establish Christian teaching despite Ottoman pressures.

After the fall of communism, new missionary waves—Evangelicals and international Christian organizations—entered, building churches, Bible schools, and youth ministries to reignite the flame of faith. Yet, despite this revival, Albania’s Christian teenagers today live under immense struggles: a corrupt government where bribes and nepotism undermine fairness; media suppression that hides truth and silences dissent; the destructive lure of drug cartels offering fast money and escape through addiction; and intensifying persecution, where believers are marginalized, mocked, or even imprisoned as political pawns.

Many youth feel abandoned in their fight for identity, as Western secularism also seeps in, pulling them away from Christ. The Albanian Church is under serious threat. Disunity between denominations weakens its witness; persecution is rising as authorities see committed Christians as political dissidents; cultural pressures tempt believers to compromise with corruption or silence their faith; and the fear of imprisonment or harassment discourages open evangelism.