Pray for Thailand: Thailand and the Kingdom
26 Jun 2017
Thailand is a proud land. Almost 85% of Thais are Buddhist, and the landscape is dotted with lavishly ornamented temples. Thais are fiercely proud of their national identity and extremely loyal to their king. The word ‘Thailand’ literally means the land of the free, and it is one of the few Asian countries that were never imperialised.
Pride and Fear
Although pride can be seen on the surface as a kind of strength, there is a deeper truth that underlies this pride. It is the prevailing fear of evil spirits. This belief in evil spirits impacts people’s everyday lives in such a way that it is intertwined with the faith and practices of Buddhists, Muslims and even many Christians. It seems that Thais are people who are proud of who they are, but afraid of what controls their fate. People who need a saviour, but who are not often willing to be saved.
Missionaries have been in Thailand for almost two hundred years, yet current estimates put evangelical Christianity at only 0.5%. Historically, there has been much labour with only a small amount of fruit, but the light of God is breaking through the thick spiritual clouds. Our workers are telling us amazing stories of how God is moving in Thailand.
The Challenge of the South
The south of Thailand is a long peninsula, shared with Myanmar, that at its most southern end borders Malaysia. Southern Thailand is uniquely different to the main part of the country in the north. There are many diverse people groups; Thai, Thai Malay, Thai Chinese and Thai Muslim. Each of these require a different strategy for sharing the gospel.
Since the 1940s, there has been a violent insurgency in the border area near Malaysia, claiming thousands of lives. These hostilities are the result of discrimination against the Malay Muslim minority living on the Thai side of the border, and there has been some radicalisation within this minority group.
These and other things can act as barriers to the gospel among southern Thais. They are known to be very proud and independent. They often have a short fuse leading to quarrels and fierce reactions. Independent decision making and patient consideration of issues are very difficult for them, as they like to make decisions as a community. But these people are also very welcoming and hospitable, and always make the effort to offer help or assistance. This quality provides an awesome way for God to open doors.
Pray with us for Thailand
Join with a Thai national praying over their land, as you watch this prayer video.
Pray
- That the strongholds of pride and fear would be broken down, and that Thai people would recognise their need for a saviour
- That many Thais would become disillusioned with Buddhism and the pursuit of enlightenment, and seek after the one true God, who is truth and light
- That the controlling influence of the evil one, through intimidation and fear, will be crushed by the power of the risen Christ
- That Malay Muslims in the south of Thailand would hear the gospel and believe, and that new churches would be started among this people group
- That Thai Christians and Thai churches would find new and effective ways to reach out to their communities with love