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The Power of Prayer.
 Dear
Friends & Partners,
Last spring, the Missionaries in France published a “Prayer
Alert” concerning the growing wave of
religious intolerance and spiritual opposition in
France. This Prayer Alert focused on the now infamous
Anti-Sect Law in France, with all of its implication
of discrimination against minority religious groups.
Many have joined in prayer against this spiritual
opposition in France, and we are seeing the results!
For the past few years, the United Pentecostal Church
of France has joined with other Evangelicals in France
for 40 days of prayer and fasting in the spring of
each year. The Bible tells us that “The effectual
fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much,"
(James 5:16) and we see that the prayers of believers
in France and around the world have affected an
extraordinary change in the French Government’s
position on religion.
The Anti-Sect Law was passed in June 2001, under the
Socialist Government of then Prime Minister Lionel
Jospin. This law was backed and promoted by the
Inter-Ministerial Mission to Fight against Sects –
the government body that initiated the targeting of
minority religious groups. A few months ago, this
Socialist Government fell in parliamentary elections,
and a new center-right Prime Minister was appointed:
Jean-Pierre Raffarin. Consequently, on June 18th, the
director of the Inter-Ministerial Mission to Fight
against Sects resigned, and the body was
dissolved!
In an unprecedented change of attitude, French
political personalities have started to speak publicly
of their Christian faith. Some weeks ago, the new
Prime Minister himself declared on television that he
found his energy in his faith in God! In another
broadcast, he insisted on the importance of developing
the dimension of faith in French society as a
foundation of moral values.
In a letter to the Evangelical Federation of France,
the Minster of the Interior, Nicolas Sarkozy, stated
that he recognized the fundamental role that the
church plays in maintaining peace in the society. A
high-ranking member of his staff further clarified
that the new government in France wants to see
churches grow because Christianity is the only
credible foundation for moral values.
This represents a complete turn-around in the French
Government’s attitude toward religion in general, and
specifically toward evangelical Christianity. Prayer
changes things! Even a recent official report on the
secular state proposed better guaranties for religious
freedom, and the liberty for individuals to change
religions. The report further stated that even though
the state is secular, it can still recognize the
contribution that religion makes to the society.
Thank you for praying for France. God is pouring out
His Spirit in France, and preparing open doors of
revival. Please continue to pray for this nation of 60
million souls. Just as prayer has affected an
extraordinary change in the position of the
Government, prayer will also change the hearts of
individuals, that they might respond to the Gospel
message.
Yours
for France,
The Schoberts
Steve, Kristin, Steven II, & Rachel
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www.theschoberts.org
