Read, understand, and pray for Haiti.
General Information:
Population: 10,2 million. Capital: Port-au-Prince (2,1 million)
Christians: 9,7 million. Evangelical Christians: 1,6 million.
Highest Level of Faith: Christian
Fastest growing religion: Ethnic religions
Largest ethnic groups: Afro-Caribbeans (94,3%), Mulatos (European Africans, 5,4%).
Official Language: French. Many speak Haitian Creole, English, or Spanish.
Economy: The poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. Resources coming from Haitians that live abroad and help funds are the main income sources.
Politics: The first Black Republic in the world, created in 1804. Since then, it has had a history of bloodshed, dictatorships, and military coups.
1 – The 2010 earthquake was a terrible disaster. More than 230.000 people lost their lives and more than one million lost their houses. Haitian people responded with prayers and regrets. The president called for three days of prayers and fasting, and more than a million people attended. Pray so that this return to God changes Haiti’s spiritual life! Healing these wounds demands time, care, and the love of God. Efforts to reconstruct will take years. Pray for the generous help of the wealthier nations and help agencies. Also, pray for the resources to get to the neediest and that may be hope.
2 – Tyranny, cruelty and spiritual slavery are present in Haitian history. The Spanish genocide, the Arawaks people tell, the Spanish and french slavery, and the brutal leaders of Haiti themselves produced for centuries a violent spirit. Voodoo (a spirit animist religion) creates fear throughout society. Many Catholics practice some voodoo. Pray so that the Holy Spirit overcomes the evil forces. Pray for the Holy Spirit to purify the Church. Ask God, in the name of Jesus, to tie the powerful spirits behind voodooism, so that the nation can be completely dedicated to the Lord.
3 – Evangelical and Protestant Churches have grown in number thanks to the evangelism, love acts, and a position openly against voodooism. Foreign and local believers work together better than ever, and have seen more and more fruit! The churches have reached rural areas and the illiterate. However, they have many needs. The denominations separate and divide Christians. Poverty, the creole language, and illiteracy limit the study for the church leaders. Pray for spiritual purity and that the love and power of Christ shine through the believers.
4 – The country’s economic situation leads many to despair. Corruption is spread and criminality elevated. Millions have fled to the United States and other Caribbean countries, and some suffer as illegal refugees. The country has the worst HDI (Human Development Index) of the Americas and one of the worst in the world.
5 – Young people and the children of Haiti need special prayer. Teenagers face poverty, unemployment, illiteracy, and confusion. Many turn to guns and gangs. About 10% of the children in Haiti (300.000 to 400.000) are restavesks (the term originated from the creole word stay-whiths, used to refer to children who are sent to work because their parents weren’t able to take care of them). People can buy and sell these children, that work without going to school and without health care. Ask God to bring compassion and love to these little ones.
Adapted from MANDRYK e WALL (2017). MANDRYK, Jason; WALL, Molly. Pray for the World: A New Prayer Resource from Operation World.InterVarsity Press: 2015.
