Area: 1,284,000 sq km
Desert in the north, dry grassland in centre, thick bush in the south. The sea is 1,000 km distant.
Population: 11,506,130 Annual Growth: 2.81%
Official language: French (only spoken by the educated), Arabic (perhaps 30% of Arabic speakers are fluent) Languages: 133 All languages
Largest Religion: Muslim
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The number of Muslims seeking to know more of Christ continues to grow. Groups of believers from Muslim backgrounds are slowly beginning to multiply. The development of culturally helpful resources such as chronological Bible storying and Chadian Arabic Christian radio makes a huge difference.
The ascendancy of Islam has increased in the last three decades. Its numerical, financial and social advantages are used to consolidate its dominant position, and animist peoples are being steadily Islamized. Increasing numbers of Muslim northerners are found in the south, with mosques and Muslim schools built in predominantly Christian areas to serve them. Pray for:
a) The overcoming of many emotional, cultural and historical barriers to southerners witnessing to Muslims. Most Christians are ill-equipped and somewhat ill-disposed when it comes to sharing the gospel with Muslims, since they are used to operating in tribal languages and ministering to animist peoples. Many resent and fear the economic impact and influence of northern Muslim traders and the environmental impact of northern Muslim herdsmen and their herds.
b) Agencies and denominations that have a vision for Muslim outreach. Other, usually more urgent, issues tend to be higher on the agendas of national churches. But the long-term strategic importance of equipping the Church to withstand Islamization and to reach out to Muslims cannot be overstated. Mobilization and training in how to sensitively and effectively reach Muslims are clear needs; pray for Christians to be burdened for the salvation of their Muslim countrymen.
For an additional 7 Challenges for Prayer see Operation World book, CD-ROM, or DVD-ROM.
The Operation World book, CD-ROM, and DVD-ROM provide far more information and fuel for prayer for the people of Chad.