Here are some facts, praises, and ways to pray for Australia from "Operation World". They have a great website and also produce an updated book(I think every 10 years) on each countries statistics and how to be praying for them!
Check it! www.operationworld.org
Australia
Commonwealth of Australia
Pacific
See Prayer Information
Geography
Area: 7,682,300 sq km
This island continent is the world’s driest, but better watered in the east, southeast and southwest coastal regions, where most live in highly concentrated urban areas. There are three permanently inhabited dependent territories: Norfolk Island (35 sq km; 2,037 pop), Christmas Is. (135 sq km; 1,408 pop), Cocos Is. (14 sq km; 591 pop).
Population: 21,507,384 Annual Growth: 1.07%
Capital: Canberra
Urbanites: 89.1%
HDI Rank: 2 of 182 (UN Human Development Reports 2009)
Peoples
Official language: English. 20% of the population use English as a second language Languages: 207 All languages
Religion
Largest Religion: Christian
| Religion | Pop % | Ann Gr | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Christians | 14,947,632 | 69.50 | 0.5 |
| Evangelicals | 3,106,949 | 14.4 | 1.1 |
Answer to Prayer
Australia’s Christians, particularly evangelicals, are facing the challenges of a post-Christian and multicultural nation with faith, dynamism and considered strategies. Recognizing social change and relative Christian decline, small but growing numbers of ministries and congregations are adapting to become more dynamic in reaching out to the majority population and to become more strategic and missiologically astute in reaching the immigrant minorities, who often come from other faith backgrounds. There is a long way to go, but a transition is becoming visible in Australian Christianity.
Challenge for Prayer
Australia is undergoing many changes, all of which place greater strains and tensions on the nation. Some examples for prayer are:
a) Increasing pluralism and aggressive secularization have taken greater hold of Australia’s public life. A traditionally Christian country, Australia is now characterized more by its diversity of religions under a secular rubric, with increasingly secular laws – especially regarding issues of sexuality, religion and the sanctity of life. Pray that Christian values might not be driven into the margins, but that believers might engage secular society in a productive and relevant manner.
b) Sustained immigration has created a multicultural country – at least in the larger cities – and introduced fast-growing religious and ethnic minorities, with all the attending tensions. These changes enrich the nation in many ways, but they also place clear challenges before those wishing to retain its Christian and/or Anglo-Saxon heritage.
c) Australia’s role as regional peacekeeper and stable democracy is a blessing to many Pacific and Asian countries (Timor, Bougainville, Solomon Islands, others). Thank God for the wherewithal and willpower to save lives abroad, and pray that this role would bond Australians together and establish stability overseas. Attitudes toward refugees and asylum seekers are strained by the constant inflow of people.
d) The precarious ecology is overexploited, in urban settings as much as in rural ones. Australia’s ecology is possibly the most fragile of any continent, and with the years-long drought and increasing use of land and water, serious ramifications for the future must be addressed. It may be that the land itself fails, even if Australian society succeeds. Government and grassroots efforts to preserve Australia’s environment are, however, admirable in their scope and commitment. Pray for wisdom in conservation and stewardship.
More Information
The Operation World book, CD-ROM, and DVD-ROM provide far more information and fuel for prayer for the people of Australia.
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