“Australia, do not be silent and give Him no rest until He establishes you!”
6 I have posted watchmen on your walls, Jerusalem; they will never be silent day or night. You who call on the LORD, give yourselves no rest, 7 and give him no rest till he establishes Jerusalem and makes her the praise of the earth.(Isaiah 62:6-7,NIV)
Australia
》 Country Profile
Continent | Oceania
Population | 26,461,166
Area | 7,741,220㎢, comprises the Australian continent and Tasmania, located between the South Pacific and Indian Oceans.
Capital City | Canberra (460,000) / Major Cities: Melbourne (5.15 million), Sydney (5.05 million)
People Groups | Total 202 groups, Anglo-Australians 70%, British 4%, Anglo-New Zealanders 2.1%, Aboriginal Australians 2.1%, Chinese 2%, Indian 1.7%
Unreached People Groups | 30 (5.7% of the population)
Official Language(s) | English
Total Languages | 175
Bible Translations | Completed 89, New Testament 19, Partial 30
Religion | Christianity 63.2% (Protestant 18.1%, Catholic 20%), Non-religious 38.4%, Islam 3.2%, Buddhism 2.4%, Hinduism 2.7%, Ethnic religions 1.9%, Evangelical 13.9% (3.66 million people)
》 About Australia
Dutch navigators first reached Australia in 1606 and named it New Holland, but they did not settle. In 1770, Captain James Cook charted the east coast and claimed it for Britain, naming it New South Wales. After the American Revolution in 1776, Britain began sending convicts to Australia, using it as a penal colony. More than 150,000 convicts were transported. In the mid-1800s, new colonies were established and gradually given self-government. In 1901, Australia became a federation. Full sovereignty from Britain was achieved in 1931. Indigenous Australians experienced violence and discrimination from colonization onward and still face racism today. In 1813, settlers discovered fertile plains west of Sydney, which led to a boom in wool production and economic growth. Immigration increased and gold discoveries attracted people from around the world. Australia is a constitutional monarchy with the British monarch as head of state. Anthony Albanese became Prime Minister in 2022 and was re-elected for another five-year term.
Australia has a developed market economy with balanced sectors in services, mining, agriculture, manufacturing, and tourism. It is one of the world’s top exporters of natural resources, energy, and food. It leads in coal and uranium exports and has major reserves of iron, copper, gold, natural gas, and renewable energy. Recently, issues such as slowing economic growth, rising government debt, stagnant wages, declining corporate investment, household debt, and decreasing productivity have been continuing.
Australia’s GDP per capita is approximately $64,407.
》 Scripture Focus
| Isaiah 62:6-12(NIV) 6 I have posted watchmen on your walls, Jerusalem; they will never be silent day or night. You who call on the LORD, give yourselves no rest, 7 and give him no rest till he establishes Jerusalem and makes her the praise of the earth. 8 The LORD has sworn by his right hand and by his mighty arm: “Never again will I give your grain as food for your enemies, and never again will foreigners drink the new wine for which you have toiled; 9 but those who harvest it will eat it and praise the LORD, and those who gather the grapes will drink it in the courts of my sanctuary.” 10 Pass through, pass through the gates! Prepare the way for the people. Build up, build up the highway! Remove the stones. Raise a banner for the nations. 11 The LORD has made proclamation to the ends of the earth: “Say to Daughter Zion, ‘See, your Savior comes! See, his reward is with him, and his recompense accompanies him.’” 12 They will be called the Holy People, the Redeemed of the LORD; and you will be called Sought After, the City No Longer Deserted. |
》 Prayer Points
1. Aboriginal Australians still carry the pain of past plunder and oppression, and that pain must be healed through the gospel. Racism and distrust remain between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people. In the past, missionaries made great efforts, and most Indigenous people became Christians. However, many fell into nominalism, cultural isolation, poverty, substance abuse, and immoral living. Today, about 70% of Aboriginal Australians identify as Christian, but many hold a mixed faith that blends Christianity with traditional beliefs. It is urgent that they hear and receive the right message of the gospel. Let us pray that the Australian Church will lay aside prejudice and share the gospel with humility. Let us pray for new churches to be planted in Aboriginal communities, for leaders to be trained, and for the Aboriginal Evangelical Fellowship to be firmly established in the power of the gospel. May they be transformed into a holy people who praise and glorify God.
2. After Australia legalized same-sex marriage in 2017, the Uniting Church in Australia (UCA) changed its definition of marriage in 2018 and began allowing pastors to officiate same-sex weddings. By 2022, over 24,000 same-sex marriages had been recorded. In February 2022, the state of Victoria enacted a law banning “conversion therapy,” which includes any biblical counseling or education aimed at children or church members identifying as homosexual. This law has raised concerns that Christian parents could be criminally punished. Let us pray that the UCA turns away from the sin of affirming homosexuality, restores biblical values, and boldly proclaims the truth. May it become a watchman on the wall that does not stay silent. Let us also pray for the repeal of the law legalizing same-sex marriage in Australia.
3. Let us pray for Australia’s government leaders and the Prime Minister. May they carry out their duties with honesty and integrity, and may God give them wisdom and courage to make righteous decisions on issues such as refugees, drugs, and homosexuality. Let us pray that, in all decisions and political strategies, they will seek God first and obey His will, so that Australia may be governed by the Lord’s right hand and the power of His mighty arm.
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