“Sweden, let us acknowledge the LORD; let us press on to acknowledge Him!“
“Let us acknowledge the LORD; let us press on to acknowledge him. As surely as the sun rises, he will appear; he will come to us like the winter rains, like the spring rains that water the earth.”(Hosea 6:3,NIV)
》 Country Profile
Continent | Europe
Population | 10.48 million
Area | 450,295㎢, Located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in northern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea.
Capital City | Stockholm (1.66 million)
People Groups | Total 87 Groups, Swedes 85.8%, Finns 2.3%, Arabs 1.6%, others 10.3%
Unreached People Groups | 21 (3.9% of the population)
Official Language(s) | Swedish
Total Languages | 70
Bible Translations | Completed 51, New Testament 9, Partial 7
Religion | Christianity 55.9% (50% Protestant, 2% Catholic), Non-religious 38.3%, Muslim 3.6% Evangelical 5.7%(590,000 people)
》 About Sweden
Sweden became a unified kingdom in the 10th century, rooted in settlements by the Svea tribe. It joined the Kalmar Union with Denmark and Norway in 1397, but gained independence in 1523 under Gustav I. After a brief period as a major power, Sweden reached its current borders when Norway became independent in 1905. It remained neutral in both World Wars, joined the EU in 1995, but rejected the euro in a 2003 referendum. It is a constitutional monarchy, with King Carl XVI Gustaf and Ulf Kristersson as Prime Minister.
Sweden industrialized in the early 20th century, boosted by wartime demand. Abundant resources, political stability, and cooperative labor relations helped build strong industries in machinery, transport, electricity, and telecom. Known as a leading welfare state, Sweden offers universal healthcare, education, and pensions. However, the COVID-19 pandemic hit the economy hard, causing rising unemployment. Sweden’s GDP per capita is approximately $54,800.
》 Scripture Focus
| Hosea 6:1-6(NIV) 1 “Come, let us return to the LORD. He has torn us to pieces but he will heal us; he has injured us but he will bind up our wounds.” 2 “After two days he will revive us; on the third day he will restore us, that we may live in his presence.” 3 “Let us acknowledge the LORD; let us press on to acknowledge him. As surely as the sun rises, he will appear; he will come to us like the winter rains, like the spring rains that water the earth.” 4 “What can I do with you, Ephraim? What can I do with you, Judah? Your love is like the morning mist, like the early dew that disappears.” 5 “Therefore I cut you in pieces with my prophets, I killed you with the words of my mouth—then my judgments go forth like the sun.” 6 “For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings.” |
》 Prayer Points
1. Christianity in Sweden is predominantly Protestant, rooted in Lutheran tradition. It functioned as a state church until 2000, when it lost that status due to church-state separation. Around 56% of the population identifies as Christian, with Protestants making up 50%, but church attendance is very low—only 4–8%, the lowest in Europe. Most are nominal believers. As Swedish society has become more liberal and secular, churches have embraced same-sex marriage and adjusted their policies to reflect anti-discrimination laws. The younger generation is increasingly secular, and both youth ministries and mission organizations have declined significantly in the last 30 years.
Yet, evangelicals are growing and becoming more active. Through the Swedish Evangelical Alliance, they are working toward unity and expressing clear, biblical convictions. Let us pray that the gospel—bringing both death and new life with Christ—will heal and restore the Swedish church, and that Christ’s fullness will flow throughout the nation.
2. Youth With a Mission (YWAM) trains young people through five bases in Sweden, and OM equips them for evangelism and mission work. However, the number of missionaries from Swedish-founded mission agencies has significantly declined. Still, the Swedish Mission Council continues to work with around 36 organizations, and some national church bodies are training and sending missionaries to reach unreached people groups.
Leaders are being raised through institutions like Johannelund Seminary, InterAct, Word of Life, the Pentecostal movement, and the Swedish Alliance. Let us pray that these leaders will not serve out of routine but with a deep love for God and a hunger to know Him. May Sweden be filled with God’s faithful grace and truth, like the morning light and the latter rain, through the obedience of those who cry, “Let us press on to know the Lord.“
3. Sweden’s next generation is growing up under values of freedom, individualism, pleasure, and materialism, and now sees Christianity and the Bible’s absolute truths as narrow-minded. Ministries among this “post-Christian” generation is declining. However, student ministry CREDO, affiliated with IFES, is active on over 80 university campuses, and New Generation shares the gospel in small groups across secondary schools.
Meanwhile, immigration is rising—Bosnians, Serbs, Poles, Russians, and Southeast Asians from over 35 countries now live in Sweden. Refugees from the Middle East and North Africa have also increased, and Muslims now make up 3.6% of the population.
Let us pray that ministers who burn with God’s compassion, like Hosea, will rise up to serve immigrants and refugees. May the Lord’s call to “return” reach the hearts of the next generation and the unreached, drawing even those like Gomer into the pure love of God.
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