The Maldives will rejoice in the Holy One of Israel
Once more the humble will rejoice in the LORD; the needy will rejoice in the Holy One of Israel(Isaiah 29:19)
》 Country Profile
Continent ｜Southern Asia
Population｜541,000
Area ｜298㎢ The Maldives is made up of around 1,200 coral islands, located approximately 600 km from Sri Lanka.
Capital City｜Malé (Population: 170,000)
People Groups｜There are 7 total, with Maldivians making up 97.5% and foreigners (including Indians, Sri Lankans, Pakistanis, etc) making up 2.5%.
People Groups Unreached | 7 (100% of the population)
Offical Language(s)｜Dhivehi (a dialect of Sinhala), English
Total Languages｜7
Bible Translations ｜ completed 5, partial 1
Religion｜Christianity 0.03%, Islam 97.7%, Hinduism 1.4%, Buddhism 0.7% Evangelical Christians 0.01% (approximately 390 people)
》 About the Maldives
The Maldives have been inhabited by people from India and Sri Lanka since around the 1st century. In the 12th century, trade with the Arabs led to the spread of Islam, which became the religion of the entire population. The Maldives became a British protectorate in 1887 and gained independence in 1965. It became a republic in 1968, and Maumoon Abdul Gayoom ruled as president for 30 years. In 2008, Mohamed Nasheed was elected president, marking a change in leadership. However, in 2013, Abdulla Yameen, the brother of the former longtime ruler, was elected and weakened democracy by restricting freedoms, limiting the press, and controlling the judiciary. Since 2023, Mohamed Muizzu has been president.
The Maldives’ economy has grown rapidly due to tourism and fishing, creating a middle class, but it still has large financial deficits. Chinese-funded infrastructure projects have added to the country’s debt. Although the Maldives is working to diversify its economy and improve public finances, problems such as corruption and drug addiction remain. The country is also vulnerable to rising sea levels, as 80% of its land is less than 1 meter above sea level. In 2022, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) warned that the Maldives is at risk of bankruptcy, with debt levels at around 30% of GDP.
Maldives’ GDP per capita is approximately $17,558
》 Scripture Focus
| Isaiah 29:15-20(NIV) 15.Woe to those who go to great depths to hide their plans from the LORD, who do their work in darkness and think, “Who sees us? Who will know?” 16.You turn things upside down, as if the potter were thought to be like the clay! Shall what is formed say to him who formed it, “He did not make me”? Can the pot say of the potter, “He knows nothing”? 17.In a very short time, will not Lebanon be turned into a fertile field and the fertile field seem like a forest? 18.In that day the deaf will hear the words of the scroll, and out of gloom and darkness the eyes of the blind will see. 19.Once more the humble will rejoice in the LORD; the needy will rejoice in the Holy One of Israel. 20.The ruthless will vanish, the mockers will disappear, and all who have an eye for evil will be cut down- |
》 Prayer Points
1. Maldivians, who make up the majority of the population, are all Muslim. There is no freedom of religion, only Islam is recognized. They cannot marry outside of Islam, all children are given Arabic names, and children are required to competitively recite the Koran, the meaning of which is unknown. According to UN data, Maldivians have the highest divorce rate in the world at 10.97 per 1,000 people.
Let us pray that the gospel will be shared with the people of Maldives who are zealous for religion but are in darkness because they do not know God, that they will come to know the truth and be saved. There are very few Christians among the Buddhist Sinhalese and Hindu South Asians. Let us pray that they will overcome all fear and stand as witnesses to the life of Jesus Christ.
2. The Maldives is a country that severely restricts Christianity, and very few people are known to be Christians. Christians are arrested, lose their citizenship, are deported, and are not expected to evangelize. Converts are imprisoned and tortured to force them to deny Christ and return to Islam. It is illegal to bring Bibles into the country, but some Maldivians use Bible apps or the Internet to read the Word. In 2015, the government took control of the airwaves and media, resulting in negative and biased coverage of Christianity, and school textbooks portray Christianity in a negative light. Rejecting and rebelling against God, the Maldives may look like a paradise on earth, but it is a land filled with divorce, child abuse, drug addiction, criminal organizations, and witchcraft rituals.
Let us pray for the Maldives, that all iniquity will be broken and that Jesus Christ will restore it to a land of joy.
3. The Christian migrant workers in the Maldives are usually from India or Sri Lanka. They have the freedom to worship in their own communities. However, these communities are under strict surveillance. Pray for the Maldives to reach the migrant Christian community with the grace of the gospel of the cross and for the spread of the gospel to increase. Pray that Maldivians living abroad will be saved and return to become grains of wheat for the gospel. Pray for the speedy translation of the Debehere Bible, and for Debehere audio and video sermons and resources to be broadcast on radio, TV, and the internet, that those who hear them will be saved. Pray that the door of the gospel would be opened to the Maldivians on the island of Minikoy.
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