Basque Country Prayer Points for Week of September 4, 2023
Prayer Points and verse for the week:
Prayers points:
- The number of cases of sexual diseases in Basque country is on the rise, so much so that health care officials are concerned. The number of cases of syphilis and gonorrhea have gone up exponentially since 2018. The director of public health shared this was not a problem unique to Basque Country as similar increases are being seen in other parts of the world.
- Pray for those who are sexually active with multiple partners and the health care workers that are treating them.
- Basque country currently has ~5700 people who have some level of protection due to male violence. Most of the protection is directed towards women, though children and men are being protected as well. Four levels of protection exist with most of the cases falling in the basic level of protection.
- Pray those who are being protected, those that are doing the protection and those who are the attackers.
- The Basque Country budget has increased ~21% over the last 3 years. The three areas that have driven the largest part of the increase have been: health care, education and government services to help with employment and social services. Thankfully they have been able to address the increase with European grants and taxes.
- Pray as leaders work to ensure these areas are well funded without neglecting the other areas.
- Schools officially are scheduled to start on Thursday, September 8. New education rules were passed and were partially implemented for the last school year. This school year they are obligatory. The evaluation process is an area that is seeing considerable change as they move from a number grade system to be one that uses 5 different categories to communicate mastery of the material.
- Pray for educators, parents and students as they return to school and as they work through the impacts of the new education laws.
- The next steps are being taken politically after the July 23 elections. On Saturday, September 2 Pedro Sánchez was inaugurated as the leader of the PSOE party. He is also the currently functioning president of Spain. The legislature will vote on who will be PM on September 26/27. It’s expected to be a close vote between Sánchez and Feijóo (leader of the PP party). Puigdemont is also back in the news as his upcoming trial starts Thursday September 7 for his actions in the Catalonia separatist movement in 2017. Also, conversations have restarted about changes in how some regions interact with the Spanish government, with Basque Country being one region that is leading the request for this change.
- Prayer for the political leaders as they begin the legislative session at the national and regional levels.
- The employment market took a turn in August, and the impact was felt across several different sectors. It‘s much better than 2022 and they believe it’s part of the normal cycle that has been seen in previous years during the month of August.
- Prayer for those who are seeking work, business owners and leaders as they work to understand the situation now and for the future.
The verse for the week:
The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.
Zephaniah 3:17 ESV