Prayer for El Salvador

We continue to intercede for nations across the planet. This is part of our goal to create prayer points for every nation in the world. We are praying for El Salvador. Below, you will find some details about the country, as well as things that we can pray for. 

Geographical detail:

The name El Salvador can literally be translated into “Republic of The Savior”. How amazing is that? Conquistador Pedro de Alvarado actually named it the new province for Jesus Christ, which was in Spanish of course, so it would have been “Provincia De Nuestro Señor Jesus Cristo, El Salvador Del Mundo” It is the tiniest nation in Central America. This has also meant that it is quite densely populated. El Salvador shares its borders with Honduras and Guatemala.

It stretches 270 km (168 mi) from west-northwest to east-southeast and 142 km (88 mi) north to south, with a total area of 21,041 km²(8,124 sq mi).

Prior to the Spanish Empire coming in, Mesoamericans, Mayas, Lencas and the CuzCaltecs all occupied this area for some period. They are a Spanish speaking nation, with Nawat and Maya also spoken by some natives.

The largest and capital city of El Salvador is San Salvador. San Salvador has a population of over half a million. El Salvador’s climate is tropical, a lot of rain and sunshine; wet and dry seasons.

Population:

6.378 million as of (2017)

Brief History: Pray for El Salvador

A chronology of key historical events in El Salvador

El Salvador has a history that been largely punctuated with acts of genocide and unthinkable atrocities. Tens of thousands of people lost their lives in terrible acts of violence. From the Spanish invitation, to civil conflicts and coups. This nation has seen a lot of bloodshed. As much as a people may heal, such a history tends to sow seeds that continue to bear fruit even when they may start to be considered weeds. This is a key area to pray for!

• 1524 – Pedro de Alvarado arrives in the nation and forcibly takes over
• 1540 – After 16 years of fighting the indigenous resistance is eventually crushed. El Salvador becomes a colony of Spain.
• 1821 – El Salvador becomes independent from Spanish rule. Mexican empire under Creole general Agustin de Iturbide are involved in a territorial conflict with the newly independent nation.
• 1823 – El Salvador, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua are United Provinces of Central America.
• 1840 – United Provinces of Central America are dissolved, giving El Salvador full independence.
• 1932 – An estimated 30 000 people are murdered by Agustine Farabundo Marti as he and his cohorts suppress a peasant uprising.
• 1961 – A military coup ushers Right-wing National Conciliation Party (PCN) into power.
• 1969 – El Salvador retaliates to illegal immigrants being thrown out of Honduras and goes to war.
• 1979 – Reformist officers get rid of General Romero in a coup.
• 1980 – Archbishop of San Salvador and human rights campaigner Oscar Romero assassinated.
• 1982 – Extreme right-wing National Republican Alliance (Arena) wins parliamentary elections marked by violence.
• 1984 – Duarte becomes president through an election.
• 1991 – FMLN recognised as political party; government and FMLN sign UN-sponsored peace accord.
• 1999 – Arena candidate Francisco Flores wins a fiercely contested presidential election against former guerrilla Facundo Guardado.
• 2001 – 1 200 people perish in an earthquake
• 2002 – Two retired generals are found guilty of war crimes in a US court, even though they had been US backed when committing these crimes.
• 2005 October – Thousands flee as the Ilamatepec volcano, also known as Santa Ana, erupts. Days later scores of people are killed as Tropical Storm Stan sweeps through.
• 2006 April – El Salvador and neighbouring Honduras inaugurate their newly-defined border. The countries fought over the disputed frontier in 1969.
• 2007 February – Three members of the governing Arena party are murdered in Guatemala.
• 2008 January – More than 400 judges hold a street protest over corruption allegations made against four of their colleagues.
• 2009 March – Former Marxist rebel Mauricio Funes of the FMLN party wins presidential elections, marking the first time in two decades that a leftist president has been voted in.
• 2009 June – Mauricio Funes sworn in as president. Restores diplomatic relations with Cuba.
• 2009 November – More than 140 people are killed and thousands left homeless in mudslides and floods.
• 2011 September – US adds El Salvador and Belize to its list of countries considered major producers or transit routes for illegal drugs.
• 2011 October – Torrential rains cause flooding across Central America, killing several people in El Salvador.
• 2011 December – Government apologises for civil war massacre of more than 1,000 people in the town of El Mozote.

Source

Leaders:

President Sánchez Cerén

President Ceren is a self styled teacher, turned guerrilla leader and politician. He has presided over a time of some peace. Having been a man involved in war, there are enemies that will last a lifetime. We will intercede for him as we do for El Salvador. 

• Health
• Family and friends
• Wisdom to lead
• Allies from within and without (coups)

Political brief: General politics

In spite of all the chaos that has occurred in El Salvador, natural disasters and human orchestrated ones, it remains a democratic nation.

Economy brief:

GDP:

According to Trading Economics, The Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in El Salvador was worth 24.81 billion US dollars in 2017. The GDP value of El Salvador represents 0.04 percent of the world economy. GDP in El Salvador averaged 8.13 USD Billion from 1960 until 2017, reaching an all time high of 24.81 USD Billion in 2017 and a record low of 0.63 USD Billion in 1960.

Source

A better GDP will mean a better economy, jobs and better living conditions for the people.

Prayer points for El Salvador

Genocide and bloodshed.

The gift of peace

• There is liberty

Natural disasters

• Heal our lands

Economy

• Raise businesses and opportunity.

Gang Culture

• Reform minds
• Renew hope
• Reignite dying flames of destiny

Migrant Caravan

Migrant Caravan

Migrant Caravan 2

• Safety in the midst of hatred and fear
• Raise support
• Root out the bad fruit from amongst them

Drugs

Source

• Wherever the enemy brings these things chaos, bloodshed and crime follow.
• Families to be strengthened.

Further Reading

Is it better to pray out loud or silent? Silent prayer vs loud prayer tends to be a matter of opinion and preference among Christians. Examples of this within the Bible include all the prayers that are credited to Jesus. Had he said those prayers in silence, we wouldn’t have the wealth of knowledge that is contained within each of them. Most of our prayers are moulded on the prayers of our Lord and Saviour. They are moulded around how he communicated with the father.

Who are you praying to

Considering that God is omnipresent. That saying that no matter how you choose to communicate with him he will understand and hear you. The first thing to consider when discussing the silent prayer versus loud prayer is who these prayers are being sent to. If you’re praying to the Lord our God, there isn’t much of a need to shout about it. Unless of course, this is a prayer that is being done in a corporate setting. In which case, loud prayer is for the edification of the body of Christ. 

Praying in Agreement

Adding to the previous point about the body of Christ. The scripture tells us that where two or more meet in his name, he is present. It also tells us that whatever we agree to bind or to loose on this earth is bound in heaven. As such, the only way that we could facilitate such agreement in prayer is through prayer that others can hear and agree with. 

The Example of the Pharisees

Going back to the point about who you are praying to. It is easy to get caught up in your surroundings. In such a manner that you would find yourself praying more for the pleasure of the people around you instead of pouring your heart out to the Lord. 

Luke 18:9-14New International Version

The Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector

9 To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else, Jesus told this parable: 10 “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’

13 “But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’

14 “I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke%2018%3A9-14&version=NIV

Jesus teaches about this through the example of the Pharisees. How they would pray aloud. In a manner that was boastful and filled with pride. Their prayers were said in a way that those around them could hear of their virtuous ways. 

“They have gotten their reward already.” 

We know that God sees what is done in secret. He hears what is said in secret places and rewards us publicly. 

The Prayer Closet

The secret place mention above is what is often referred to as the prayer closet. It is in such places that God works mighty things. We know that Jesus would often draw away from the crowds, to spend time alone in prayer and contemplation. It is in that place where the miracles that we see would have been birthed. 

To Pray or not to pray aloud?

Luther

Martin Luther was known to have prayed aloud. It is said that he did this because he “wanted even the devil to hear him pray.”

He was a man that was at odds with the church of his day. In his quest to keep the church as pure as Christ would have wanted it, he made enemies of the Catholic Church. His loud prayers would have been in defiance of this. It is said that his enemies feared his prayers!

Daniel

One of my favourite examples of this is the case of Daniel. At a time when prayer had been outlawed, he was found guilty of praying! He would have stood in defiance of the king’s edict and prayed. He did so with his window open. His enemies heard him pray. We all know how that ended! 

Daniel 6:9-11International Standard Version

9 So King Darius signed the edict contained in the written document.

Daniel is Accused

10 When Daniel learned that the written document had been signed, he went to an upstairs room in his house that had windows opened facing Jerusalem. Three times a day he would kneel down, pray, and give thanks to his God, just as he had previously done.

11 The conspirators then went as a group and found Daniel praying and seeking help before his God.

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Daniel%206%3A9-11&version=ISV

Hannah

We know that when Hannah desperately prayed to the Lord that she may have a sign, she did so silently. The priest even thought that she was drunk. Yet, the Lord heard her prayer and stretched his loving hand to change her situation. 

The Need for silent prayer

You have probably heard prayer described as dialogue. Some of the most critical decisions and clear communication to come from God comes in our moments of silence. That comes when we learn to quieten ourselves and listen to him. Remember that you are speaking to someone that you know. It is someone that adores you. Sometimes we are deprived of God’s voice because we have become too fond of hearing our own. 

It is not always a bad thing. You may even have the best of intentions. King Saul had the best intentions when he decided to go to war to protect the Lord’s people instead of waiting for the prophet’s arrival. He stepped into an office that wasn’t his. He played a role that he was not meant to play. It cost him his legacy. What are some of the things that you may be missing out on because you are speaking when you should be listening? 

One of the things that silent prayer gives you are moments of truth. You are on your own with God. The natural tendency of human beings to please others is placed aside. 

To conclude

Do not be like the Pharisees. Check the condition of your heart and what drive you to pray silently or indeed loudly. Silent prayers yield results! Loud prayers yield results! The volume of your prayer is not an indication of your faith. Another aspect to take into consideration is what type of prayer you are engaged in. Passionate prayer such as Luther’s was done alone. It was focused on the Holy Spirit and on his Savior Jesus. Choose your weapon. May God elevate your prayer life.