Christianity in Belgium

The Kingdom of Belgium is located in Northwestern Europe. It shares borders with the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to the southwest, and the North Sea to the northwest. The capital and largest city is Brussels, while the official languages are Dutch, French and German. There are only two ethnic groups, Belgians and others. The religious composition by percentage is Roman Catholicism, 54%, Atheism, 31%, Islam, 7%, Protestants, 6%, Hinduism and other faiths, 2%.

Modern History

The country became independent from the Netherlands in 1830. It was occupied by Germany during World Wars I and II. Belgium prospered in the past half century as a modern, technologically advanced European state and a member of NATO and European Union. Tensions between the Dutch-speaking Flemish of the north and the French-speaking Walloons of the south have led, in recent years, to constitutional amendments granting these regions formal recognition and autonomy.

God’s Canvass in Belgium

Belgium has three main geographical regions, the coastal plain in the northwest and the central plateau belong to the Anglo-Belgian Basin, and the Ardennes uplands in the southeast to the Hercynian orogenic belt. The Paris Basin reaches a small fourth area at the southernmost tip. The coastal plain consists mainly of sand dunes and polders. Further inland lies a smooth, slowly rising landscape irrigated by numerous waterways, with fertile valleys. The flora and fauna of the country are unique and diverse.

Fauna

The country’s geographical regions host a variety of fauna comprising birds and mammals. There are about 477 bird species, including ducks, geese, waterfowl, pheasants and grouse. The mammals include red deer, roe deer, red fox, European badger, hedgehog and red squirrel. Some of the animals are shown below.

Flora

Despite its small surface area, Belgium has a fairly rich and varied plant world, including 1,300 species of vascular plants, even greater number of seaweeds, more than 5,000 species of fungi and lichens and about 700 species of liver and leaf mosses. The pictures below show some of the plants found in the country.

Beaches in Belgium

Culture

Belgians culture involves both the aspects shared by all of them regardless of the language they speak. The country has benefited from a rich cross-fertilization of cultures, being the meeting point of Germanic and Latin Europe. It has been the origin of many European artistic and cultural movements.

Traditional Attire

From ostrich plume headdresses to modest farmer outfits, Belgian traditional dress has many incarnations. However, most of the traditional outfits are now relegated to special occasions such as the Binche Carnival and Brussels’s age-old Ommegang parade. The costumes range from elaborate, plumy constructions meant to stand out in a crowd to quaint farmer’s wear with perhaps a bonnet thrown in. Some of the unique designs are presented below.

Cuisine

Belgian cuisine is widely varied with significant regional variations reflecting the cuisines of neighbouring France, Germany and the Netherlands. It traditionally prizes regional and seasonal ingredients like potatoes, leeks, grey shrimp, white asparagus, endives and local beer. Some of the unique dishes are shown below.

Status of Christianity in Belgium

Belgians are notoriously lax about religion, a spiritual atmosphere that is favourable for the growth of Satanism. Currently, Hinduism is the fastest growing religion in the country amidst apathy to the great commission of Yeshua by the institutional churches. Roman Catholicism in particular does not even pretend to honour Christ in this respect. This is because the incumbent Pope is not convinced that Christian evangelism has any place in the 21^st Century. He is at the head of the Ecumenism movement, which insists that all faiths lead to God. Invariably, Belgium is in thick darkness as manifested in the fact that about 31% of the population identify as atheists. We, the people of God have the responsibility to intercede for these unsaved souls.

Prayer Points

Standing on authority of the Scripture charging us to pray for all men (1 Timothy 2:1), let us intercede for Belgians using the following prayer points:

1. Ask the Father to judge all demonic principalities and powers operating in the country and destroy their influence on all Belgians.
2. Pray that God would remove the coverings of darkness on the hearts, minds, eyes and ears of the people.
3. Pray that He would pour out His Spirit on them to convict them of their sins and lead them to genuine repentance.
4. Ask the Father to destroy the faulty spiritual foundations laid in the lives of all who claim to be disciples of Yeshua and build a new one anchored in truth
5. Pray that God would sanctify all believers by His word.
6. Ask the Father to empower them by His Spirit to evangelise their country.
7. Pray that He would open doors for them to take the living word to all nooks and crannies of their country.
8. Pray that God would send labourers from other countries to Belgium for the great harvest of souls according to His will.
9. Ask Him to perform miracles in the country by the hands of His ministers to glory Yeshua.
10.  Pray that all doctrines of demons that have infiltrated the church would be exposed and uprooted.

Intercession Checklist

1. Select a town, city or region from the map provided for focused prayer.
2. Present it to the Father and tell Him that you are claiming that space for Yeshua as His ambassador (2 Corinthians 5:20, John 2021).

                 **** Materials sourced from https://www.britannica.com; https://www.en.m.wikipedia.org.