The Republic of Chile, located in South America, is the southernmost country in the world and closest to Antarctica. It is bordered by Peru to the North, Bolivia to the Northeast, Argentina to the East, and the Drake Passage, a body of water connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans to the South. The capital and largest city is Santiago, while the official language is Spanish.

Chile has a human population of 19,629,588 and few ethic groups. These are European/Castizo/Mestizo, 88.9%, Mapuche, 9.1%, Aymara, 0.7% and others, 1%. Christianity is the dominant faith, embraced by 78% of the population. Roman Catholicism represents 60% of this figure, while the remaining 18% is for other Christian denominations. Atheism thrives in the country at 21%, and other faiths represent 1%.

Brief History

Chile emerged as a relatively stable authoritarian republic in the 1830s after its 1818 declaration of independence from Spain. A military coup led by General Luis Altaminaro in 1924 set off a period of instability that lasted until 1932.

Of the ten governments that held power in that period, the longest lasting was that of General Carlos Ibanez del Campo, who briefly held power in 1925 and then again between 1927 and 1931 in what was a de facto dictatorship. However, he voluntarily relinquished power to a democratically elected government in 1932. The incumbent President is Gabriel Boric.

God’s Canvass in Chile

       Considered the longest North-South country in the world, Chile’s relief consists of a central depression crossing it longitudinally, and flanked by two mountain ranges that make up about 80% of the territory. Among the coastal mountains and areas around the Pacific Ocean are series of coastal plains, which encourage human settlements. Some of the fauna and flora of the country are presented below.

Fauna

The wildlife of Chile is diverse, with species adapted to its ecosystem. These include South Andean deer, Andean condor, kodkod, guanaco, pudu, fox, flamingo, Pampas cat, dolphin, black vulture and Rhinella arunco. Some of them are shown in the pictures hereunder.

Flora

      The flora of the country consists of over 6,000 plant species. These include its National flower, Copihue (Lapageria rosea). Willows and fruit trees fringe streams in Chile, while alfalfa fields dominate irrigated valleys. The pictures below represent a tiny fraction of Chilean flora.

Beaches

Culture

 Chilean culture tends to be very family-oriented, and children are taught to have respect for their parents. The country is not the typical Latin ‘machista’ society. Most men want their wives to work and are proud of their accomplishments. In fact, statistics show that women have made great strides in Chilean society.

Primarily influenced by Catholicism, Chileans tend to be conservative, modest and respectful towards authority. Indeed, Chileans are generally more reserved than other South Americans are. The most controversial issues in the country are abortion, divorce, the use of marijuana and homosexuality.         

Traditional Attire

 From Chilean cowboy duds to the indigenous Mapuche dress, Chile’s clothing traditions have strong roots in the countryside and rural culture. A ‘huaso’ is essentially a Chilean cowboy. Although the country’s rural areas are modernising rapidly, the traditional ‘huaso’ style is still popular across the county. However, the most popular clothing among the women folk is the ‘vestido de huasa’, or the huasa dress, which is usually worn for ‘cueca’ dancing. Some of the traditional attires are shown below.

Cuisine

 Chilean cuisine stems mainly from the combination of traditional Spanish and Mapuche cultures. The food tradition and recipes are notable for the variety of flavours and ingredients. We present some of the popular dishes in the country hereunder.

Status of Christianity in Chile

 For much of Chile’s history, the Catholic Church has had significant influence and power over the country. However, the high proportion of Chileans who identify as Catholics does not imply that they follow the doctrines of the church or the Bible for that matter. Many Chileans openly support abortion and same-sex marriage. Our focus in presenting this information is to let believers know the true state of the church of Jesus Christ in Chile.

While religion thrives in the country, evidence abounds to show that many of those who claim to be Christians do not accept the Bible as the sole authority over their lives. This is a cause for concern and an incentive for intense intervention for these deluded folks. Please use the following prayer points to pray for all unsaved souls in Chile or as the Holy Spirit leads you.

Prayer Points

1. Ask God to forgive Christians in Chile for not being the light and salt of their society.
2. Pray that the Father would destroy every spiritual platform that is being used to lead gullible Chileans astray.
3. Pronounce the judgement of God on all demonic principalities and powers operating in Chile.
4. Ask the Father to destroy the influence of these demonic entities in the lives of all Chileans and set them free from bondage.
5. Pray that the Father would pour out His Spirit on all flesh in Chile as He promised to do in Joel 2:28.
6. Ask the Father to destroy faulty spiritual foundations in the lives of Christians in Chile and lay a new one for them in Christ alone.
7. Pray that the Father would sanctify all believers with the truth, which is His written word in the Bible.
8. Ask the Father to baptise believers with the Spirit of prayer and supplications to empower them to pray for unsaved souls in the country.
9. Pray that God would help believers to model Christ with their lives and be living epistles that can be read by unsaved people in their spheres of influence.
10. Pray that that the Father would send labourers into His harvest in Chile.
11. Ask Him to reveal Himself to every unsaved person in the country, using its President, Gabriel Boric as the point of contact.

Intercession Checklist

From the political map of Chile provided in the text, pick a town, city or region for focused intercession. Present the chosen geographical space to the Father and tell Him that you are claiming its people for Christ as His ambassador. The anchor Scriptures are Psalm 2:8 and 2 Corinthians 5:20.

****** Some materials sourced from Chile – AFS-USA, https://www.afsusa.org; Chilean – Core Concepts, https://culturalatlas.sbs.com.au; https://www.theculturetrip.com;