I recently returned from a trip to France for family vacation, and, while I was there, I remembered what some of my missionary friends had told me about religion in the country. 

As my family and I gazed at the Notre Dame Cathedral (which is closed due to the recent fire that took down the famous spire), my heart turned toward the state of the church in the country. 

I decided to do some research and found a site that gives some unbelievable statistics about the state of the evangelical church in France. 

Here are some of the numbers:

• 1.2% of France’s population is evangelical. 
• There are more than 300 towns with over 10,000 inhabitants that do not have an evangelical presence. 
• The average size of a French church is 50-75 (this number is up from 35-50). 
• There are six mega churches (1000+) reported to exist in France. 
• Thirty five churches are planted each year in France. 
• The number of evangelical churches in France—which has a population of 70 million—is 2,521 (that is one church per 27,767 inhabitants)

I have returned with a burden to pray for the gospel to spread throughout France. 

May God give those who are currently working there insight and favor as they preach the gospel, and may He open the hearts of the next generation in France to hear the gospel and respond to it in ways we have never seen before. 

May the churches be more than monuments to the past. May they become testaments to the living God and His redeeming work for all mankind. 

Will you join me in praying for France?