Basque Country Prayer Points for June 2024
Prayer Points and verse for the month:
Prayers points:
- The increase in home prices is continuing for both renters and buyers with no relief expected in the near term. They are saying it is due to several different factors. One of the largest of those is the lack of available housing. Others are the recent laws that were passed, apartments for tourists and for Donostia and its growing popularity.
- Pray for people as they look for housing, the builders and leaders as they look for solutions
- For the upcoming school year the trade schools (formación profesional), are seeing a significant increase in students registering. The number of employers who will support the program is also increasing. They are seeing this as beneficial as the labor market has shortages across several areas: factory mechanics, business admin and accounting, electricity and several other areas.
- Praise that the trade school system is seeing an increase and for the collaboration with business to meet the needs. Pray for the students and teachers as they begin these programs.
- The population in Basque Country with a university degree is the 4th highest percentage in all of Spain. Additionally the number of Basque Students that choose to continue studies in University is also 4th. This comes as Basque Students complete the exam for entering the university system at the beginning of June.
- Praise for the high number of University Educated people living here and prayer for students as the look to make a decision about their education.
- The European Parliament elections were held June 6-9. The results in Basque Country compared with 2019 saw PNV support drop and EH Bildu along with PSE-PP seeing an increase. For all of Spain, the PP party gained 9 seats and PSOE (PSE-PP) dropped 1. Overall the PP party has a 2 seat advantage (22-20). The next largest party is VOX (far right) with 6 seats. The right wing parties did make some advancements, though not enough to have a majority.
- Pray as these newly elected officials meet to form coalitions that will govern the EU for the upcoming 5 years.
- Absenteeism is a growing concern for Basque businesses. Over the last ten years the number of days that workers are absent has doubled to be 22 days in 2023. Two listed causes were longer wait times to be seen by the health care system and mental health issues. The concerns for this increase are being voiced by business and political leaders.
- Pray for workers, business and political leaders as they look for solutions on decreasing the number of days workers need to be absent.
The verse for the week:
So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.
2 Corinthians 4:18 NIV