A Businesswoman’s Open Heart

Paul’s first recorded convert in Philippi was not a priest or a politician but a businesswoman. Lydia, a seller of expensive purple cloth, was praying by the river outside the city. The Lord opened her heart. She believed, was baptised with her household and immediately opened her home. The church in Philippi began around her table.

God still opens hearts in the marketplace. In March 2026 more than 3,000 Christian entrepreneurs and business leaders gathered in Lyon to mark one hundred years of the Entrepreneurs et Dirigeants Chrétiens movement. They shared how faith has changed the way they lead, care for staff and make decisions.

Lyon has seen this before. Around 1170 Valdo, a wealthy Lyon merchant, gave his fortune to the poor and had parts of the Bible translated into the language of ordinary people. His followers, the “Poor of Lyon”, carried the Scriptures across Europe centuries before the Reformation.

Today France’s economy is under strain and many workers feel anxious or exhausted. Pray for Christians in business to be honest, generous and bold. Pray that their offices, shops, farms and homes will become places where people meet Jesus.

BLESS — PRAY FOR BUSINESS

Pray for Christian business owners, employees and entrepreneurs to work with integrity, to bless their communities, and to use their influence and resources to support the spread of the Gospel.

“Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men.” — Colossians 3:23

CONNECT — ENTREPRENEURS ET DIRIGEANTS CHRÉTIENS (EDC)

Entrepreneurs et Dirigeants Chrétiens (EDC) is a movement of around 3,700 business owners and senior managers from different Christian traditions, with teams in some 20 regions of France and abroad. Members meet in small teams of about ten to pray, read Scripture and discuss how faith shapes decisions about people, profit and responsibility.

In 2026 the movement celebrated its centenary with a national gathering of more than 3,000 leaders in Lyon, and published a book of testimonies from leaders whose faith transformed their working lives.

Pray for business leaders to know Christ personally and to lead as servants.

Find out more: https://www.lesedc.org

UNREACHED PEOPLE — ALGERIAN ARABS

Did you know? 488,000 Algerian Arabs live in France; Algerian Arabic has the New Testament.

Pray: Lord, as You opened Lydia’s heart, open the hearts of Algerian Arab families in France. Send workers to them, and multiply Arabic-speaking fellowships in every major French city. Amen.

Source: Joshua Project

CITY SPOTLIGHT — LYON

Lyon, France’s third-largest city with about 520,000 inhabitants, stands where the Rhône and Saône rivers meet. Founded by the Romans as Lugdunum, it became a centre of trade, banking and, later, the silk industry. Lyon also has deep Christian roots: in AD 177 believers including Blandina were martyred here, and Irenaeus became its bishop. Today it is a hub for business, biotechnology and gastronomy, with around 190,000 students, and its Festival of Lights each December draws huge crowds. At Easter 2026 the Lyon church province recorded 1,200 adult and teenage baptisms, one of the highest totals in France.

More: en.visiterlyon.com

ప్రార్థన: Pray for Lyon’s churches to reach its business districts and students, and for a new generation who, like Valdo, will love the poor and spread God’s Word.

“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” — Psalm 119:105

PROCLAIM — OVER LYON AND FRANCE

We bless Lyon and France: the Lord is opening hearts in every marketplace. May your businesses overflow with integrity and generosity, and your homes become open doors for the Gospel.