PARIS – Church History

Located right in the heart of Paris, Notre Dame is one of the most  well known churches in the world. People around the world rallied with  support and donations to help rebuild it after the fire in April 2019.   The left door on the left wall of the church depicts St. Denis, the first  missionary to this area (so many responded to his message that he was  eventually martyred by jealous Druid priests). 

Praise God for the history of His people in this area.
Pray that the body of Christ in Paris would be built up just as this church building is being rebuilt (Eph 4:11-13). 

Use the bridge at the far side of the square from Notre Dame to cross the river. Continue down Rue du Petit Pont (name will change to Rue  St. Jacques). Cross the large intersection at Boulevard Saint Germain,  then take the second left on Rue des Écoles. This was the heart of the  printing district at the start of the reformation. It was here that the first  

Bibles with verses and study notes were published. This is also where the first Bible in French was printed. 

Praise God for the gift of Scripture and the developments that  have made it more readily available to the general populace. Return to Rue St. Jacques and turn left. On the left-hand side just  around the corner you will see a small courtyard with a statue in the  middle and busts set in the walls on the sides. These honor the first professors of Le College de France (John Calvin studied here). Many of these men were influential (some intentionally, some unintentionally)  in bringing the Reformation to France. Adrien Turnèbe, for example,  taught students how to read Scripture for themselves.
Pray that Parisians would desire to find out for themselves what  the Bible says. 

Continue down Rue St. Jacques to house #52. This was the site of an  (illegal) protestant worship gathering during the Reformation (1557).  Local priests and townspeople attacked the worshipers, most of whom  were either killed on the spot or imprisoned and later executed. 

Praise God for those willing to suffer and even die for Him.
Pray that French believers today would have courage in the  midst of an antagonistic culture (Tit 2:7-8) 

Walk to the next corner and turn left onto Rue Cajas. About a block  down you will see the large church-like structure of the Panthéon on  the right. Walk around to the front of the Panthéon. This building used  to be a church. However, it has since been converted into a monument  to humanism–fruit of the turn towards secularism France took in the  1700’s. But God continues to work. The percentage of evangelical  believers in the country is small, but it doubled between 1998-2018  (from 0.6% to 1.2%– joshuaproject.net). 

Praise God for preserving a people for Himself in France, and  for those who continue to faithfully reach out (Phil 1:3-6).
Pray that the Church in France would continue to multiply. *If you would like to combine this walk with the Luxembourg/Louvre  walk take Rue Soufflot away from the front of the Pantheon to a large  roundabout. Turn left and cross the street at the next crosswalk to enter  Jardin du Luxembourg. (~8 min).

PARIS–Luxembourg/Louvre (~2.4 km. Google estimate 30 min. Allow  2 hrs.) 

Begin in the Jardin du Luxembourg. If you have not already, go through  the Prayer Walking Prep Guide. If the weather permits, spend some  time sitting in the park and praying for people you see.
Pray for young people  

disillusioned with religion to  

find grace and truth in Christ. 

Pray for family relation 

ships to be based on the love  

and grace found in the gospel. 

 At the north end of the  

garden you will see the  

Luxembourg Palace.  

Originally built as a home for  

aristocracy, it has also served  

as a museum, prison and,  

currently, the seat of the  

French Senate. Walk around  

to the Sénat side of the Palace  

(on Rue de Vaugirard). 

Pray that leaders in  

France would have wisdom to  

lead the country in peace  

(especially in responding to  

protests and discontent such  

as the yellow vest  

demonstrations that started in  

the fall of 2018) and that God  

would use that peace for the spread of the gospel (1 Tim 2:1-4). With your back to the Sénat walk straight ahead on Rue de Tournon for  several blocks. This is one of the most well to do parts of Paris.  

Pray for business owners and residents of this neighborhood to  find true contentment in the gift of Jesus (1 Tim 6:6-10). Turn left on Boulevard Saint Germain and walk about a block until you  see the church of Saint Germain on the right. This church is the oldest  church in Paris and was the center of power for the Catholic church for  

many years. Across the street from the church is Les Doux Magots.  This cafe, along with the nearby Café de Flore, were popular places for  writers and thinkers to gather during the development of post-war  intellectualism. 

Pray that amid anger at religion and idolizing intellectualism  Parisians could be set free by the Truth (Jn 8:31-36). 

Turn right onto the street between the church and Les Doux Magots,  then take the third right onto a small street called Rue Visconti. This  street was home to one of the early Protestant churches in Paris. A  small series of underground passageways made it a good place to meet  and/or hide in times of persecution. 

Thank God for being a refuge for His people. 

Ask God to give Parisian believers joy in their salvation that  would spill over to those around them (1 Pet 1:8-9). 

At the end of Rue Visconti turn right and then make an immediate left.  Continue until you come out on the banks of the Seine. Turn left and  walk next to the large building on the corner until you come to the  entrance (under the columns). This is the Paris Mint (Monnaie) 

Thank God for the ways He provides for the nation of France.
Pray that the French would use their blessings to be a blessing  (Gen 12:2-3). 

Continue along the river to the bridge (Pont des Arts). Cross the bridge  and pass through the archway in the building directly across the street.  Walking through the archway on the left side of the courtyard will bring  you out at the Louvre Museum. One of the greatest art museums in the  world the Louvre is visited by millions of people each year (>10 million  in 2018). 

Pray for tourists who come through Paris each year. Pray that  those who don’t know God would be drawn to Him and that  those who do know Him would be a light as they travel. 

Ask God to raise up believers in the arts community who could  use art as a means to honor God and reach others.