This year's prayer emphasis in David Platt's Secret Church was India. During the event and simulcast, we spent a nontrivial amount of time praying for the persecuted church in India and for the spread of the gospel in that country.
As an ongoing prayer emphasis, they have created a 31-day prayer guide to lead Christians in a month of prayer for India. Click the link above to access the web page where the prayer materials are housed. I've uploaded the calendar as part of this discussion; a more detailed prayer guide (too large to upload) is available on the page.
Please join in the prayer as God leads!
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Day 31: Holi Festival
Holi is one of the most widely known festivals in India and is often called the festival of colors. During Holi, people from all walks of life celebrate in the streets with bright colors and water balloons. Typically celebrated in March or April, Holi welcomes in the spring season, which is a season of renewal.
No Holi celebration is complete without the special menus of sweet dishes and cool summer drinks. Once Holi has begun, it is hard to find someone who is not covered in the bright colored powder that makes Holi famous throughout the world.
For many, Holi is a time to remember a spirit of oneness and devotion to the gods. Several mythical events portray good versus evil and commemorate certain Hindu gods. People often burn offerings from the recent harvest to invoke Agni, the god of fire. Some take fire from the large bonfire to rid their homes of disease. Many believe that being covered in color and then washed by water represents ridding oneself of hatred and gaining love for all people, even those of a different caste.
Father, please use the festival of Holi in India as an opportunity for believers to share the gospel at a time where love for all people is emphasized. Open the hearts of Hindus to see that you are the only God of Love. Show them the futility of worshiping false gods. Raise up among them persons of peace who will be both open spiritually and able to influence others for you. Reap a rich harvest among Hindus at this year's festival, Lord.
In Jesus' name. Amen.
Day 30: Jainism
Though it is a little-known religion, Jainism has over 4 million followers in India. Rather than believing in one supreme God, Jains hold that humans can become gods and attain salvation through renouncing physical attachments and practicing right faith. Currently there are very few people who have become Christians from the Jain faith.
Father, thank you for your love for the Jains. Please raise up persons of peace among them - those who will be open to the truth of the gospel and able to influence others for you. Reveal yourself to these persons of peace as you did to Cornelius and show them the only way to true salvation.
Please also raise up workers to carry the gospel to them - workers who will be able to relate to them in the context of their culture and will be able to help them to discern truth from error. Draw to yourself people from every Jain group, for the sake of your glory.
In Jesus' name. Amen.
Day 29: India's techy city (Bangalore)
Bangalore, officially known as “Bengalaru,” is called the “Silicon Valley of India” because it is India’s leading exporter of information technology. People from all over India and the world have been relocating to Bangalore in search of a more peaceful life and good jobs. With that, comes increased strain on sanitation, electricity, and water supplies.
Karnataka state, where Bangalore is the capital, is one of the worst areas for Christian persecution in India. However, the church continues to grow in Bangalore and the rest of the state.
Father, please strengthen the believers in Bangalore and throughout Karnataka state to stand strong in times of persecution. Use the persecution they face to bring about perseverance and maturity, to strengthen their faith, and to give them opportunities for testimony of your love and goodness. Shine the light of your love through their lives. Give them hearts of forgiveness toward their enemies, and a passion to pray for those who are yet far from you.
Please draw those who are far from you in Bangalore and around Karnataka to your Son. Create within them a discontent with materialism and worldly success. Shine a light on the darkness of false religions they have believed. Raise up your church to reach out to them with the truth of your word and the witness of their own testimony, and so bring many of them to faith.
In Jesus' name. Amen.
Day 28: The Gospel and Culture
Sandeep* saw a problem with the way outsiders viewed the church. He noticed that although churches in India are filled with Indian people, they tend to use Western styles of worship, especially with music and instruments. Sandeep realized that many Hindus see Jesus as the foreign, Western god because of this. He prayed for God to guide him in how to change this perception.
“God told me to preach to people in a way they would understand,” Sandeep said. “So then I started singing about the Lord using Hindu-style songs. Many began to listen and come to faith in Christ because I changed my approach.”
Father, we praise you because your word is unchanging, from everlasting to everlasting. At the same time, we praise you for your love for all cultures and for your desire to see your word preached in a way relevant to each one. We see in your word the example of Paul, who became all things to all people in order to win some to you. And we affirm the efforts of those in India who are looking for ways to communicate your word and to worship you that are culturally relevant while faithful to the truth of your word.
Please grant wisdom to pastors seeking to reach people in ways they can relate to. Give believers in India wisdom to witness for you in a way that will touch the hearts of Hindus and Muslims. Through their efforts, Lord, save many from every people group in India.
In Jesus' name. Amen.
Day 27: The Untouchables
All over India, about 250 million people suffer through life labeled as “untouchables.” These are the Dalits, the lowest caste, so low that they are not included in the four castes defined in traditional Hinduism. The Dalits are the most marginalized and exploited people in Indian society, segregated and looked down upon. Among all of India’s trafficking victims, 90 percent are Dalits, and every day nearly 100 Dalits are victims of crime. These untouchables live their whole lives feeling unwanted and unloved.
Father, we praise you for your love and compassion for the outcast. Throughout your Word, you display how much they are on your heart. Thank you for your love for the Dalits in India. Please draw them to yourself by that love and compassion. Lead them to find fulfillment in your love, Lord.
Thank you for believers in India working to show your love and grace to the Dalits. Give them strength, energy, and wisdom to know how best to befriend them and share the gospel. Please be with my friend Karla, as she works among Dalit women, showing them your love. Bless her work with fruitfulness for your kingdom.
In Jesus' name. Amen.
Day 26: The Lohar (Marathi)
The Marathi-speaking Lohar of India often live together in large villages and urban centers and are well known as workers of iron. Their name comes from the Hindu god Viswakarma who is called “the divine architect.” They are commonly hard-working people who put in long hours to feed their families. They are currently unengaged and unreached with the gospel.
Father, please reveal yourself to the Lohar through dreams and visions - let them know that you are real and that you are the only God. Open their hearts and minds to believe the truth, and free them from the lies they have been taught. Please raise up people of peace among them who will be spiritually open and who will be able to influence others with the Gospel.
Send forth workers to them, Lord, who will be able to share your Word in the Marathi language. As your word goes forth among them, use it to accomplish your purposes of salvation. Hasten the day when every Lohar group has a viable, witnessing, culturally relevant church.
In Jesus' name. Amen.
Day 25: The Harvest Festival
Lohri is a Sikh festival celebrated mainly in Punjab and surrounding areas. It is a time to express deep appreciation to nature gods for a bountiful harvest. The main activity centers around a huge bonfire where people offer gifts and perform rituals around the blaze. The fire is believed to rid people of sadness and give them renewed happiness in life. It is a time when people take a break from farming and reflect on the importance of fire in their trade.
Father, please rescue many Sikhs in India from spiritual darkness. Show them that you are the Creator and the one responsible for abundant harvests. Teach them that you are the only God of nature and turn their worship of false gods into worship of the One True God.
Raise up workers to take the Gospel to the Sikhs in a way that they will understand and respond to. May your word reap a rich harvest among them.
In Jesus' name. Amen.
Day 24: The City of Sikhs (Amritsar)
Amritsar is the spiritual capital for Sikhs where their holiest shrine, the Golden Temple, attracts an average of 100,000 visitors each day. Amritsar is located in the northwest in the state of Punjab about 15 miles from Pakistan. The city is well known for its cultural heritage and its production of wool and pashmina.
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, please have mercy on the Sikhs in Amritsar. Reveal yourself to them as the Way, the Truth, and the Life - not as one of many choices but as the only path to salvation. Raise up people to take the gospel to them, and prepare their hearts and minds to receive it.
Empower Sikh-background believers to reach out to Sikhs in the city and to visitors to the Golden Temple. Through their testimony and witness, draw many more Sikhs to yourself. Amen.
Day 23: Sikhism
Known as the youngest world religion, Sikhism branched off of Hinduism when the founder had a vision he believed was from God. Sikhs strive to free themselves from human weaknesses by living a disciplined life, seeing this as the way to escape reincarnation. The majority of Sikhs live in Punjab, India, and can be distinguished from Hindus and Muslims by their turbans. There are just over 19 million Sikhs in India.
Father, please reveal yourself to Sikhs in India in ways that will help them to recognize that you are the One True God. Place in them a hunger for the truth, and prepare their hearts to receive your word as the truth. Please raise up workers to take the gospel to them in ways that they will understand and respond to. Hasten the day when every group of Sikhs in India - especially in Punjab - have an opportunity to hear a clear and compelling presentation of the gospel and to participate in a fellowship of believers.
In Jesus' name. Amen.
Day 22: Jesus is with You
“My name is Husaam* and I am a pastor in India. When new believers come to my church, first I teach them that Jesus is always their first love and is with them in their persecution. I tell them that Jesus already said that they would be persecuted because Jesus was persecuted. So I tell them in every situation Jesus is there. If you are hungry, don’t worry, Jesus is with you. If someone is beating you, remember, Jesus also was beaten.”
Father, thank you for the new believers you are calling to yourself out of Islam, Hinduism, and other false religions in India. Thank you for touching their hearts with the Gospel and for drawing them to respond. Please bring alongside them pastors, leaders, and other believers who can help them face persecution that comes their way. Strengthen them by your Spirit, and give them wisdom from your Word as they deal with opposition from family, neighbors, and others. Through that persecution, bring them to maturity and bolster their faith as they see how you provide.
Please also give wisdom and guidance to pastors like Husaam as they try to prepare their churches to stand strong under persecution and to continue to share the gospel. Protect them and their families as they serve and advance your Kingdom.
In Jesus' name. Amen.
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