Prayer Urged as Conversations and Persecution Increase (India)
As numbers of lower caste Indians embrace Christ, and in the face of the increasingly violence against Christians in India at the hands of Hindu militants, Dr. Joseph D’Souza, President of the All India Christian Council, is asking for Christians from around the world to pray for his nation during the month of July. God is mightily at work in India and so it should not surprise us that persecution should be on the rise as well. According to Dr. D’Souza, India needs worldwide prayer for the following:
1. Peace among communities in the midst of tumultuous changes. It is difficult to imagine how the Hindu extremists will respond to this. May they see the aspirations and cries of a people who are looking for social and spiritual deliverance. May they not resort to violence and the killing of innocent people.
2. Pray for the Dalit leadership in the nation and the leaders of the Other Backward Castes, as their people look to them to provide support and strength during this time of change. The Dalits and OBC’s together make up 75% of the Indian population.
3. Pray for the political leadership in the nation. May they look beyond politics to the social and spiritual desires of the people they represent.
4. Pray for the Indian Church. Pray there will be no compromise by any section of the Church. Pray that the hearts of the Indian Church leaders will be big and courageous to welcome all those who want to come to the Christian faith for the spiritual and social needs. Pray also for much wisdom.
5. Pray for the rule of law to be established against all those who are engaging in violence and are arming themselves for civil conflict.
6. Pray for the social needs of India’s majority peoples especially their need for quality education.
7. Pray for all those Christian leaders who are thrown into the midst of these tumultuous changes. Pray for wisdom, compassion and courage.
Voice of the Martyrs. Used with Permission.