According to recent estimates, 2023 is the year that India became the world’s most populated country – overtaking China which has held the title since 1950. Amazingly, nearly half of Indians are under the age of 25. Only five percent are Christian.
This provides the Church with an incredible opportunity to reach more souls than ever before. Can we rise to the challenge?
God is moving powerfully in India through the generous support of our donors and the dedication of local believers – but we need your prayers more than ever before.
Intolerance for any religions apart from Hinduism is growing rapidly and persecution towards Christians is increasing. In the face of this, Indian pastors are fulfilling the mandate to evangelise, make disciples and plant churches. Please pray for them using the prayer points below.
Dark Villages: The Need for the Gospel is Great
One of the pastors we are working with in a particularly challenging region of India is Pastor S*. He leads a community of believers in a district that is home to 800,000 people. He shared with us that there are only 200 Christians in that district, and most of the villages have never heard the name of Jesus Christ.
When we met Pastor S*, he was leading a church of around 20 people. However, after being trained in Harvesters’ church planting model, he started evangelising and planting churches. One year later, he came back with the testimony of having planted two additional churches, with eight and seven people each.
As we travelled with him through the countryside, Pastor S pointed out countless “dark villages,” which he described as places where there is no Christian witness. The need for the Gospel is great in these areas, and we ask you to join us in praying for the people of these villages to come to know Jesus Christ.
Evangelising Barber: A Hub Leader’s Dedication to Sharing the Gospel
In another region of India, one of our Hub Leaders is a barber with a burning passion for sharing the Gospel. He sacrificially closes his barber shop on Tuesdays and Thursdays to go from village to village sharing the message of Christ.
In one fisherman’s village a man and his family accepted Christ after hearing the Good News. Immediately knowing the power of God, they called the leader to come and pray for a sick family member. They had exhausted every other means of help.
God miraculously healed the relative which led to the extended family also becoming devoted followers of Christ. We have had the privilege to meet some of these members at their church plant in the fishing village. Continue to keep them in your prayers.
Prayer Points
- Pray for the pastors and evangelists who are risking their lives to share the Gospel in these challenging environments. Pray for their protection and for the Holy Spirit to guide their words and actions.
- Pray for the people in the “dark villages” to hear the Gospel and to respond with open hearts to the message of salvation.
- Pray for more leaders like the barber, who are willing to go the extra mile to share the Gospel and make disciples in their communities.
- Pray for all who accept Christ across India as they are discipled in local church plants. Christian communities are extremely important for support and encouragement.
- Pray for Harvesters Ministries to have the resources we need to continue this vital work in India in the face of increasing persecution against Christians.
*Names withheld for security reasons