As Christians, we face opposition every day. Jesus himself told us that in this world we “will have tribulation” (John 16:33), and Paul warned Timothy that “all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted” (2 Timothy 3:12). In India, the enemy operates out in the open, and persecution comes in waves. The church in India is currently enduring a period of increased attacks and needs your prayers.
Please pray that the church will respond to these attacks with humility and love, as Jesus did, and “bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you” (Luke 6:28). Believers in India expect to be persecuted, as we all should. When we remember our sin and the punishment that we actually deserve, our desire is that our enemies will be touched by God’s grace and mercy, as we have been.
Pastor Joseph has travelled many hundreds of miles over the past month, visiting churches in several states. He reports that while our brothers and sisters are worried about what the future will bring, our churches are experiencing rapid growth. Please pray for our pastors as they help new believers work out what it means to be a Christian in times like this, and how to walk like Jesus amid opposition from family and the society as a whole.
God’s people in India are finding themselves doing more praying than talking these days. Join them as they pray for a fresh anointing of the Holy Spirit. Pray for the three new pastors that Joseph recently ordained in Gujarat. Pray that the people of India will realize that making it a crime to convert to Christianity is not the answer. Pray that we will all be challenged to live like Jesus, and match our priorities to His.
