India Restricts Conversions

With 13 of India’s 29 states passing legislature to restrict conversions, Christians are all the more vulnerable to persecution from extremists.

“Hindu nationalists have been on a rampage, threatening the Christian community,” Open Doors reported, quoting local pastor Abel. “Pastors have been assaulted and falsely accused of enticing people to become Christians. Church meetings are labelled ‘conversion gatherings’ and attacked. Meanwhile, mass reconversion events (a ‘Ghar Wapsi’) are held to draw people back to the Hindu faith. Christians live under a cloud of fear as there have been arrests on false charges, some have been ostracized by their communities and churches have been vandalized and forced to close.”

Last month, Christian leaders met with the governor of India’s southwestern state of Karnataka to plead with him not to sign an anti-conversion bill, but to no avail. Meanwhile, 5,000 Hindu extremists rallied in northern India’s Chattisgargh State for anti-Christian legislation to strip already disadvantaged “untouchable” tribal converts of constitutional protection and aid, leaving them all the more vulnerable to violent attacks.

“If needed I will die for Jesus, but I will never leave Him,” said Sumi, a 25-year-old widow whose husband was murdered for his faith.

About 69,000,000 Christians live in India, but in a Hindu nation where more than 1.3 billion people (including 2,135 unreached people groups) have never heard the Good News about Christ, they have become a severely persecuted minority. Last year, an estimated 12,000 attacks were reported, ranking India #10 on the World Watchlist of most dangerous countries for Christians to live.

Pray God will place a deep hunger for Him in the hearts of every person in India, awakening them to His love.
Pray He will break the chains that bind Hindus to more than 3,000 false gods, and set them free to worship Him alone.
Pray for legislation to be overturned and reversed in states that restrict conversions, and for Christians to be protected by law from brutal attacks.
Pray God will block anti-Christian laws from being signed in other Indian states.
Pray for God to surround every Christian with armies of angels shielding them from persecution and harm.
Pray persecutors will visibly see those angel armies, tremble in fear of the Lord, repent and be saved.
Pray God will miraculously rescue Christians who are in danger.
Pray imprisoned Christians will feel God’s presence near, and He will embolden and anoint them to spread the Good News with the lost who are also in jail.
Pray for a special anointing on every believer to share the Good News, and that God will bring to them those who are hungry to hear. Pray for boldness to share, even in the face of opposition, and all will see their faith and God’s love demonstrated through them and be drawn to Christ.
Pray for the Gospel to reach every one of the 1,332,045,000 people in India in a way they can easily understand, and their hearts will be moved by Truth that sets them free.
Pray the Bible will be translated into every language in India and made available to every person.
Pray God will raise up all the more prayer warriors to fight for the peoples of India.
Pray for pastors, evangelists, churches Christian orphanages, leadership trainings and other ministries in India, that God will bless them abundantly and give them favor with authorities and everyone around them; that He will provide all their needs so abundantly they will also abundantly bless their communities; that He will shine His light in the darkness through them bringing millions to faith; that churches will multiply again and again until every person in all of India has had the opportunity to choose Christ.