India: Falsely Accused Christians Share Christ in Jail

As Pastor Vinod Pal Singh led services for about 80 people on July 27, Hindu extremists invaded the church, forcing everyone to leave but the pastor, his wife Jyoti Devi, and three members of the family that owns the property, Anantram Maurya and his sons Ramit and Shubhkaran. (Morning Star News, September 9)

From the Hindu nationalist organization Vishwa Hindu Parishad, or World Hindu Council, the 25 men invading the church “overturned the pulpit, broke the keyboard and chairs and destroyed everything they could find,” Pastor Singh, 34, said, adding that they manhandled him and his wife. “They recorded videos of the vandalized church, collected all the Bibles and literature, bundled them together and sent them to the police station.”

Then they invited the media in to take photos and videos, which were published, but reporting a completely different narrative. “Nobody interviewed us or cross-checked the false story presented to them,” the pastor said.

The vandalizers presented the confiscated Bibles as evidence of “forced conversion” to the police, who abruptly arrested the Christians, leaving the pastor’s two sons, 4 and 7, unattended at the church. “We later learned in jail that the 4-year-old cried for his mother for several days after we were taken,” Pastor Singh said. Church members arranged for Jyoti’s mother to care for them.

“My wife was assaulted inside the police station during interrogation by female police personnel.” Jyoti sustained internal injuries from the beating and still has severe pain in her legs.

Two other members, were also arrested, Sanjay Maurya and Patiram. Only after the Christians appeared before the magistrate did Pastor Singh discover they were falsely accused of forcing a 23-year-old referred to as Abhishek to convert to Christianity. “It is a completely fabricated story presented by the Hindu extremists,” he said. “I have never met Abhishek or known any such person.”

The pastor said at first the guards treated them with much discrimination. “It seems they had received instructions from higher officials that we were arrested in a forced conversion case, and that back-breaking work should be assigned to us.” After a few days, however, their attitude toward the Christians changed.

“Initially my wife was very discouraged, especially recalling the trauma the children would be experiencing,” he said. “But then the Lord comforted and strengthened her and gave her courage. She continued to cling to the Lord and shared God’s love with her fellow inmates.”

The couple was permitted to see each other every Sunday for 30 minutes, which they spent encouraging one another to persevere and trust in the Lord.

“Every night I prayed secretly. While most of the inmates were cordial, some hurled curses at me, accusing me of doing the same things inside the jail that I was arrested for,” Pastor Singh explained.

A former Hindu, he accepted Christ in 2011, and became a pastor in 2016. “I have been confronted many times in the past, but after peaceful discussions the matter would subside,” he said. “This is the first time that I was arrested based on the false testimony of someone I do not know.

“Jesus has asked us to be ready for such situations, and I really think we should be prepared,” he said. “I truly believe that the authorities are appointed by the Lord, and He is allowing this in our lives for His glory. A time will come when the judge will dismiss all the false allegations against us. He is Jehovah-Jireh [The Lord will provide] – He will provide for all our needs.”

The Christians were released on bail in August, but the pastor’s motorbike remains in police custody, requiring a payment of 18,000 rupees ($204 USD) for its release. Police have since interrogated the couple three times in their home.

India ranks among the most dangerous countries in the world for followers of Christ. And yet, several church planting movements have arisen among various people groups all across the nation.

Lord, please strengthen these believers and others all throughout India, and use them in powerful ways to draw lost Hindus to Christ. Give the prisoners who saw their faith, heard about Your love and felt their prayers a deep hunger for You, so they will seek Truth with all their hearts and find You. Open the eyes of the spiritually blinded Hindu nationalists, the media personnel who published lies, the police who arrested them, the prison guards who persecuted and beat them, the magistrate who officiated over the case, the neighbors who watched it happen, but especially Abhishek. Set them free from slavery to demons, so they will surrender their lives to Jesus and be saved. Protect the Christians in this church from any more harm or persecution. Surround them with Your angels and block every attack planned against them. Set the pastor and others free from all charges. Convict these Hindus of their sin, and fill them with fear of the Lord. Lead them to the cross, where they can lay down their burdens, receive Your grace and know the God of Love. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

More Prayers for India:

• 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.

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