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15 hours ago

Wednesday 4th September

Urban poor

In contrast with the wealthy lives of some in urban areas, are those living in the Muslim ghettoes of Gujarat.

Ghettoes might give the idea of extreme poverty but in fact this is not the case, as there is electric and water supply to their areas. Avenues of shops, markets, schools and places of medical care can be found along the main roads. Women dressed in black hijabs and jallabahs (long robes) and colourful shalwar kameez (tunic and trousers) and dupattas (head scarves) can be seen buying fresh vegetables and meat from stall holders in the market.

Houses are not as modern and plush as those in wealthy areas but they are solid with some ground around them. The humdrum of cars and rickshaws can be heard echoing in the dusty main streets on busy working days. Dogs, cattle and the odd camel wander up the road, putting their noses into litter that is lying on the street.

During times of special events such as a wedding, families hire marquees for the celebrations. Dressing up and celebrating brings excitement to the community. Mosques are scattered through the communities. Muslims observing their religious rituals head off to the mosque for their daily routine of prayers, when the call to prayer is sounded.

Psalm 8:4-5 states, “What is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them? You have made them a little lower than the angels and crowned them with glory and honour.”

• Pray that, as Gujarati Shaikh and other Muslims view their current situation as being humble in the eyes of others in their Indian society, they may be aware that God sees their plight in their community and is ready to intervene.

• The Muslim view of God is that He is far off and does not engage with man in a personal way. They are fatalistic about life. Pray that they may have the opportunity and the willingness to hear the Good News, which is counter to what they have been told. God wants to lift them out of their sin to new life in Christ and give them a place of honour, not shame.

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1 day ago

Tuesday 3rd September

Gujarat state

The Gujarati Shaikh live in the state of Gujarat, whom they are named after. This is India’s most North Westerly state, immediately next to Pakistan’s eastern border.

Gujarat has an unusual mixture of territory. In the west, there is the white sandy desert called the ‘Thar’ which is home to a seasonal marshland and wildlife reserve called the ‘Great Rann of Kutch.’
In the south, there are stretches of verdant agricultural lands due to the number of rivers; growing various vegetable crops and food staples. Interspersed on the landscape, are towers where the smoke of industry hits the skyline.

Modern day Gujarat reflects the effects of the commercial upturn in urban areas. Large urban centres are dotted over the entire state which mixes modern commerce with the ancient archaeological reminders of former times. Gujarat is a booming economic hub which also attracts the brains of Indian academia to work there. Gujarat is the place to be, if you have hopes and dreams. This is the door to opportunity and prosperity.

Young people from different states over the north flock to university and college here. Ladies can train to be pilots or get their start on the career ladder in their first newspaper job as a journalist. A family can rent an apartment and set about decorating it with the latest soft furnishings and lead a comfortable existence with beautifully carved wooden furniture. Everything can be bought in contemporary shops in high rise air conditioned shopping centres.

Scripture reminds us that “the earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world and all who live in it” Psalm 24:1. Declaring this truth, helps us to see that the Gujarati Shaikh may live far off from us, but the place that they inhabit belongs to the Lord and His sovereign ownership, just the same as where we live.

• Please pray that the Gujarati Shaikh will realise that they were created by God and belong to Him.

• Pray for a deep work of the Holy Spirit to take place in the hearts of these people, so that they acknowledge that everything they have comes from God.

• Pray for the Gujarati Shaikh not to be taken up with material possessions but for them to experience grace through Jesus. Living amid God’s grace is the place where they will be most satisfied.

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5 days ago

Friday 30th August

Bringing the Good News

“Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.” Isaiah 43:19

On Tuesday we read the great challenge of reaching the many people groups in India who have never met a follower of Jesus. One of the ways to meet this challenge is by disciple-making movements – a few followers of Jesus who disciple local Muslims who are open to hearing the gospel ,who then catch the vision for their people group and tell them the good news. Churches can then be planted which in turn reproduce.

A few years ago a group of 50 CEOs of large mission agencies and churches in India came together and signed an agreement to commit 10% of their energy and resources to reaching Muslims, as they recognised they had largely been overlooked and ignored. The leaders were encouraged that when they did reach out, it really did make a difference. However, they found that Muslims would not necessarily come to the local church. Each people group needed a disciple-making movement and its own church which was relevant and attractive to them. Their churches needed to be self-sustaining and workers needed training and equipping in how best to help locals achieve this.

Some local Christians remain fearful of Muslims, believing they may be killed if they go to them with the gospel message. Yet they are key to the advancement of the gospel. The challenge remains for all workers and believers to bring the blessings of the gospel to every Muslim family and community so that it is welcomed as good news for them.

For those considering moving to the field there as workers, business visas are available. Language schools, vocational training and other service-based businesses are welcomed. India tends to favour businesses that hire locals. Gospel workers can bless the communities they live in and work to build a disciple-making movement.

Let’s be encouraged – God is stirring up the church and His people and there are Indian Muslims who are choosing to follow Jesus. Many movements are currently taking place in India.

• We thank God for all workers who labour for the harvest in this land. Let’s pray for many workers who have a heart for reaching Muslims in India, to answer the call to go, despite the challenges and the fear of persecution.

• Thank God for the mission agencies and churches who are working together to reach Muslims. Let’s pray for a great blessing and much fruit in their outreach initiatives.

• Praise God for the many movements that are taking place in India. Let’s pray for an amazing multiplication of disciple-making movements among Muslims.

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6 days ago

Thursday 29th August

Ansari – a large unreached people group

“And the grace of God overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.” 1 Tim 1:14

A second priority people group for Frontiers and an FPG is the Ansari of India. They also featured in the May edition of Global Prayer Digest.

“What if the name of your people means ‘one who helps’ and you needed help yourself? This situation applies to the Muslim Ansari people who live in six countries including India. If the Ansaris are ever to receive the forgiveness of sins and the hope that can only come from knowing Jesus Christ, they will need the prayers of Christ’s followers like you and me!

The traditional occupation of the Ansari people has been that of weaving silk and other fabrics. Although some Ansaris have moved to the cities, most live in villages like their ancestors did. Many of the Ansaris are poor and illiterate and they would benefit from the practical assistance that Christian workers can potentially offer. They need help in educating their children, learning new jobs skills and in obtaining access to clean water and electricity.”

• Pray that the Muslim Ansari people of India would experience an overflowing of God’s grace in their communities.

• Pray for believers to reach out to the Ansaris with practical help that meet their needs.

• Pray that the few Ansari believers would be effective and fruitful in sowing God’s word among their families and communities. Let them fuel a movement of God’s blessings of salvation that would spread from household to household.

Source: http://www.globalprayerdigest.org/issue/day/muslim-ansari-people-of-india/

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1 week ago

Wednesday 28th August

Pashtun – a large unreached people group

“Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it.” Matt 16:24-25

The Pashtuns in India are one of the Frontier People Groups we mentioned yesterday. They are also a priority people group in India for Frontiers as a global organisation.

The Pashtun featured in the May edition of the Global Prayer Digest.

“Pushtunwali is the strict unwritten honour code of the Pashtun people, who follow Sunni Islam. They practice hospitality and protection to guests, the right of fugitives to seek refuge, the right to seek revenge, bravery, steadfastness, righteousness, persistence, defence of property and honour and defence of their women. Revenge and blood feuds between families last for generations and are common owing to Pushtunwali.

The Pashtuns are one of four major Muslim communities in India. There they are considered fourth in rank below Sayyids, Sheikhs and Mughals in the Muslim hierarchy. Most of them love India, since it has been a place of refuge for many of them.

While many Pashtuns are educated and work as professionals in cities, others are extremely poor, living in unsanitary conditions caused mainly by poor water. Many cannot read and they find it difficult to have their medical and educational needs met.”

• Pray that Pashtun families and communities in India will be blessed spiritually and physically.

• While India has been a place of refuge for many Pashtun, let’s pray that they will know God alone as their refuge and defender.

• Pray for the Lord to raise up Pashtun believers with courage and passion to follow the King of Kings and influence their family and community.

Source: http://www.globalprayerdigest.org/issue/day/pashtuns-aka-pathans-in-india/

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1 week ago

Tuesday 27th August

The challenges

India struggles to sustain its vast population. Although the economy is growing, only a relatively small proportion is benefitting. Many remain impoverished, particularly women and children, both in urban and rural areas. The government have made some decisions that have complicated the economy and affected the lives of many people. Illiteracy is a continuous struggle; only 82% of men and 65% of women can read.

The Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, was re-elected in May this year after first coming to power in 2014. He is a Hindu and a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). As of 2018, this is the country's largest political party in terms of representation in the national parliament and state assemblies. It is a right-wing party and its policy has historically reflected Hindu nationalist positions. Narendra Modi has tried to implement policies where non-Hindu communities are given greater opportunities to raise their standard of living. This has not been well received by some Hindu groups and protests have taken place.

According to Open Doors, the government turns a blind eye to attacks on followers of Christ and other minorities including Muslims. In many places, there are undercurrents of cultural tension between Muslims and Hindus. This year, India has moved up to 10th on Open Doors’ World Watch list.

India also has the greatest number of unreached people groups in the world. Some of the largest of these are known as Frontier People Groups (FPGs), which have less than 1 Christian in every 1,000 people. The May issue of Mission Frontiers magazine featured an article entitled “India: The Greatest Challenge to World Evangelism” and included the map above showing the number and distribution of FPGs in India. If you would like to read more, the link is here. The red dots on the map are Muslim FPGs.

As in so many countries today, social media, TV and radio present great opportunities in India for reaching Muslims who may never meet a follower of Jesus. Scriptures and other evangelistic ministries are increasingly available via satellite TV and the internet. There are around 197 million households that have access to a television. FM radio stations are plentiful. India has the second largest number of internet users in the world, after China.

• Pray for a government and leadership that cares about the rights of the minorities and in particular for the poor, uneducated and marginalised.

• Pray for the many different religious and people groups living there, to celebrate diversity and to find common themes that bring them together.

• Let’s pray for the impoverished to find hope in the true living God.

• Let’s pray that the internet is a good route to reaching Muslims with Christian material that is available in their language and that is relevant to them for the situations and issues they face and for the questions they have about faith.

Source of some material: http://www.missionfrontiers.org/issue/article/india-the-greatest-challenge-to-world-evangelism

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