Christians in India have faced persecution for following Jesus for many years. Pressure comes from everywhere when Indians decide to put their faith in Christ, including family, friends, communities, and the government.
Persecution in India has gotten more intense in the last year, according to the 2106 World Watch List by Open Doors. India moved up four spots to become number 17 on the list, with persecution labeled as “severe.”
Persecution in India
Open Doors reports that India’s major source of persecution comes from religious nationalism, specifically from Hindu radicals who continue to push for an India made up of Hindus only. The current government, in place since 2014, refuses to act on crimes committed against non-Hindus and has steadily allowed persecutors to go free.
Christians are constantly monitored by Hindu radicals, and some people in the church are actually planted spies. Since the 80s, many states have been under anti-conversion laws, and support for these laws continues to increase.
Besides persecution from the government and Hindu radicals, Muslim-background Christians endure hardships once they decide to leave Islam. Any Indian who chooses to follow Christ faces some type of persecution from their family and friends often left alone as outcasts with no place to turn.
The church in India needs our prayers. During Secret Church 16: A Global Gospel in a World of Religions, we will learn about and pray for the persecuted church in India. Join us and support your brothers and sisters who face daily persecution for their faith in our Savior.
Pray for Believers in India
You can also start praying for India now. Use these prayer requests to stand with your brothers and sisters in India today:
- Pray for Christians who continue to share the gospel in states with anti-conversion laws. Ask that they will be bold in their faith and that people would listen to the good news that they share.
- Pray for Christians who are from Hindu or Muslim backgrounds. Ask that they will remain faithful despite harsh methods to make them denounce their faith.
- Pray for pastors and church leaders in India who offer support and training to new believers. Pray for God to protect them and give them wisdom in how to help and shepherd their churches.
