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Day 11: Praying for Muslims during Ramadan – Delhi
(Voice of the Persecuted) You are invited to join us on Saturday, April 1, 2023, in a prayer conference call for the persecuted church hosted by Persecution Watch.
Delhi is one of the largest and most crowded cities in the world. With a Hindu majority and Muslim minority, violence has been an issue. In recent years, Delhi’s streets were erupting with violent protests over a new citizenship law that Muslims view as discriminatory.
Islam has been part of India’s cultural and religious heritage since the 12th century. And Delhi has been the center of Islamic authority and influence ever since.
What would happen if this center of Islamic worship and learning experienced an outpouring of God’s Spirit? What if multiplying movements to Jesus broke out in each of Delhi’s historic Islamic communities?
WHAT IS DELHI LIKE?
Among Delhi’s broad tree-lined boulevards, beautiful estates, parks, historic imperial buildings, government buildings, and gleaming sky-scrapers, are over-crowded older neighborhoods built in ancient times, as well as many densely populated slums. The vast, bustling, over-crowded, and never-sleeping city is filled with countless motorized rickshaws, cars, and buses.
The National Capital Territory of Delhi (NCT) includes New Delhi, the capital of India. 27 million people call the Delhi metropolitan area home, making it the third largest urban area in the world. Despite long-standing efforts to limit air pollution, Delhi is among the most polluted cities in the world. The climate is a both humid and hot.
The people are 82% Hindu, 13% Muslim, and 3.5% Sikh. Other religious groups each account for less than 1%. Even though Delhi is a wealthy city, there is widespread poverty.
WHY IS DELHI SIGNIFICANT?
The first Muslim empire in India was founded in Delhi in 1206, and Seven Dynasties of the “Delhi Sultanate” ruled north India until 1526. Muslim Sultans in Delhi ruled the Hindu majority in parts of India for 650 years.
Today there are seven Muslim neighborhoods established by those dynasties. After that, the Mughal Dynasty (1526-1857), which at times controlled almost the entire continent, ruled from Delhi until they were conquered by the British. Before the bloody partition of Pakistan and Bangladesh from India in 1947, one of the great human tragedies of the twentieth century, all Muslims in the subcontinent were led from Delhi.
Today, numerous national and international Muslim organizations are based in the city. The decrees issued by Ahmed Bukhari, the Imam of Jama Masjid in Delhi (India’s largest mosque), hold great sway among Muslims nationwide. Muslims in India often feel increasingly marginalized and powerless. Governmental policies have tragically encouraged increasing numbers of violent mob attacks by Hindus against Muslim “cow-killers.” Muslims generally keep low profiles across India.
WHAT IS GOD DOING IN DELHI TODAY?
In each of the Muslim communities established by the Seven Dynasties, there are at least a handful of believers, and in some, there are regular gatherings of people studying the Bible. There are people ministering in Muslim enclaves across Delhi. Others are ministering in the communities surrounding the tombs of Muslim saints. Yet, there does not appear to be any sizeable movement of Muslims to Christ in the city.
Good work is happening among refugees from Afghanistan and Pakistan, and there are small gatherings of Pashtun and Dari believers. Many creative types of outreach are happening. It is difficult for foreigners to serve as missionaries, and most take on creative access roles. Most of the senior workers have been forced out of India in recent years.
There is a small amount of persecution of believers by their families and communities, with the usual pattern of believers being expelled from their families, losing their children, their jobs, etc. But there is significant freedom for Muslims to become Christians in India, since Muslims fear Hindu government harassment much more than a few Muslims leaving Islam.
Hundreds of millions of Muslims across South Asia need to know the love of Jesus Christ! And Delhi has significant influence over most of them. And so we pray!
PRAYER POINTS
- Pray for courageous Gospel witnesses in every Muslim neighborhood and ghetto.
- Pray for the love of Jesus, through His followers, to meet urgent physical and spiritual needs.
- Pray for Muslim students to search for Truth and find it in Jesus.
As we prepare to pray, please watch this 4:22 minute Prayercast video.
Again, we want to lift-up these persecuted witnesses to the Lord:
- Leah Sharibu, a prisoner of Boko Haram since 2018. Pray for her release.
- Alice Loksha Ngaddah, kidnapped February 2019. She is a mother of two, working as a nurse for UNICEF. Pray for her release.
- Pray for Pastor Wang Yi to be released from prison
- For Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani from Iran, as he and his family are adjusting from his release from prison, that they may know what God’s will is for them now. Pray for the trauma they had to endure. UPDATE: According to Article 18, once sentenced to death for his “apostasy” has been “pardoned” and released after nearly five years in Tehran’s Evin Prison, but told Nadarkhani that he still faces flogging (30 lashes) and two years’ exile 2,000km from his home. Read report here
- UPDATE (March 17, 2023): Ryan Koher, a pilot for the U.S.-based ministry Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF), and two of the ministry’s South African volunteers were released from a Mozambican prison Tuesday afternoon, the organization announced. The trio had been held at a high-security prison inside the southeastern African country for four months. Their release is a provisional one and they are required to remain in the country, while their case is still ongoing, according to MAF. Koher is said to be “doing well” following his release and has spoken multiple times with his wife, Annabel, and his two sons since his release, the ministry said. Source
The Harvest
- 37 Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; 38 therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.” Matthew 9:37-38
Valerie Creekmore, Persecution Watch Prayer Call Moderator
Prayer Conference Call Details
Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday
From any location on your phone
USA Time Zone:
9:00 PM Eastern
8:00 PM Central
7:00 PM Mountain
6:00 PM Pacific
Call in number: (667) 770-1476
Access Code: 281207#
MOBILE APP: Free Conference Call HD also provides a quick and easy way for you to dial into conference calls without having to remember the dial-in credentials. Save all of your conference call dial-in numbers and access codes using this free app. With the Free Conference Call HD you can instantly dial into a conference call via 3G/4G data network and or regular mobile carrier. Google Play link or App Store – iTunes
If you are experiencing any difficulties joining the call, please let us know.
What is Persecution Watch?
moved by the Holy Spirit to pray, we too must continue to serve those suffering persecution by lifting them up to the Lord through prayer.
On occasion, persecuted brothers and sisters have been invited on the conference call to share the trials they are facing. The team serves to encourage them by washing their feet in Spirit led prayer. Time is often reserved for those on the call to ask questions. We believe this helps to gain a better understanding of the situation that persecuted Christians endure in their specific nations. Q&A also helps us to focus our prayers based on their current needs.
Persecution Watch also hosts callers who want to pray united from other nations. If your heart is perplexed by the sufferings of our persecuted brothers and sisters, you no longer need to pray alone.
We welcome all who desire to pray for the persecuted church and consider it a joy to pray together with you. If you are new to the call and cannot find your voice, listen in and pray silently or on mute. We are grateful and thank the Lord for bringing us all together to pray in agreement for our persecuted family in Christ. We can all be prayer warriors on this call!
God bless and protect you in your faithfulness to serve.
Lois Kanalos, Founder, Voice of the Persecuted, Nadia Dybvik, Persecution Watch Prayer Call Leader and the Persecution Watch Prayer Team
NOTE: Please fill out the form in the sign up link below to be included in our distribution list to receive urgent prayer requests, prayer points, notification of special prayer events and special guest speakers.
Note to Voice of the Persecuted (VOP) readers: The Persecution Watch prayer team is also the prayer team of Voice of the Persecuted. SIGN UP today.
Day 10: Praying for Muslims during Ramadan – India
(Voice of the Persecuted) You are invited to join us on Friday, March 31, 2023, in a prayer conference call for the persecuted church hosted by Persecution Watch.
India is a country that occupies the greater part of South Asia. One of the most ethnically diverse countries in the world, with many religions, sects, castes and tribes.
Continent: Asia, Capital City: New Delhi, Government: Federal parliamentary republic, Population: 1,339,330,514
Religion: Hindu 73%, Muslim 14%, Christian 5%, Ethnic religions 4%, Sikh 2%, Agnostic 1%, Buddhist 1%
POPULATION IN UNREACHED PEOPLE GROUPS: 95.6%
SUMMARY
India captivates and overwhelms the senses of all who visit with its vibrant colors, immense crowds, and stimulating smells. One of the largest and most diverse countries in the world, India is filled with more than 2,500 distinct people groups who speak over 19,500 languages and dialects. The most commonly spoken language is Hindi.
A staggering one billion-plus people are dispersed over one million square miles. Tremendous recent economic growth has led to India’s increasingly important role in global affairs. Yet the permeating and ever-present reality of extensive poverty remains. There is more human need in India than in any other country. Approximately 196 million people, 14% of the population, are malnourished. Roughly 30,000 children in India are orphans, and about 10% of the population lives in abject poverty.
“Castes” that assign people to a social stratum based on birth have led to many horrific human rights abuses. Though officially outlawed, caste discrimination continues to hold great influence over the culture and remains a major bar to social mobility. To this day, it is difficult for people of lower castes to find jobs, no matter what their education or background.
India’s infrastructure is unreliable, and political corruption is rampant. Overpopulation also makes pollution and sanitation unmanageable. These contribute to deadly realities such as contaminated water and widespread diseases such as cholera, typhoid, hepatitis, and more.
When it comes to the spread of the Gospel, India has the most unreached people groups in the world. In fact, 95% of Indians have never heard of Jesus! While Hinduism is practiced by roughly 80%, only about 2% identify as Christians. But because of the sheer size of the population, even minorities (Buddhists, Jains, and Sikhs) number in the millions each.
Historic manuscripts and oral traditions say Christianity was introduced to India by the Apostle Thomas in 52 AD. The legacies of other Christian workers like William Carey and Mother Teresa have left a mark on the nation, and Christian communities have made significant contributions in education, health, and social sectors. Yet, Christianity is still often seen as a threat to the traditional Hindu way of life.
Hindu nationalist groups and the political Bharatiya Janata Party want to make India a “Hindu Rashtra” — or “Hindu Nation.” Anti-conversion laws make it increasingly dangerous to share the Gospel. Those who choose to follow Jesus are often threatened with losing their status, jobs, homes, and even lives. Several Christian organizations have been forced out, leaving many bereft of physical and spiritual aid. However, despite the intense persecution, Indian Christians are courageously persisting as the hands and feet of Jesus to their neighbors.
India has the third largest Muslim population in the world. Over 200 million Muslims call India home. Yet they are still a minority and treated as such.
Indian Muslims have experienced discrimination in areas including employment, education, and housing. They also face religious violence. Women and children are not exempt from the suffering.
It is one of the most accessible Muslim nations. Yet there are few full-time Christian workers serving among Indian Muslims. Too few are willing to engage them.
How will they hear unless somebody tells them? Let’s pray they hear of Jesus.
Please watch this 4:34 minute video.
God is actively drawing Muslims to Himself. As we pray for the Muslims of India, remember that each one is a real person whom God loves dearly.
“Shahana” was one of those people.
As a young Muslim girl, “Shahana” knew what she believed. Even when a Christian friend would argue with her about Jesus, she knew better than to trust a Christian.
But soon the suffering and pain her family felt began to make her question Islam. “Shahana” prayed for her family and followed the Quran faithfully. But her prayers were not answered. Where could she turn?
Weeping, “Shahana” prayed that if God were real, He would show Himself to her. Will “Shahana” find the answers she is looking for in Islam? Or will she find courage to listen to her friend about Jesus?
Click the link to listen to Shahana’s story. Watch “Shahana’s” Story
PRAYER POINTS
- Pray for the cultural barriers of the caste system and Hinduism to be overcome by the Gospel.
- Pray for the Good News of Jesus Christ to reach every village and town.
- Pray for justice and hope in a nation plagued by oppression, poverty, and disease
- Pray that millions of Muslims in India would find hope in Jesus!
- PRAISE God for believers who persistently share their faith even when rejected!
The Lord’s servant,
Nadia Dybvik, Persecution Watch Prayer Conference Call Leader
Prayer Conference Call Details
Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday
From any location on your phone
USA Time Zone:
9:00 PM Eastern
8:00 PM Central
7:00 PM Mountain
6:00 PM Pacific
Call in number: (667) 770-1476
Access Code: 281207#
MOBILE APP: Free Conference Call HD also provides a quick and easy way for you to dial into conference calls without having to remember the dial-in credentials. Save all of your conference call dial-in numbers and access codes using this free app. With the Free Conference Call HD you can instantly dial into a conference call via 3G/4G data network and or regular mobile carrier. Google Play link or App Store – iTunes
If you are experiencing any difficulties joining the call, please let us know.
What is Persecution Watch?
Persecution Watch is a U.S. national prayer conference call ministry that prays specifically for the global Persecuted Church. For over a decade, Blaine Scogin led this national network of believers who faithfully pray for the persecuted and the global harvest for the Kingdom of God. The group meets via a free call-in service every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday night at 9pm Eastern time in the United States (please check your time zone). Blaine also served as Prayer Director for Voice of the Persecuted, and the missions became one. Brother Blaine passed into glory on December 26, 2019. It was truly a blessing for all of us to serve alongside this dear man of God and he will be greatly missed. The prayer mission of Persecution Watch remains an important part of our mission. Voice of the Persecuted is committed to continue the prayer conference call for the persecuted along with the dedicated Persecution Watch prayer warrior team.
Prior to the passing of Brother Blaine, he confirmed the passing of the torch as prayer conference call leader to Nadia Dybvik. Nadia has a burdened heart for the persecuted and is a prayer warrior standing in the gap for them. She joined the Persecution Watch prayer team in 2013 and has been part of the core ever since. Before becoming the prayer call leader, she served in the role of prayer moderator since 2015. Blaine chose Nadia for her faithfulness to pray for the persecuted and her strong commitment to the Persecution Watch mission. We are blessed not only with her gift of prayer, but her genuine love for every brother and sister in Christ that comes on the call to pray. May the Lord continue to bless Nadia and the prayer team in the mission and their personal lives.
“Pray for us” is the number one request that we hear from the persecuted. As the members of the first century Church were moved by the Holy Spirit to pray, we too must continue to serve those suffering persecution by lifting them up to the Lord through prayer.
On occasion, persecuted brothers and sisters have been invited on the conference call to share the trials they are facing. The team serves to encourage them by washing their feet in Spirit led prayer. Time is often reserved for those on the call to ask questions. We believe this helps to gain a better understanding of the situation that persecuted Christians endure in their specific nations. Q&A also helps us to focus our prayers based on their current needs.
Persecution Watch also hosts callers who want to pray united from other nations. If your heart is perplexed by the sufferings of our persecuted brothers and sisters, you no longer need to pray alone.
We welcome all who desire to pray for the persecuted church and consider it a joy to pray together with you. If you are new to the call and cannot find your voice, listen in and pray silently or on mute. We are grateful and thank the Lord for bringing us all together to pray in agreement for our persecuted family in Christ. We can all be prayer warriors on this call!
God bless and protect you in your faithfulness to serve.
Lois Kanalos, Founder, Voice of the Persecuted, Nadia Dybvik, Persecution Watch Prayer Call Leader and the Persecution Watch Prayer Team
NOTE: Please fill out the form in the sign up link below to be included in our distribution list to receive urgent prayer requests, prayer points, notification of special prayer events and special guest speakers.
Note to Voice of the Persecuted (VOP) readers: The Persecution Watch prayer team is also the prayer team of Voice of the Persecuted. SIGN UP today.
Christian Family Suffers after Arrests at Birthday Party
(Morning Star News) – A Christian mother and her family in northern India have suffered assaults and threats since she and others were arrested from her son’s birthday party on false accusations of fraudulent conversion, her husband said.
“Our lives have turned into a living hell as we struggle to survive each day with our 7-year-old son,” Mahendra Kumar told Morning Star News. “We face threats every day and do not know what will happen tomorrow.”
Kumar’s wife, Indrakla, was one of six women, four of them Christians, arrested on charges of fraudulent conversion based on a complaint of members of the Hindu extremist Vishwa Hindu Parishad (World Hindu Council) on July 30 in Maharajganj, Azamgarh District, Uttar Pradesh state.
“We have been targeted several more times after we filed a counter-complaint regarding the harassment and attacks that we have faced,” Indrakla told Morning Star News.
The six women were arrested when Hindu extremists intruded into a large birthday celebration for the couple’s only son on July 30 in Maharajganj District’s Bishunpura village, accusing Christians of using the event as a cover to fraudulently convert people. Those arrested remained in jail for more than a month before being bailed out.
Since then, on two occasions assailants deliberately rammed a car into Kumar while he was on his motorbike with his son, and the family has received several threats, he said.
On Oct. 21 Kumar and his wife awoke at 2 a.m. to the sound of several people banging on their door.
After Indrakla, who goes by a single name, was released on bail on Sept. 1, the family opted not to return to their rented home upon learning that Hindu extremists were planning to attack them. When they returned in October, the threats and harassment continued.
Jailed
Indrakla was getting her son ready for the party at about 1:30 p.m. on July 30 while three Christian women sang worship songs in an area near the house under a tent cover, she said.
The family had invited around 600 people, including 300 church members. About 150 guests had arrived when someone informed Indrakla that a group of men had arrived, arguing and objecting to the gathering.
When Indrakla told the intruders, members of the VHP, that they were gathered only to celebrate her son’s birthday, they accused her of luring people to convert under guise of the party. Police soon arrived, and in their presence the VHP members continued to harass her and her husband, she said.
“I stepped forward and tried to reason with them that it was my son’s birthday, and if there is nothing wrong with Hindus performing Hindu worship during their family birthday celebrations, what is wrong if we sing Christian choruses and pray before we eat?” Indrakla said.
The Hindu extremists refused to heed or answer her, she said.
“The atmosphere of celebration soon changed into despair as the police and Hindu extremists denigrated us,” Indrakla said. “They termed our birthday celebration as a ceremony for luring Dalit masses into becoming Christians.”
Dalits have historically been regarded as “untouchable,” lower than and thus outside the lowest level in the Hindu caste hierarchy.
Police arrested Indrakla and three other Christians – identified only as Savita, Anita and Sadhana – and the owners of the house, identified as Subhagi Devi and Sunita, two women who are not Christians.
All six were taken to the Maharajganj police station, where officers tried to pressure Indrakla into confessing that she distributed Christian literature, she said.
“I said, ‘I don’t have any literature, and neither do I distribute any literature,’” Indrakla said.
One of the two landladies told police that they were witnesses to the birthday party and that no form of conversion was taking place.
Officers told the six women they would release them by evening, but instead they were charged on a complaint of Ashutosh Singh, block president of the VHP, with “provocation and criminal intimidation” and, under the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act 2021, with “unlawful conversion from one religion to another by misrepresentation, force, undue influence, coercion, allurement or by any fraudulent means,” in First Information Report No. 286.
The arrested women were transferred to the Azamgarh police station that night, and the next morning, July 31, they appeared before a special lower court, as it was a Sunday. They were denied bail and sent to Azamgarh jail.
Forced conversion is punishable by imprisonment of one to five years with a minimum fine of 15,000 rupees (US$181), and three to 10 years of prison for the conversion of minors and women from the Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribe community.
One of the landladies and Savita and Anita were released on Aug. 30, while Sadhana, Indrakla and the other landlady were released on Sept. 1.
“The ground reality is that under the garb of the allegation of forced conversions, people are being targeted by right-wing fanatic organizations being backed by the government to gain popularity or benefit politically,” the attorney representing the women, Munish Chandra, told local media outlet The Wire.
Attacks
While his wife was in jail, Kumar and their son had taken refuge at the home of Indrakla’s brother. On the way back from an Aug. 16 court hearing for the six women, a car crashed into the motorbike on which Kumar, his son and sister-in-law were riding.
“Thankfully, none of us were hurt in that accident,” Kumar said.
After the next hearing on Aug. 24, again a car rammed into his motorbike. Thrown onto the road from the impact, Kumar and his son sustained leg injuries, his sister-in-law several internal injuries, and her son several bruises.
“I am sure we were attacked by people sent by the complainant,” Kumar told Morning Star News. “It cannot be a coincidence that we are hit by a car on both the court hearings in the same way.”
The six women were granted bail at the Aug. 24 hearing, though they were not released until a week later, he said.
The cordial relations Indrakla had with those in her community before the July 30 incident have chilled since her arrest and jailing, she said.
“The community that we lived in have all suddenly turned their faces against us,” she said. “They are behaving as if we are their enemies. They say that we indulge in converting people.”
The landlords have been pressuring Kumar to vacate the house to spare them further trouble, and his extended family members have shunned him, he said.
“They have flatly refused to shelter us,” he said. “They say that till our case is settled, they will have nothing to do with us.”
Financial Setback
Kumar, a street vendor of cookies and candies, borrowed various resources from neighbors and other villagers to provide a “grand celebration for their son,” said their pastor, Santosh Kumar.
An emotional Indrakla said much money and planning went into preparing the birthday gathering where intruders set into motion events that have hurt their income. Due to the threats from Hindu extremists, Kumar cannot leave home and resume work.
“We borrowed utensils, harmonium, mic and all the items required,” she said. “We rented stuff from a tent house and have not paid for any of that yet.”
The food prepared for more than 600 people went to waste, and there was no one to tend to household affairs while Indrakla was in custody. Amid the chaos, some of the borrowed or rented items were stolen, along with some of their own possessions, Indrakla said.
“We have people coming and asking us every day to either return their things or pay for it,” Indrakla said. “Where do I get the money from to pay them?”
Counter Case
On Sept. 4, Kumar and Indrakla filed a private court complaint under the Code of Criminal Procedure over the attack and harassment they have faced.
They have also filed complaints to Scheduled Caste-Scheduled Tribe commission offices in New Delhi and Lucknow, as well as to the district superintendent of police, said Dinnanath Jaiswar, a Christian leader and social activist in Uttar Pradesh.
“Since these Hindu extremists came to know about the counter-complaint, they have targeted the family many times,” Jaiswar told Morning Star News. “Now the court has directed the police to investigate the threats and intimidation of the victims.”
Jaiswar noted that Indrakla and the other women are low-status Dalits, while the assailants are upper-caste Hindus.
“It’s a prestige issue for them,” he said. “They cannot digest how these Dalits have exercised their legal rights against the upper caste. For them, the reality has been that the law is there for the upper castes to be used against the lower-caste people. They think they are the higher strata of society and the government belongs to them.”
Christian families who are Dalits thus face double discrimination for being both low status and followers of Christ, he said.
Various entities have designated Uttar Pradesh as the state in India where Christians experience the most persecution. Christians make up only 0.18 percent of the state’s population, according to the 2011 Census, or 356,000 Christians in the highly populated state.
The hostile tone of the National Democratic Alliance government, led by the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party, against non-Hindus, has emboldened Hindu extremists in several parts of the country to attack Christians since Prime Minister Narendra Modi took power in May 2014, religious rights advocates say.
India ranked 10th on Open Doors’ 2022 World Watch List of the countries where it is most difficult to be a Christian, as it was in 2021. The country was 31st in 2013, but its position worsened after Modi came to power.
Persecution Watch: Pray for India
(Voice of the Persecuted) You are invited to join us on Tuesday June 21,2022 in a prayer conference call for the persecuted church hosted by Persecution Watch.
A Call to Persevere in Faith
(Hebrews 10:19-25) 19 Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, 20 by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, 25 not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
Tonight, we are praying for the people of India
Population: 1,339,330,514—Religion: Hindu 73%, Muslim 14%, Christian 5%, Ethnic religions 4%, Sikh 2%, Agnostic 1%, Buddhist 1%
POPULATION IN UNREACHED PEOPLE GROUPS: 95.6%
SUMMARY
India captivates and overwhelms the senses of all who visit with its vibrant colors, immense crowds, and stimulating smells. One of the largest and most diverse countries in the world, India is filled with more than 2,500 distinct people groups who speak over 19,500 languages and dialects. The most commonly spoken language is Hindi. A staggering one billion-plus people are dispersed over one million square miles. Tremendous recent economic growth has led to India’s increasingly important role in global affairs. Yet the permeating and ever-present reality of extensive poverty remains.
There is more human need in India than in any other country. Approximately 196 million people, 14% of the population, are malnourished. Roughly 30,000 children in India are orphans, and about 10% of the population lives in abject poverty. “Castes” that assign people to a social stratum based on birth have led to many horrific human rights abuses. Though officially outlawed, caste discrimination continues to hold great influence over the culture and remains a major bar to social mobility. To this day, it is difficult for people of lower castes to find jobs, no matter what their education or background. India’s infrastructure is unreliable, and political corruption is rampant. Overpopulation also makes pollution and sanitation unmanageable. These contribute to deadly realities such as contaminated water and widespread diseases such as cholera, typhoid, hepatitis, and more.
When it comes to the spread of the Gospel, India has the most unreached people groups in the world. In fact, 95% of Indians have never heard of Jesus! While Hinduism is practiced by roughly 80%, only about 2% identify as Christians. But because of the sheer size of the population, even minorities (Buddhists, Jains, and Sikhs) number in the millions each. Historic manuscripts and oral traditions say Christianity was introduced to India by the Apostle Thomas in 52 AD. The legacies of other Christian workers like William Carey and Mother Teresa have left a mark on the nation, and Christian communities have made significant contributions in education, health, and social sectors. Yet, Christianity is still often seen as a threat to the traditional Hindu way of life. Hindu nationalist groups and the political Bharatiya Janata Party want to make India a “Hindu Rashtra” — or “Hindu Nation.” Anti-conversion laws make it increasingly dangerous to share the Gospel. Those who choose to follow Jesus are often threatened with losing their status, jobs, homes, and even lives. Several Christian organizations have been forced out, leaving many bereft of physical and spiritual aid. However, despite the intense persecution, Indian Christians are courageously persisting as the hands and feet of Jesus to their neighbors.
PRAYER POINTS
• Pray for the cultural barriers of the caste system and Hinduism to be overcome by the Gospel.
• Pray for the Good News of Jesus Christ to reach every village and town.
• Pray for justice and hope in a nation plagued by oppression, poverty, and disease.
Alice Loksha Ngaddah was kidnapped in February 2019. She is a mother of two, working as a nurse for UNICEF. Pray for her release.
Leah Sharibu prisoner of Boko Haram since 2018. Pray for her release.
Pastor Wang Yi to be released from Chinese prison.
Anita a Christian convert, facing a long prison term who escaped from Iran and praying to go to a country where she can express her faith openly.
Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani from Iran for his release and his family as their persecution continues. Pastor Nadarkhani is serving the second year of his six-year sentence.
The Harvest
“I am sending you, to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the dominion of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Me” (Acts 26:18)
The Lord’s servant,
Nadia Dybvik, Persecution Watch Prayer Conference Call Leader
Prayer Conference Call Details
Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday
From any location on your phone
USA Time Zone:
9:00 PM Eastern
8:00 PM Central
7:00 PM Mountain
6:00 PM Pacific
Call in number: (667) 770-1476 (Note: We have a new call-in phone number)
Access Code: 281207#
Recommended: For those who may be subject to added charges for conference calls. Please download the app, it’s free!
MOBILE APP: Free Conference Call HD also provides a quick and easy way for you to dial into conference calls without having to remember the dial-in credentials. Save all of your conference call dial-in numbers and access codes using this free app. With the Free Conference Call HD you can instantly dial into a conference call via 3G/4G data network and or regular mobile carrier. Google Play link or App Store – iTunes
If you are experiencing any difficulties joining the call, please let us know.
What is Persecution Watch?
Persecution Watch is a U.S. national prayer conference call ministry that prays specifically for the global Persecuted Church. For over a decade, Blaine Scogin led this national network of believers who faithfully pray for the persecuted and the global harvest for the Kingdom of God. The group meets via a free call-in service every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday night at 9pm Eastern time in the United States (please check your time zone). Blaine also served as Prayer Director for Voice of the Persecuted, and the missions became one. Brother Blaine passed into glory on December 26, 2019. It was truly a blessing for all of us to serve alongside this dear man of God and he will be greatly missed. The prayer mission of Persecution Watch remains an important part of our mission. Voice of the Persecuted is committed to continue the prayer conference call for the persecuted along with the dedicated Persecution Watch prayer warrior team.
Prior to the passing of Brother Blaine, he confirmed the passing of the torch as prayer conference call leader to Nadia Dybvik. Nadia has a burdened heart for the persecuted and is a prayer warrior standing in the gap for them. She joined the Persecution Watch prayer team in 2013 and has been part of the core ever since. Before becoming the prayer call leader, she served in the role of prayer moderator since 2015. Blaine chose Nadia for her faithfulness to pray for the persecuted and her strong commitment to the Persecution Watch mission. We are blessed not only with her gift of prayer, but her genuine love for every brother and sister in Christ that comes on the call to pray. May the Lord continue to bless Nadia and the prayer team in the mission and their personal lives.
“Pray for us” is the number one request that we hear from the persecuted. As the members of the first century Church were moved by the Holy Spirit to pray, we too must continue to serve those suffering persecution by lifting them up to the Lord through prayer.
On occasion, persecuted brothers and sisters have been invited on the conference call to share the trials they are facing. The team serves to encourage them by washing their feet in Spirit led prayer. Time is often reserved for those on the call to ask questions. We believe this helps to gain a better understanding of the situation that persecuted Christians endure in their specific nations. Q&A also helps us to focus our prayers based on their current needs.
Persecution Watch also hosts callers who want to pray united from other nations. If your heart is perplexed by the sufferings of our persecuted brothers and sisters, you no longer need to pray alone.
We welcome all who desire to pray for the persecuted church and consider it a joy to pray together with you. If you are new to the call and cannot find your voice, listen in and pray silently or on mute. We are grateful and thank the Lord for bringing us all together to pray in agreement for our persecuted family in Christ. We can all be prayer warriors on this call!
God bless and protect you in your faithfulness to serve.
Lois Kanalos, Founder, Voice of the Persecuted, Nadia Dybvik, Persecution Watch Prayer Call Leader and the Persecution Watch Prayer Team
NOTE: Please fill out the form in the sign up link below to be included in our distribution list to receive urgent prayer requests, prayer points, notification of special prayer events and special guest speakers.
Note to Voice of the Persecuted (VOP) readers: The Persecution Watch prayer team is also the prayer team of Voice of the Persecuted. SIGN UP today.
Persecution Watch: Praying for Believers in India
(Voice of the Persecuted) You are invited to join us on Thursday, May 19, 2022 in a prayer conference call for the persecuted church hosted by Persecution Watch.
INDIA: Population: 1,3 billion Christians 68,8 million
India is home to nearly 1.3 billion people — 2.3% Christians, 14.2% Muslim and 80% Hindu. India’s religious minorities experience hostility from the government and Hindu extremists.
India’s government is run by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which backs Hindu extremists. Narendra Modi, the Indian prime minister, and the BJP have endorsed laws and policies that have enabled Hindu extremists to harass Christians and Muslims in the day-to-day. Hindu extremists want all Indians to be Hindu and believe that converting Christians and other religious minorities is simply returning them to their original faith.
“It is not conversion; it is reconversion,” stated Vyankatesh Abdeo, the national secretary of a Hindu organization, in an LA Times article. “A thousand years ago, all the Muslims and Christians in India were Hindu. They were converted by the sword. We are just bringing them back to their original faith.”
Indian government officials often spread disinformation and make inflammatory remarks about religious minorities. Before and during the pandemic, many BJP politicians, leaders, and members of Hindu extremist organizations made remarks or allegations in public and on social media about Christians and Muslims.
Several of India’s states enforce anti-conversion laws. According to USCIRF’s 2020 report, one-third of India’s 28 states have passed laws that “limit or prohibit religious conversion to protect the dominant religion from perceived threats from religious minorities.” One particular anti-conversion law in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh demands that those converting from one religion to another must notify authorities of the change within 60 days. Giving gifts, such as Bibles, or providing food at church events could be seen under the law as allurement or inducement to convert.
Wild claims have been leveled against Christians as a result of anti-conversion laws. In 2017, six Christians were arrested for allegedly plotting to kidnap children and forcibly convert them. The Christian chaperons were taking the children, whose parents were also Christian, to a 4-day Bible camp. Violating anti-conversion laws is punishable with fines and up to 10 years in prison.
In the states where these anti-conversion laws have gone into effect, pastors and priests are most frequently accused and jailed for “coercing” or “bribing” Hindus to convert to Christianity. Uttar Pradesh’s anti-conversion law labels pastors and priests as “religion converters” and classifies discussing divine displeasure (i.e. talking about heaven or hell) as “forcing conversion.” In October, seven pastors were arrested during a prayer meeting in Uttar Pradesh for “forcing conversions” and “assembling illegally.”
Indian politicians and Hindu extremists have pushed for a nation-wide institution of these anti-conversion laws under the guise of “religious freedom.” This would increase the already widespread accusations and harassment of Christians for preaching the gospel. Hindu extremist mobs, motivated by false allegations, frequently burst into services, demand arrests, attack Christians, and destroy churches or other Christian establishments.
Alliance Defending Freedom described a typical attack: “A mob will arrive at a prayer meeting or Christian gathering, shout abuse and harassment, and beat up those in attendance, including women and children. Then, the pastors or priests are usually arrested by the police under false allegations of forced conversions.” Police rarely hold mob members accountable or investigate incidents of violence against Christians.
The Indian Parliament amended a law in September restricting and in some cases freezing the finances of non-governmental organizations (NGOs). Amendment of the law was meant to cut down on the misuse of foreign funds, however these restrictions forced Christian, humanitarian and religious freedom advocacy NGOs to shut down. Many of these NGOs were distributing COVID relief.
Indians who convert from Hinduism to Christianity often face immense pressure to reconvert or are ostracized from their friends and families. By converting, these Christians risk losing their jobs and are boycotted by their community, dealing a significant blow to their income sources. Particularly during COVID-19, Christians were turned away from local and government aid centers and denied basic necessities, such as food, water or clothing.
- Pray that the Lord will touch President Prime Minister Modi through His Holy Spirit to open up to Christianity.
- Pray that God will soften the hearts of Hindu extremists, that they will see Christians as valuable Indian brothers and sisters.
- Pray for those in authority that they will commit to freedom for all people of faith.
- Give thanks to God that many people are coming to know Jesus after being healed of sickness; pray that this will continue.
- Pray for healing of the many victims of religious violence. Pray that the Lord will heal hearts and bodies.
- Pray for believers to connect with other believers. According to Open Doors USA, many believers “don’t know any other Christians.” as persecution is coming from all areas of life. Social boycotts, covid lockdowns and pressure from Hindu extremists to “reconvert” breed isolation.
- Pray for the protection of believers from hostile Hindus as they seek fellowship and worship.
- Pray to the Lord for Hindus converting to Christianity that they stay strong in the face of persecution from neighbors and authorities.
- Pray to the Lord to have His hand of protection on believers, who in this hostile environment, who bring the Gospel to the lost.
- Pray to the Lord that they will continue to have unrestricted access to the internet. That the internet will have messages to encourage the saints and touch Hindus.
- Ask God continued protection, strength, and encouragement for all NGOs as they covertly serve the church in India as the authorities.
- Pray that the Lord will give His believers the ability to love their enemies and to forgive them.
- Pray to the Lord that the gates of Hell will not prevail and that the Lord Jesus Christ will continue to grow His Church. That the powers of darkness will be unable to stop spreading throughout INDIA.
Again, we want to lift up these persecuted witnesses to the Lord:
- Leah Sharibu, prisoner of Boko Haram since 2018. Pray for her release.
- Alice Loksha Ngaddah, kidnapped February 2019. She is a mother of two, working as a nurse for UNICEF. Pray for her release.
- Pray for Pastor Wang Yi to be released from prison.
- Pray for Anita, a Christian convert facing a long prison term who escaped from Iran and praying to go to a country where she can express her faith openly.
- For the release of Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani from Iran, and his family as their Persecution continues. Pastor Nadarkhani is serving the second year of his six-year sentence.
Andy, Persecution Watch Prayer Call Moderator
Prayer Conference Call Details
Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday
From any location on your phone
USA Time Zone:
9:00 PM Eastern
8:00 PM Central
7:00 PM Mountain
6:00 PM Pacific
Call in number: (667) 770-1476 (Note: We have a new call-in phone number)
Access Code: 281207#
Recommended: For those who may be subject to added charges for conference calls. Please download the app, it’s free!
MOBILE APP: Free Conference Call HD also provides a quick and easy way for you to dial into conference calls without having to remember the dial-in credentials. Save all of your conference call dial-in numbers and access codes using this free app. With the Free Conference Call HD you can instantly dial into a conference call via 3G/4G data network and or regular mobile carrier. Google Play link or App Store – iTunes
If you are experiencing any difficulties joining the call, please let us know.
What is Persecution Watch?
Persecution Watch is a U.S. national prayer conference call ministry that prays specifically for the global Persecuted Church. For over a decade, Blaine Scogin led this national network of believers who faithfully pray for the persecuted and the global harvest for the Kingdom of God. The group meets via a free call-in service every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday night at 9pm Eastern time in the United States (please check your time zone). Blaine also served as Prayer Director for Voice of the Persecuted, and the missions became one. Brother Blaine passed into glory on December 26, 2019. It was truly a blessing for all of us to serve alongside this dear man of God and he will be greatly missed. The prayer mission of Persecution Watch remains an important part of our mission. Voice of the Persecuted is committed to continue the prayer conference call for the persecuted along with the dedicated Persecution Watch prayer warrior team.
Prior to the passing of Brother Blaine, he confirmed the passing of the torch as prayer conference call leader to Nadia Dybvik. Nadia has a burdened heart for the persecuted and is a prayer warrior standing in the gap for them. She joined the Persecution Watch prayer team in 2013 and has been part of the core ever since. Before becoming the prayer call leader, she served in the role of prayer moderator since 2015. Blaine chose Nadia for her faithfulness to pray for the persecuted and her strong commitment to the Persecution Watch mission. We are blessed not only with her gift of prayer, but her genuine love for every brother and sister in Christ that comes on the call to pray. May the Lord continue to bless Nadia and the prayer team in the mission and their personal lives.
“Pray for us” is the number one request that we hear from the persecuted. As the members of the first century Church were moved by the Holy Spirit to pray, we too must continue to serve those suffering persecution by lifting them up to the Lord through prayer.
On occasion, persecuted brothers and sisters have been invited on the conference call to share the trials they are facing. The team serves to encourage them by washing their feet in Spirit led prayer. Time is often reserved for those on the call to ask questions. We believe this helps to gain a better understanding of the situation that persecuted Christians endure in their specific nations. Q&A also helps us to focus our prayers based on their current needs.
Persecution Watch also hosts callers who want to pray united from other nations. If your heart is perplexed by the sufferings of our persecuted brothers and sisters, you no longer need to pray alone.
We welcome all who desire to pray for the persecuted church and consider it a joy to pray together with you. If you are new to the call and cannot find your voice, listen in and pray silently or on mute. We are grateful and thank the Lord for bringing us all together to pray in agreement for our persecuted family in Christ. We can all be prayer warriors on this call!
God bless and protect you in your faithfulness to serve.
Lois Kanalos, Founder, Voice of the Persecuted, Nadia Dybvik, Persecution Watch Prayer Call Leader and the Persecution Watch Prayer Team
NOTE: Please fill out the form in the sign up link below to be included in our distribution list to receive urgent prayer requests, prayer points, notification of special prayer events and special guest speakers.
Note to Voice of the Persecuted (VOP) readers: The Persecution Watch prayer team is also the prayer team of Voice of the Persecuted. SIGN UP today.
Pastor Tied to Post, Beaten in Delhi, India
(Morning Star News) – Hindu extremists in the National Capital Territory of Delhi last month tied a pastor to a post at a busy intersection and beat him before hundreds of people, but police have yet to make arrests, sources said.
Accusing Pastor Kelom Kalyan Tete of forcible conversion as they beat him, Hindu extremists on Feb. 25 then abducted the bleeding pastor, bound his hands and tied him to an iron rod that divides a road into two at Fatehpur Beri Chowk crossroad in South Delhi, Pastor Tete said.
Though the attack took place in daylight in view of hundreds of people in a busy market area, police have yet to make arrests. Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police Harsha Vardhan said on March 4 that officers had questioned people and the investigation was ongoing.
In a video on social media, the bound Pastor Tete is seen sobbing as more than 150 people – including schoolchildren in uniform – surround him, taunt him and strike him.
Pastor Tete, 35, told Morning Star News that the assailants incited the schoolchildren and other passersby to shout, “Hail lord Ram” and to hit him for alleged conversion activities.
“A huge crowd of around 150-200 people surrounded me and assaulted me, including schoolchildren who kicked me with their legs,” said Pastor Tete, who was punched and kicked in the head, chest, stomach, back and repeatedly slapped in the face.
“They hit me on my head so many times that I began to bleed from my nose and mouth – I thought that my nose bone was broken,” he told Morning Star News. “They got water and splashed it on my face, wiped the blood that was oozing out with a handkerchief and started to hit me again.”
The Hindu extremists had seized his phone, bag, Bible, motorbike, helmet and vehicle documents. Initially he had been beaten about four miles away at the Bhati Mines area at about 10:15 a.m., from which he was abducted, bound and beaten until about noon, he said.
No passersby had the courage to question or report the brutality of the attackers, he said.
“I was silent like Jesus was on the cross,” Pastor Tete said. “All my strength was gone. My vision became blurred, and I was not able to hear properly because of being slapped hard on my face repeatedly. I lost my voice for some time and was not able to further shout for help.”
At one point he thought he would be killed, he said.
“Later they started to say, ‘Get a thick bludgeon, and let’s hit him,’” he said. “Now, if they would have hit me with a bludgeon, I would be dead.”
After abducting him, the Hindu extremists initially said they were taking him to the Maidan Garhi police station, but they changed their minds and turned back and began to threaten him, he said.
“They said, ‘We will break your legs, tie you to a tree,’” Pastor Tete told Morning Star News. “They were conspiring to kill me. I pleaded and said, ‘Brothers, do not do this. What wrong have I done, let’s talk this matter out. It is not good; you are troubling an innocent man.’”
A crowd of more than 30 people gathered, and the Hindu extremists instigated them to assault him, he said.
“They punched me, threw me down on the ground, kicked me, and stomped over me,” he said.
The assailants then brought him to the crossroad and tied him to the iron post with a rope.
“Even the spectators could have questioned the men beating me to not take the law into their hands, and that if they had some issues, they should call the police,” he said. “But it is so hurting that nobody stepped forward. Everybody mutely watched them treat me in such an inhuman way.”
Pastor Tete said he did not know how, at about noon, the ropes binding his hands came untied.
“Only the Lord saved me – I believe that the Lord opened my tied hands,” he said.
Pastor Tete then managed to escape and, hiding in lanes behind vehicles, reached home, he said. He found his vehicle keys in his pocket, and he later sent someone to retrieve his motorbike. The assailants had left his mobile phone, motorbike papers, helmet and other possessions at one of the area shops, and church members collected them for him the next day, he said.
Originally from Simdega District in Jharkhand state, Pastor Tete has been ministering in Delhi for the past 18 years and pastors a church whose name is undisclosed for security reasons.
Police Inaction
Pastor Tete said police initially declined to register a First Information Report (FIR), doing so only after online news outlet Scroll.in reported the attack.
Instead of collecting evidence from the CCTV footage of the assault at the intersection where he was tied up, police called Pastor Tete to the Bhati Mines area, gathered some women and asked them questions about his preaching, he said.
“Everything is captured on CCTV,” Pastor Tete said. “The police are not gathering the evidence from the footage but instead are trying to frame me. Everything will be clear after they get the evidence from the CCTV.”
Scroll.in reported that the FIR has been registered under Indian Penal Code sections for kidnapping or abduction with intent of wrongful condiment, voluntarily causing hurt, wrongful restraint and “acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention.”
Since submitting a written complaint to the Maidan Garhi police station on Feb. 27, Pastor Tete has received neither a copy of the FIR nor its number despite several requests, he said.
The Head Constable of the Maidan Garhi station, known only as Rajendra, refused to give the FIR number to Morning Star News, stating that matters pertaining to a church cannot be disclosed.
Additional DCP Vardhan confirmed that an FIR was registered and asked Morning Star News to call an hour later for the FIR number – at which time phone calls to him went unanswered.
Pastor Tete said police were twisting the case and downplaying it. Officers told him the FIR was ready on Thursday (March 3), but when he went to collect it, they refused to give it to him, he said. The pastor has been going to the police station almost every day to request a copy of the FIR, but officers refuse to give him a copy or give an update on the case, he said.
The hostile tone of the National Democratic Alliance government, led by the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party, against non-Hindus, has emboldened Hindu extremists in several parts of the country to attack Christians since Prime Minister Narendra Modi took power in May 2014, religious rights advocates say.
India ranked 10th on Open Doors’ 2022 World Watch List of the countries where it is most difficult to be a Christian.
Praying for the Persecuted and India
(Voice of the Persecuted) You are invited to join us on Tuesday January 11, 2021 in a prayer conference call for the persecuted church hosted by Persecution Watch.
The Lord is urging us to lift India and Indian Christians again.
India has a population of about 1.3 billion, of which there are an estimated 67 million Christians (about 1/2%).
Persecution has increased dramatically since PM Modi and the RSS Nationalist party has ruled the country. Hindu extremism have expanded, become more powerful, and exceedingly violent under Modi.
Their object is to make India a completely Hindu nation. Anti-Conversion laws have passed in several states which are used to harass, fine and jail Christians. There is also a push for a National Anti-Conversion law.
Hindus from the RSS party often attack Christians with little or no consequences. RSS informants live in most villages and report on Christian activities, resulting in attacks and arrests. Churches have been demolished or burned, meetings disrupted, Bibles and Christian literature destroyed.
Christians from Hindu backgrounds, of course, face extreme persecution from family members and communities. In this recent video report, Hindu extremists call for Muslims (over 209 million live in India) to be killed as they make threats to Christians as well.
- Pray for salvation for government leaders; that Modi would enforce the religious freedom he espouses.
- Pray anti-conversion laws would be abolished.
- Pray for salvation of all those who persecute the Christians.
- Pray for salvation of the masses who just want to live their lives as Hindus, etc., but don’t know Messiah. They need prayer too.
- Pray for protection for pastors, evangelists, and other ministers.
- Pray for families of pastors, etc. who are being persecuted; they would be supported, and their children will not turn away from the Truth.
- Pray for God to confirm their ministry with signs following.
- Pray Christians would have a bold witness of their faith; the good news would reach all of India.
- Pray Christians would be able to forgive their persecutors.
- Pray that Christian converts would remain strong in their faith and not succumb to pressure to return to Hinduism or their tribal religion.
- Pray for people to disciple new believers; that they would grow in their faith.
- Pray for the protection of women and girls, especially the Dalit.
- Pray for good jobs for the Christians who are discriminated against; God would give them special favor and abilities.
- Pray for a spirit of joy and praise among the Christians; help them provoke others to jealousy.
- Pray access to the Word by every available means: written word, internet, broadcasts, story tellers, testimonies.
We will also remember and pray for these dear ones:
- Leah Sharibu, prisoner of Boko Haram since 2018. Pray for her release.
- Alice Loksha Ngaddah, kidnapped February 2019. She is a mother of two, working as a nurse for UNICEF. Pray for her release.
- Pray for Pastor Wang Yi to be released from prison.
- Pray for Anita, a Christian convert facing a long prison term who escaped from Iran and praying to go to a country where she can express her faith openly.
- For the release of Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani from Iran, and his family as their Persecution continues. Pastor Nadarkhani is serving the second year of his six-year sentence.
Valerie, Persecution Watch Prayer Call Moderator
Prayer Conference Call Details
Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday
From any location on your phone
USA Time Zone:
9:00 PM Eastern
8:00 PM Central
7:00 PM Mountain
6:00 PM Pacific
Call in number: (667) 770-1476 (Note: We have a new call-in phone number)
Access Code: 281207#
Recommended: For those who may be subject to added charges for conference calls. Please download the app, it’s free!
MOBILE APP: Free Conference Call HD also provides a quick and easy way for you to dial into conference calls without having to remember the dial-in credentials. Save all of your conference call dial-in numbers and access codes using this free app. With the Free Conference Call HD you can instantly dial into a conference call via 3G/4G data network and or regular mobile carrier. Google Play link or App Store – iTunes
If you are experiencing any difficulties joining the call, please let us know.
What is Persecution Watch?
Persecution Watch is a U.S. national prayer conference call ministry that prays specifically for the global Persecuted Church. For over a decade, Blaine Scogin led this national network of believers who faithfully pray for the persecuted and the global harvest for the Kingdom of God. The group meets via a free call-in service every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday night at 9pm Eastern time in the United States (please check your time zone). Blaine also served as Prayer Director for Voice of the Persecuted, and the missions became one. Brother Blaine passed into glory on December 26, 2019. It was truly a blessing for all of us to serve alongside this dear man of God and he will be greatly missed. The prayer mission of Persecution Watch remains an important part of our mission. Voice of the Persecuted is committed to continue the prayer conference call for the persecuted along with the dedicated Persecution Watch prayer warrior team.
Prior to the passing of Brother Blaine, he confirmed the passing of the torch as prayer conference call leader to Nadia Dybvik. Nadia has a burdened heart for the persecuted and is a prayer warrior standing in the gap for them. She joined the Persecution Watch prayer team in 2013 and has been part of the core ever since. Before becoming the prayer call leader, she served in the role of prayer moderator since 2015. Blaine chose Nadia for her faithfulness to pray for the persecuted and her strong commitment to the Persecution Watch mission. We are blessed not only with her gift of prayer, but her genuine love for every brother and sister in Christ that comes on the call to pray. May the Lord continue to bless Nadia and the prayer team in the mission and their personal lives.
“Pray for us” is the number one request that we hear from the persecuted. As the members of the first century Church were moved by the Holy Spirit to pray, we too must continue to serve those suffering persecution by lifting them up to the Lord through prayer.
On occasion, persecuted brothers and sisters have been invited on the conference call to share the trials they are facing. The team serves to encourage them by washing their feet in Spirit led prayer. Time is often reserved for those on the call to ask questions. We believe this helps to gain a better understanding of the situation that persecuted Christians endure in their specific nations. Q&A also helps us to focus our prayers based on their current needs.
Persecution Watch also hosts callers who want to pray united from other nations. If your heart is perplexed by the sufferings of our persecuted brothers and sisters, you no longer need to pray alone.
We welcome all who desire to pray for the persecuted church and consider it a joy to pray together with you. If you are new to the call and cannot find your voice, listen in and pray silently or on mute. We are grateful and thank the Lord for bringing us all together to pray in agreement for our persecuted family in Christ. We can all be prayer warriors on this call!
God bless and protect you in your faithfulness to serve.
Lois Kanalos, Founder, Voice of the Persecuted, Nadia Dybvik, Persecution Watch Prayer Call Leader and the Persecution Watch Prayer Team
NOTE: Please fill out the form in the sign up link below to be included in our distribution list to receive urgent prayer requests, prayer points, notification of special prayer events and special guest speakers.
Note to Voice of the Persecuted (VOP) readers: The Persecution Watch prayer team is also the prayer team of Voice of the Persecuted. SIGN UP today.
Praying for Christians in India suffering extreme persecution
(Voice of the Persecuted) You are invited to join us on Tuesday December 28, 2021 in a prayer conference call for the persecuted church hosted by Persecution Watch.
India: Population 1.38 billion, Christians 67,356,000
“They want to remove us from society,” a Christian farmer said of Hindu extremists. The possibility that some Indians would reject Hinduism for Christianity is a threat to their dream of turning India into a pure Hindu nation.
A hundred years ago, a Hindu nationalist group articulated their dream of making India a Hindu nation, pushing Christians and Muslims to the side.
The pressure is greatest in central and northern India, where the governing party of Prime Minister Modi is in control, and where evangelical Christian groups are making inroads among lower-caste Hindus. The central state of Madhya Pradesh passed a vaguely defined anti-conversion law, that carries prison sentences of 10 years for any person found guilty of leading conversions.
Last month a Hindu priest presented, in public to the leaders of the major political party [B.J.P.], his remedy for those who try to convert others: beheading. read this report
Anti-Christian vigilantes are sweeping through villages, storming churches, burning Christian literature, attacking schools, and assaulting worshipers. In January vigilantes attacked the Satprakashan Sanchar Kendra Christian center in the city of Indore. Then the police arrived, and arrested the pastors and church elders
Pastor David said his first night in jail was terrifying. He was interrogated repeatedly and denied food, water, and a lawyer. He and eight other Protestant elders spent two months in jail and still face serious charges.
Hindu extremists also devise devastating social boycotts in remote villages against isolated Christians. They have blocked Christians from community wells, barred them from visiting Hindu homes and ostracized villagers for believing in Jesus.
Village elders in Madhya Pradesh recently instituted a $130 fine for any family that allows Christians in their home.
In the cities a white-collar army of lawyers and clerks file legal complaints against Christian organizations. Hindu nationalist lawyers filed complaints against Christian charities, starving them of funds and shutting many down.
- Please pray that despite pressure, Christians would not be isolated from each other.
- That where extremists have cut off water and food, the Lord will provide miraculously.
Philippians 4:19 “And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.”
- Pray that christians will continue to make inroads among lower-caste Hindus.
2 Corinthians 8:2 “While they were being severely tested by suffering, their overflowing joy, along with their extreme poverty, has made them even more generous.”
- Pray that in poverty, believers would have joy and Fruits of the Spirit.
- That new believers would remain strong, and those born in church would have a strong belief.
Luke 21:12 “They will seize you and persecute you. You will be betrayed even by parents, brothers, sisters, relatives, and friends, they will put some of you to death. Everyone will hate you because of me.”
- Pray that believers would not be overwhelmed by the persecution.
- That lower-caste Hindus would not support the dominate Hindu party
Romans 8:38 “For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
- Pray where there is Anti-Christian violence, God’s grace would be more apparent to the believers.
Psalm 18:26 “To the pure you show yourself pure, but to the devious you show yourself shrewd.”
- Pray that the courts, Christian lawyers, and lawyers who love freedom would have favor of protecting the rights of minorities.
We want to lift up persecuted witnesses to the Lord:
- Leah Sharibu, prisoner of Boko Haram since 2018. Pray for her release.
- Alice Loksha Ngaddah, kidnapped February 2019. She is a mother of two, working as a nurse for UNICEF. Pray for her release.
- Pray for Pastor Wang Yi to be released from prison.
- Pray for Anita, a Christian convert facing a long prison term who escaped from Iran and praying to go to a country where she can express her faith openly.
- For the release of Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani from Iran, and his family as their Persecution continues. Pastor Nadarkhani is serving the second year of his six-year sentence.
Michael Laird, Persecution Watch Prayer Call Moderator
Prayer Conference Call Details
Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday
From any location on your phone
USA Time Zone:
9:00 PM Eastern
8:00 PM Central
7:00 PM Mountain
6:00 PM Pacific
Call in number: (667) 770-1476 (Note: We have a new call-in phone number)
Access Code: 281207#
Recommended: For those who may be subject to added charges for conference calls. Please download the app, it’s free!
MOBILE APP: Free Conference Call HD also provides a quick and easy way for you to dial into conference calls without having to remember the dial-in credentials. Save all of your conference call dial-in numbers and access codes using this free app. With the Free Conference Call HD you can instantly dial into a conference call via 3G/4G data network and or regular mobile carrier. Google Play link or App Store – iTunes
If you are experiencing any difficulties joining the call, please let us know.
What is Persecution Watch?
Persecution Watch is a U.S. national prayer conference call ministry that prays specifically for the global Persecuted Church. For over a decade, Blaine Scogin led this national network of believers who faithfully pray for the persecuted and the global harvest for the Kingdom of God. The group meets via a free call-in service every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday night at 9pm Eastern time in the United States (please check your time zone). Blaine also served as Prayer Director for Voice of the Persecuted, and the missions became one. Brother Blaine passed into glory on December 26, 2019. It was truly a blessing for all of us to serve alongside this dear man of God and he will be greatly missed. The prayer mission of Persecution Watch remains an important part of our mission. Voice of the Persecuted is committed to continue the prayer conference call for the persecuted along with the dedicated Persecution Watch prayer warrior team.
Prior to the passing of Brother Blaine, he confirmed the passing of the torch as prayer conference call leader to Nadia Dybvik. Nadia has a burdened heart for the persecuted and is a prayer warrior standing in the gap for them. She joined the Persecution Watch prayer team in 2013 and has been part of the core ever since. Before becoming the prayer call leader, she served in the role of prayer moderator since 2015. Blaine chose Nadia for her faithfulness to pray for the persecuted and her strong commitment to the Persecution Watch mission. We are blessed not only with her gift of prayer, but her genuine love for every brother and sister in Christ that comes on the call to pray. May the Lord continue to bless Nadia and the prayer team in the mission and their personal lives.
“Pray for us” is the number one request that we hear from the persecuted. As the members of the first century Church were moved by the Holy Spirit to pray, we too must continue to serve those suffering persecution by lifting them up to the Lord through prayer.
On occasion, persecuted brothers and sisters have been invited on the conference call to share the trials they are facing. The team serves to encourage them by washing their feet in Spirit led prayer. Time is often reserved for those on the call to ask questions. We believe this helps to gain a better understanding of the situation that persecuted Christians endure in their specific nations. Q&A also helps us to focus our prayers based on their current needs.
Persecution Watch also hosts callers who want to pray united from other nations. If your heart is perplexed by the sufferings of our persecuted brothers and sisters, you no longer need to pray alone.
We welcome all who desire to pray for the persecuted church and consider it a joy to pray together with you. If you are new to the call and cannot find your voice, listen in and pray silently or on mute. We are grateful and thank the Lord for bringing us all together to pray in agreement for our persecuted family in Christ. We can all be prayer warriors on this call!
God bless and protect you in your faithfulness to serve.
Lois Kanalos, Founder, Voice of the Persecuted, Nadia Dybvik, Persecution Watch Prayer Call Leader and the Persecution Watch Prayer Team
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Note to Voice of the Persecuted (VOP) readers: The Persecution Watch prayer team is also the prayer team of Voice of the Persecuted. SIGN UP today.
Photo: Prayer service of a native ministry whose workers were attacked in 2018 by Hindu extremists in Bihar state, India. (GEMS)
VOICE OF THE PERSECUTED 