Awaken the hearts of men and women across this nation. Stir within them a deep awareness of their calling before You, to teach what is good, true, and life-giving. Grant them wisdom that is steady and clear, and courage that does not shrink in the face of resistance. Let their voices rise with grace and conviction, speaking light into a culture longing for truth. May they walk faithfully, guided by Your Spirit, and may their words bear fruit for Your glory.
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. Psalms 139:14 NIV
“Every thinking man, when he thinks, realizes that the teachings of the Bible are so interwoven and intertwined with our whole civic and social life that it would be literally, I do not mean figuratively, but literally impossible for us to figure what the loss would be if these teachings were removed. We would lose all the standards by which we now judge both public and private morals; all the standards toward which we, with more or less resolution, strive to raise ourselves.” – Theodore Roosevelt
Hold Fast, Spread the Word and God Save the Republic.
Operation World Pray for India : The Indian Church is highly diverse, with a long legacy. Much of Indian Christianity results from people movements of the last 300 years, often started by local revivals. Some Christian groups today have remarkable growth, while other groups decline in numbers. Persecution of Christians has been steadily intensifying in recent years, and shows no signs of abating. Pray for our brothers and sisters in India to endure in the midst of this increasing pressure.
* The Orthodox Churches trace their origin to the tradition of the Apostle Thomas, who was said to minister here in the 1st century. Orthodox Christians (over 2.2 million) have the strongest presence in Kerala and southwest India.
* Catholics represent the largest Christian group in India (nearly 20 million). People respect their charity work, especially Mother Teresa’s care for the poorest of the poor. Catholics run more than 5,000, healthcare facilities. The charismatic movement in the Catholic Church began in 1972. It spread to almost every congregation, and brought both new life and increased outreach.
* Evangelical denominations and congregations multiplied. God uses several networks and alliances to mature and mobilize believers through prayer, pastors’ retreats, and conventions. They also coordinate training, literature production, missions, and outreach (the Evangelical Fellowship of India links over 224 denominations, the Pentecostal Fellowship of India links the major Pentecostal groups, and so on).
* Newer Pentecostal and charismatic fellowships sprang up quickly, and spread throughout India, especially in the last 15 years. The Yesu Darbar gathers tens of thousands of Jesus’ followers in North India. They model biblical worship and fellowship patterns in an Indian style.
* Millions of followers of Jesus (Yesu Bhaktas) are secret believers, or unbaptized Christians outside the established denominations. Pray for discipleship for these people as their numbers increase.
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