Praying for Mother India

With a goal to help keep you updated with ways to pray for India, we hope you’ll take a few minutes to read up on the growing freedom of religion crisis in India.

Anti-conversion laws in India date back to the 1930s with many twists and turns; each of the12 of India’s 28 states with these laws have different specific laws and enforcements. The 12 states with anti-conversion laws as of February 2023 are: Arunachal Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, and Uttar Pradesh. This is a complicated (some laws refer to inter-religious marriages as a possible form of forced conversion), and always-changing issue yet one that warrants close attention and prayer for the person truly interested in the future of this great nation. There are a number of good resources online to keep up on this topic, however we’ve picked one US source and one Indian source as a springboard for you.

US source: A study by the US Department of State published in June 2022 brings to light contrasts of rights vs actions on religious freedoms in India: 2021 Report on International Religious Freedom: India. You can find it at https://www.state.gov/reports/2021-report-on-international-religious-freedom/india/.

Indian source: “The Constitution of India guarantees the protection of certain fundamental rights. They are given in articles 12 to 35, which form Part III of the Constitution. Among them articles 25 and 26 are the two central articles guaranteeing religious freedom.” Source: Freedom of religion under Indian Constitution.pdf

This (the above PDF) is from the Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University which is a Central University in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh. The university is named after Babasaheb Ambedkar, social reformer, polymath and the architect of the Indian Constitution. Source: Wikipedia.

Some states, including Maharashtra (where Indigenous Ministries’ Grace Bible College is located) are considering introducing anti-conversion laws. As such, leaders of these states are aggressivly studying the states above and the anti-conversion laws already in force. Source: uscirf.gov

Praying for India: Pray for justice to prevail, for leaders in power to make decisions with integrity and truth, honoring the rights of all in India to worship in freedom. Pray for those who have come to Christ, some of whom are under enormous pressure to return to Hinduism. Pray for Indian pastors as they navigate very difficult times personally and as under-shepherds of their churches. Pray for the 2024 elections, as this is a frontline topic for incumbants and newcomers. If you’ve made it this far, please re-read Dr. Pramod’s article on page one and three as you pray for Mother India, and for God’s love and mercy on her people.