“We are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.”
Indian Christians are heading to the polls to protect religious freedom. According to the American Christian Media World, the world’s largest election began in India on the 19th, with 970 million voters, more than 10% of the world’s population, participating. Voting will be held for six weeks at more than 1 million polling places nationwide, and results will be announced on the 4th of June.
This vote will elect members of the 543-seat Lok Sabha, India’s lower house of parliament. Incumbent Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is competing against a coalition of more than 20 opposition parties, including the ruling Hindu nationalist party, the Indian National Congress, and the second-largest party, the India People’s Party.
Opinion polls predict that 73-year-old Prime Minister Modi will serve a third five-year term. In India’s parliamentary system, which adopts a bicameral system, the party or coalition of parties that holds a majority of at least 272 seats in the House of Representatives nominates a candidate for prime minister and forms the government. More than 2,600 political parties are competing for seats in this election.
Indian pastor Manish Mukherjee (not his real name) said that in India, where Hindus make up about 80% of the population, Muslims about 14% and Christians less than 3%, many Christian voters “feel like the future of the country is at stake.” Pastor Mukherjee said Christians were concerned about restrictions on religious freedom and threats to the safety of minorities in India.
According to the ranking of countries that persecute Christians published annually by the Open Doors Mission, India rose from 28th in 2014 when Prime Minister Modi came to power to 11th this year. Prime Minister Modi’s Hindu-first policy has garnered him widespread support. This has contributed to the growth of Hindu extremism and heightened fears of persecution of Christians and other religious minorities in India.
Ahead of the election, the opposition coalition is accusing the Modi government of attempts to rig the election. Authorities detained prominent opposition politician and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on corruption charges. It also froze the bank accounts of the opposition Indian National Congress Party.
The National United Christian Forum, which includes the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India, the National Council of Churches of India, and the Evangelical Alliance of India, urged Christian citizens to vote. Pastor Mukherjee recognizes that regardless of which political party rules the country, Christians have a responsibility before God to serve their neighbours, spread the hope of the Gospel, and pursue the nation’s best interests. “I am concerned that our freedom may not preserved” he said. (Source: Gospel Prayer Newspaper Comprehensive)
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written: “For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. (Romans 8:35-37)
God, as the persecution of the church becomes more serious, we declare to the church that it never separates them from the love of Christ. As the end time approaches, Satan’s attacks and persecution against Christians will intensify as sheep are slaughtered. However, please strengthen the churches in India to become fully victorious through the love of the cross. We entrust the results of the election to You. Please help the Church in India trust in Your sovereignty over all situations and move forward with the gospel and prayer, so that the kingdom of God can come to the land of India.
Prayer 24·365
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