Jesus said India, “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.“
Then Jesus said to him, “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.”(John 5:8,NIV)
》Country Profile
Continent | Southern Asia
Population | 1.44 billion (144,179,000)
Area | 3,287,263 km² located south of the Himalayan mountain range in South Asia, and is the 7th largest country by area
Capital City | New Delhi (32 million people)
People Groups | Total 2,373 Groups
Hindu: 37% (including Chamars 3.9%, Yadavs 2.9%, Brahmins 2.5%, among 297 groups)
Bengali: 15% (including Shaiks 5%, Mahishas 5%, among 167 groups),
Telugu: 5.4%, Marathi-Konkani: 5.3%, Rajasthan: 5.3%, Tamil: 4.6%, Gujarati: 4.1%,
Mongoloid and Others: 3%
People Groups Unreached | 2,135 (95.1% of the population)
Offical Language(s) | Hindi, English
Total Languages | 456
Bible Translations | Completed 82, New Testament 84, Partial 32
Religions | Christianity 5.8% (Protestant 2.3%), Hinduism 74.3%, Islam 13.6%, Buddhism 0.7%, Other Religions 5.6% Evangelical Christians 2.2% (34 million)
》 About India
India‘s caste system is a traditional social hierarchy that categorizes people into four main castes:
- Brahmins: Priests and scholars.
- Kshatriyas: Warriors and rulers.
- Vaisyas: Farmers and merchants.
- Sudras: Laborers and service providers.
Outside these castes are the Dalits (formerly known as “Untouchables”), who are considered the lowest social group. Dalits face extreme discrimination and are often denied basic human rights. They suffer from sexual violence, physical abuse, and social exclusion.
Child marriage is still common in India. About one-third of marriages involve minors, and 16% of girls aged 15 to 19 are married. Factors like poverty, hunger, deep-rooted traditions, illiteracy, and the dowry system contribute to the prevalence of child marriage.
The dowry system is a significant issue where the bride’s family is expected to give money or gifts to the groom’s family. This practice often leads to domestic violence, mental abuse, and in severe cases, even suicide when the dowry is deemed insufficient.
Widows in India have historically faced severe mistreatment. They were sometimes forced into the practice of Sati, where a widow was burned alive on her husband’s funeral pyre. Though this practice is now illegal, widows still face social pressure and discrimination.
》 Scripture Focus
| John 5:1-9(NIV) 1. Some time later, Jesus went up to Jerusalem for a feast of the Jews. 2. Now there is in Jerusalem near the Sheep Gate a pool, which in Aramaic is called Bethesda and which is surrounded by five covered colonnades. 3. Here a great number of disabled people used to lie–the blind, the lame, the paralyzed. 5. One who was there had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. 6. When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, he asked him, “Do you want to get well?” 7. “Sir,” the invalid replied, “I have no one to help me into the pool when the water is stirred. While I am trying to get in, someone else goes down ahead of me.” 8. Then Jesus said to him, “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.” At once the man was cured; he picked up his mat and walked. The day on which this took place was a Sabbath, |
》 Prayer Points
1. India was ranked as the “most dangerous country for women” in 2018, highlighting the extreme challenges to women’s rights in the country. Violence against women is deeply rooted in the patriarchal system, with many women accepting domestic abuse as their fate and not even considering reporting it. Harmful practices like Sati and the dowry system persist despite legal bans. Women from the Dalit caste, the lowest in the caste hierarchy, face severe sexual violence, discrimination, and economic hardship, often without any hope for legal justice.
According to India’s National Crime Records Bureau, an average of 90 rapes were reported daily across the country in 2022. However, the Indian government and officials continue to deny the connection between these crimes and the caste system, showing little sign of improvement.
Let us pray to God that He may reach out to these women, who are like the paralyzed man who had lost even the desire to be healed. May He meet them where they are and bring them hope and salvation.
2. Let us pray for the female children of India. The extreme preference for sons in Indian society has led to a high incidence of female infanticide and abortion. Crimes against young girls, especially infants, are alarmingly frequent. According to a June 2020 report by the United Nations Population Fund, approximately 46 million girls have gone missing in India over the past 50 years due to these practices. It is estimated that 460,000 girls die annually from abortions or deliberate neglect after birth.
Many girls under 18 suffer from the pain of child marriage and forced marriage. The COVID-19 pandemic has escalated this situation, as school closures and extreme poverty have driven rural parents to believe that marrying off their daughters quickly is the safest option.
Only Jesus was able to heal the man who had been paralyzed for 38 years, and only Jesus Christ can fundamentally rescue India’s girls from their crisis and suffering. Let us pray that through the efforts of Christian organizations and others who reach out to these girls, the gospel will be shared, and they will come to know Jesus Christ as their true Savior.
3. Children in India are facing severe threats from crimes, labor exploitation, and poverty, with their human rights often unprotected. Due to extreme poverty and over-population, many children are exploited and abused, treated as mere tools for immediate needs and desires. Instead of receiving education, they are forced into labor and suffer from hunger. Let us entrust these children to the Lord’s care. While there are NGOs and government efforts to rescue child laborers from trafficking and exploitation, the changes have been minimal.
Just as there seemed to be no hope for the paralyzed man at Bethesda, let us pray that the Lord will reach out to India’s children, who appear to have no hope, and bring them His comfort and salvation.
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