Post-Christmas!

Christmas has now come and gone here in Delhi. Most people are now back to their normal day-to-day activities as if nothing has even happened. Many people were unchanged by the celebration of Jesus' birth..... BUT there were many people that have been changed by Christmas this year.

Many Churches and Christians in Delhi had Christmas outreach events where many unbelievers heard the story of Jesus and the Gospel for the first time! Please pray for the people that heard about Jesus for the first time. Pray that they will be forever changed by that. Pray that if they didn't make a decision then, that they will make a decision to follow Jesus only!

Please pray for anyone that heard the story of Jesus this Christmas. Pray that they will be forever changed!! Pray also for the believers in Delhi that they will continue telling the story of Jesus even after the Christmas season is over!

Bania People Group

There are over 24 million Banias in South Asia and over 2 million of them live in Delhi. Banias are an upper caste people group that are very prominent and influential in Delhi. They are famous for their love of money. They do a lot of business-related jobs, or any type of job that makes money. Many Banias feel that they have everything that they need and that they don't need Jesus.

Please pray for the Banias. Pray that Christians will not be afraid to share with them. Pray that the Banias will see their need for Jesus! Pray for the very few known Bania believers in Delhi, that they will be bold in sharing with their Bania family members!

Fire!

This tree is a common sight to see in Delhi this time of year. It is the Gulmohar tree but here it is usually referred to as the "Fire of the Forest". Every time I see this tree I think of the story of Moses and the burning bush. You can read the entire story here. God spoke to Moses through a burning bush that didn't burn up! God told Moses of a very important job that he had for him. Even after seeing that amazing thing (the bush on fire but not burning) and God showing him other amazing things, Moses still responded with: "Please send someone else to do it." He gave the excuse that he wasn't good at speaking - even after seeing the amazing things that God did, he still didn't think that God could use him in such an amazing way.

Delhi is 1% Christian and of those Christians there are many that feel and act the same way Moses did. They don't feel that they can do amazing things to reach Delhi. They don't have the confidence - even after seeing amazing miracles that have been done in this city and in their lives. Please pray for confidence in the Christians of Delhi. Pray that they will be bold and active in sharing their faith and know that God can use them to do amazing things!

Cold

It is now pretty cold in the Capital (cold is definitely a relative term here). There are many people in Delhi that do not have homes or places to take cover from the cold weather. Although there are people freezing in Delhi, most of the idols around the city are taken care of and have shawls and warm things to wear.

Please pray for the people of Delhi. Pray specifically for the Christians of Delhi to show Christ's love to people in need this winter. Pray that they won't just give out shawls and blankets and things to keep warm, but that they will share the love of Christ so that these people can be warmed from the inside out!

The Taga People

The Taga People are an unreached people group here in India. There are about 1 million of them and many of them are located in Delhi. A common surname for this people group is Tyagi. They are both Muslim and Hindu. Long ago, many of these people relinquished their calling as Brahamins, and accepted a gift of land in order to become farmers. Many are still farmers, but in Delhi there are many that work in business, services & government.

Please pray for the Taga!

Dear Heavenly Father, we thank you for the Taga people. We know that you love them very much and desire that they come into your family. We pray today for this people, that you will open their eyes so they might turn from darkness to light, from the dominion of Satan to the Kingdom of God. We pray you will give them forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among your people. Heavenly Father we also ask that the Taga will become one in Christ. We thank you for those who already know you, and for those who are trying to make disciples among them. Please strengthen the faith of those who already believe. Please place it on the hearts of others to reach out in love and share the good news. Your desire is that none should perish. We pray in Jesus' Name that the Taga will find eternal life in Him. Amen

The Word of our God Stands Forever!

"And the glory of the LORD will be revealed, and all mankind together will see it. For the mouth of the LORD has spoken."

"A voice says, 'Cry out.' And I said, 'What shall I cry?' All men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field."

"The grass withers and the flowers fall, because the breath of the LORD blows on them. Surely the people are grass."

"The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God stands forever."

Isaiah 40:5-8

Praise!!

Thank you so much for praying for the training that is currently going on (see post below)!!! God is doing some amazing things in Delhi through this training! Please continue to pray in the days ahead as the training time continues!!

After just the first two days of training, the Gospel was shared with 131 people and 60 people have believed!!! Praise the Lord! Great things are happening! Please keep praying!

Church Planting!

This week in Delhi there will be many Christian leaders meeting together to learn how to plant/start churches effectively! The evil one does not like for meetings like this to take place. Please pray for the people involved in this meeting that they and their families will stay healthy during this time and will be able to fully participate. Please pray for logistics and for all the little things that need to take place so that this meeting can happen. Please pray for the participants in this meeting, that God will really give them a vision for church planting and how they can apply it to the areas they live in!

Pray for the city of Delhi to be forever changed for Jesus Christ!!

Festival of Sacrifice

Today and the next 3-4 days is a holiday that is celebrated by Muslims called Eid al-Adha. It is called many things - Greater Eid, Festival of Sacrifice and Baqra/Baqri Eid (Goat Festival) are some of the main names for this holiday.

There are many Muslims in Delhi and they will be celebrating this holiday. The Mosque in the picture below is Jama Masjid. It is a very famous mosque in Delhi.

On Eid, men, women & children are expected to dress in their best clothes and perform the Eid prayers. Jama Masjid will be filled with many people during this time.

Muslims that can afford to do so will sacrifice their best domestic animal. In Delhi, it is usually a goat. This sacrifice is in remembrance of the story of Abraham and God's command to sacrifice his son.

One of the most effective ways to witness to Muslims during this time is to explain to them the true history and meaning of the sacrifice and how it all pointed and culminated in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ!

Please pray for Christians during this time that they will be bold in sharing with the Muslims of Delhi! Many people are afraid of Muslims and do not talk or share with them. Please pray for boldness that they will not be afraid to share with them about the hope that they have inside!

Pray that the Muslims will be open to hearing and are able to understand the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus Christ!

God will Provide!

As Thanksgiving is coming upon us, it is awesome to remember the things that we are truly thankful for!

One story from the Bible really reminds me of what I really have to be thankful for! God tested Abraham and God told Abraham to take his son and sacrifice him as a burnt offering. He did as God said and cut the wood for the sacrifice and took his son on the 3 day journey to the place God told him to go. Abraham took his son to sacrifice him. His son asked his father where the sacrifice was and Abraham told him that God will provide the lamb for the burnt offering. Abraham followed what God told him to do and just as he was about to sacrifice his son, an angel of the Lord told him to stop. Abraham showed that he feared God because he didn't withhold his son. After this:

"Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram caught by its horns. He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son. So Abraham called that place 'The LORD Will Provide.'

(read the full story here: Genesis 22)

As Christians, we have so many things to be thankful for! The most important thing we have to be thankful of is that God provides!! He provided a sacrifice in place for us!!

Please pray for the people that don't know anything about that sacrifice! There are millions of people in Delhi that don't know about the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Please pray that they will get opportunities to hear!!

Joyti

Joyti is a faithful woman. She began going recently to a training in her neighborhood in West Delhi to learn about how to share her testimony and teach others about Jesus. When she first started going, she didn't have any confidence. Joyti and her 2 close friends can't read or write and have never been told that they could do anything besides just go to church. After just 3 weeks of learning how to share and learning Bible stories, Joyti came back with some exciting news!

Joyti and her 2 friends learned that they could do more than just go to church. They learned that they could share the Gospel with anyone and everyone they know and they also learned that they could teach Bible stories too. After just 3 weeks, they started a group in their house. They sing, pray and tell the Bible stories that they have learned. They now have at least 15 people meeting together weekly in Joyti's home! Praise the Lord for faithful people like Joyti! She is using what she knows and is sharing it! She is being faithful with what she has been given! Please pray for Joyti and other people like her in Delhi!

Children's Day!

Today is an Indian holiday called Children's Day! This holiday is internationally celebrated on the 20th of November, but India celebrates it today on the birthday of Jawaharlal Nehru (India's first Prime Minister) who loved children. Children get special treatment on this day and it is a day loved by all children.

Please pray for the children of Delhi! There are millions of children in Delhi that don't have a relationship with Jesus Christ! Please pray for them, as they go about their day. Pray that they will learn about Jesus. Pray for the Christian children - that they won't be afraid to share with their friends about Jesus! Pray for boldness!

Stories

While Delhi has a higher literacy than most places in India, it is still about 20% illiterate. How do illiterate people learn about Jesus if they can't read the Bible?

Storying has become a big and very useful tool in Delhi for teaching and reaching illiterate AND literate people! There are even audio stories in Hindi available here for free to download (just search "Hindi"). Praise the Lord that the Gospel is not only available for those that are literate!

Pray that those that know stories from the Bible will share what they know with their friends & family!!! Pray that they will not only share the stories, but teach them!!

"And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses, entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others."

2 Timothy 2:2

Delhi Information

Delhi is about 82% Hindu, 11.7% Muslim, 4.3% Sikh, 1.1% Jain and 0.9% Christian. While Delhi's death rate is lower than most of India, there are still about 271 registered deaths in Delhi per day. With only 0.9% of the population claiming to be Christian, that is a lot of people that are dying daily without a relationship with Jesus Christ!

Please pray for the 99.1% of the people in Delhi that don't have a relationship with Jesus. Pray that they will get the opportunity to hear about Jesus! Pray for the Christians of Delhi that they would be active in sharing their faith with the people they are in contact with daily that don't know Jesus!

"I pray that you may be active in sharing your faith, so that you will have a full understanding of every good thing we have in Christ."
Philemon 1:6

Temptaion

Delhi is about 1% Christian. There are very few Christians in Delhi and our Enemy wants to keep it that way. One of the ways the enemy attacks Christians is through different temptations. There are temptations to keep silent (and not share the Gospel), temptations with pornography & lust, temptations to love money & possessions more than their relationship with Jesus, temptations to lie, cheat & steal and many other temptations that can ruin their witness to the many lost people around them. Pray that the Christians in Delhi will stand strong to the many temptations around them!

"Watch and Pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak." Matthew 26:41

Guru Nanak Jayanti

Guru Nanak's birthday is on Monday, November 2 this year (it changes based on the moon). His birthday is also celebrated the 2 days before it. This weekend the Sikhs of Delhi will be celebrating the birthday of this Guru.

Guru Nanak was the first of the 10 Sikh Gurus. He is famous for preaching against idol worship.

Sikhism follows the teachings of these Gurus, but they consider themselves a monotheistic religion. Sikhs believe there is only one God who has infinite qualities and names.

Please pray for the Sikhs of Delhi as they are celebrating this holiday. They already state that they believe that there is only one God - please pray that they will learn to know the ONE TRUE GOD! Pray for opportunities for Christians to share with them about Him!

Delhi 2010

The Commonwealth Games are a multinational and multi sport even that is held every 4 years with athletes from the commonwealth nations (most are countries that were once under the British Empire). The Commonwealth games are a lot like the Olympics but with some different sports and less countries involved.

The next games are in October 2010 and they will be held right here in DELHI! For more info click here!

The government is saying that everything (buildings, volunteers, venues, etc) is on on schedule and on track, but most people are saying the opposite.

One thing that is very important for any type of event like this is the need for volunteers. This event needs at least 20,000 volunteers. Please pray for this event! This is an awesome opportunity for the Christians of this city!

- Pray that the Christians of Delhi (and surrounding) will volunteer to help at this event. Pray that they will be bold and active in sharing their faith!

- Pray for the people that will be coming to this event. Pray that they will come with open hearts and have many opportunities to hear and learn about Jesus!

- Pray for the Christians of Delhi that are already working together to use this event to show people the awesome love of Jesus!

Sanjay (Update)

Last time we asked you to pray for Sanjay we told you that he was excited about starting churches and he had a plan of starting 15 new churches by December. Since we last wrote, Sanjay has started 4 new groups! He is excited and working hard every day to share the Gospel with people all over the city! Praise the Lord for people like Sanjay that are excited about sharing with people and starting churches!! Please continue to pray for him! Pray that he continues his excitement and is effective in reaching the lost of Delhi!

"I pray that you may be active in sharing your faith, so that you will have a full understanding of every good thing we have in Christ. Your love has given me great joy and encouragement, because you, brother, have refreshed the hearts of the saints." Philemon 6-7

Children of Delhi

There are many children in Delhi. Less than 1% of those children belong to Christian families. Pray for these children as they grow up. Pray that they will have the opportunity to hear and learn about Jesus! Pray for the Christian children too - that they would be bold and share with their friends and classmates!

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"Jesus said, 'Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.'"

Matthew 19:14

DIWALI - Festival of Lights!!!

Today is the 3rd day of Diwali. This is the day that many people refer to as Diwali. It is also called Deepavali or Lakshmi Puja.

Diwali is the Festival of Lights! Light is the theme of this day of the holiday. Houses & Business are decorated with lights. People light Diyas (candle lamps) and light firecrackers most of the night! Light plays a big part in this part of the holiday!

"You O LORD, keep my lamp burning; my God turns my darkness into light."

Psalm 18:28

Please pray for the people of Delhi during this holiday. Pray that they will learn about the true light of the world! Pray that followers of Jesus will shine their light and share with others about the light of the world! Pray for lives to be changed!!

Choti Diwali

Today is Choti Diwali (also known as Little Diwali or Narak Chaturdasi). Many people buy sweets on this day to give to their friends and family. Delhi is a very busy city during this holiday. It is a very important holiday for families and friends.

A popular legend says that on Choti Diwali day that the god Krishna freed the earth from fear and the tyranny of the demon King Naraksur. This part of the festival marks the end of evil and the beginning of joy and laughter.

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"You turned my wailing into dancing;

you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy,

that my heart may sing to you and not be silent.

O LORD my God, I will give you thanks forever."

Psalm 30:11-12

- Pray for the new believers of Delhi at this time. The holidays are a big struggle for new believers as they are trying to decide how to celebrate these holidays with their family and stay in their community while also standing strong for Jesus and showing the difference he has made in their life!

- Pray for the Hindus, Jains & Sikhs of Delhi, that they will come to know TRUE joy and laughter that can only come from Jesus Christ!

- Pray for the followers of Jesus that they will not only share sweets with their neighbors and friends, but also boldly share the sweet love of Jesus!

Dhanteras

Today is Dhanteras. It is the first day of Diwali. It is a day associated with wealth. This holiday is celebrated by Hindus, Sikhs and Jains. During this holiday they spend time honoring and worshiping the goddess of wealth - Lakshmi. Women are supposed to buy ornaments of gold or silver on this day. If that is not possible they are to buy at least a few new utensils for their home. The purchase of new things - especially in the form of a precious metal is said to bring good luck and wealth to the home.

Please pray for the Hindus, Sikhs and Jains of Delhi during this time. Pray that they will come to understand what true wealth is!

"For you know that it was not with perishable things such as SILVER or GOLD that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake. Though him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God."

1 Peter 1:18-21

Harvest Time!

"Then He said to his disciples, 'The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few.  Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore to send out workers into his harvest field."  

Matthew 9:37

Karva Chauth

Today is Karva Chauth. It is a big holiday in Delhi and the rest of North India. In this holiday women show their extreme love and devotion to their husbands by suffering for them. They will fast beginning around 4:00 AM and not eat or drink anything until after their ceremonies are completed in the evening after the moon rise.

Karva means clay pot and Chauth means fourth night after the full moon. The clay pot and the moon are very important in this holiday. The moon is worshiped during this holiday and the clay pot is instrumental in that worship.

Please pray for the families of Delhi. Pray that they will come to know Jesus and know the one that truly suffered for our sakes.

"Yet, O LORD, you are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are the work of your hand."

Isaiah 64:8

Beggers

There are over 100,000 beggars in Delhi.  About 40% of those are children.  Beggars are a hot topic in Delhi and even more so now as the government is trying to rid the streets of beggars by the 2010 Commonwealth Games.  There will be many people imprisoned, put in homes (children) or displaced during the next year.  Please pray for the Christians of Delhi.  Help them to know how to help these people and show them God's love!  Pray that they will be active in sharing their faith with the beggars and helping to not only meet physical needs, but their spiritual needs.

Idols

Idols are a big part of Hindu worship. On a regular basis, the idols are washed, fed and sometimes even clothed.

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"The idols of the nations are silver and gold,

made by the hands of men.

They have mouths, but cannot speak,

eyes, but they cannot see;

They have ears, but cannot hear,

nor is there breath in their mouths.

Those who make them will be like them

and so will all who trust in them."

Psalm 135:15-16

Please pray for the idol worshipers of Delhi. Please ask that they would see the falseness of their idols and seek out the one true God!
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"For great is the Lord and most worthy of praise;

he is to be feared above all gods.

For all the gods of the nations are idols,

but the Lord made the heavens.

Splendor and majesty are before him;

strength and joy in his dwelling place."

1 Chronicles 16:25-27

-S

Dusshera

Today is a Hindu holiday called Dussehra or Dusshera.  It's a holiday that has a long history that is based on the stories from the Ramayana.  The festival basically celebrates the triumph of good over evil and the death of the demon king Ravana.  To celebrate this, they have a big festival and burn effigies of this demon king.

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Pray for the people celebrating this holiday today that they will come to know the one who is truly good!

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"Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter.  Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes and clever in their own sight."

Isaiah 5:20-21

"See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the Lord rises upon you and his glory appears over you.  Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn."

Isaiah 60:2-3

A Lot of People!

Delhi is a very large city.  It's population is anywhere between 14 & 24 million people and is arguably the largest city in the world!  No matter the population, there are a lot of people in Delhi that don't know about Jesus.  

Delhi is:

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82% Hindu

11.7% Muslim

4.3% Sikh

1.1% Jain

0.9% Christian 
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Pray that all of the people of Delhi will get the opportunity to hear about Jesus!
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"This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe.  There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus."   
Romans 2:22-24
-S

Sanjay (Update)

Thank you so much for praying for Sanjay!  He has really caught the vision for church planting and is very excited!  He has just recently baptized some new believers and is wanting and planning  to start 15 new  house churches by December.  Please pray for him that he will have wisdom as he is raising up new leaders and starting new churches.  Pray also that he will be able to manage his time wisely.

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"Then Jesus came to them and said, 'All authority in heaven and on Earth has been given to me.  Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.  And surely I am with you always, to the  very end of the age.'"  Matthew 28:18-20
-S

Eid-ul-Fitr

Today is a big holiday for Muslims around the world. It is Eid (or Eid-ul-Fitr). This holiday marks the end of Ramadan and the end of fasting. In most countries, this holiday is only celebrated for a day, but South Asians celebrate for 3 days. It is very common for gifts to be given during this time. After the Eid prayers are done, many families visit graveyards and pray for the salvation of their dead relatives.

Please pray for the Muslims during this time, that they will be able to find true salvation in the Lord Jesus Christ. Pray for the MBBs (Muslim Background Belivers) that they would be bold in sharing with their friends and families during this time!

Bhaji

Over 4% of Delhi's population are part of the Sikh Religion.  Most of those live in the Western part of the city.  There are very few known believers in Jesus from this group in Delhi.  

Bhaji is a first generation Sikh background follower of Jesus.  He has a church that meets weekly at his house and is faithful in sharing the Gospel!  Please pray for more leaders like Bhaji to reach Sikhs in Delhi!

To learn more about Sikhism, click this link:  Sikhism
-S

Sanjay

Sanjay is a relatively new believer with a Hindu background.  He has seen some miracles in his life since becoming a beliver.  He loves to share with people and tell them the good news of Jesus!  He has started a few new Bible study groups in his neighborhood and is in the process of trying to turn them into House Churches!  Please pray that he would keep up his excitement for starting new churches.  Please pray for the new believers in these churches that new leaders would come up quickly!

"You have heard me teach things that have been confirmed by many reliable witensses.  Now teach these truths to other trustworthy people who will be able to pass them to others." - 2:Timothy 2:2

-S

Ebenezer

"There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death." Proverbs 14:12
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Ebenezer is a young adult that is on the normal path of a Forward Caste Hindu his age.  He has completed college and has begun working and will soon start to pursue marriage.  He has a real love for money and does just about anything he can to get and save more money.  He thought getting the job and the money would make him happy, but he is feeling very empty inside.  Please pray for Ebenezer, that he would see the emptiness in his life and know that Jesus is the only thing that can fill that void!
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"I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life." John 5:24

-S

Holidays

There are many holidays coming in the next 2 months in Delhi.  Please pray that people will be drawn to the one true God during these holidays!  Pray that their lives will be changed!

Here are some of the major holidays coming up:

August 22-September 21 - Ramadan (currently going on) (Muslim)

September 19 - Navaratri (Hindu)

September 21 - Eid-ul-Fitr (Muslim)

September 25-28 - Durga Puja (and Dussehra) (Hindu)
October 8 - Karva Chauth (Hindu)
October 9 - Birthday of Guru Ram Das (Sikh)

October 15-19 - Diwali (Hindu/Sikh/Jain) (Oct 17 is the biggest celebration day)
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Click on the links to learn more.  Please pray for the awesome South Asian people during these holidays!  -S