Pray for the Largest Hindu Nations.
This week we are praying for Hindus that God will fulfill His Purpose in calling the Church to reach them. As the Lord commissioned Paul, we are commissioned to pray for the same things to happen to Hindus around the World.
“But rise, and stand upon thy feet: for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose…to open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me.”
Acts 26:16,18.
Lord, We Pray for:
- Opening of their Eyes.
- Turning them from darkness to Light.
- Turn from power of Satan to God.
- They receive Forgiveness of sins.
- Receive His Inheritance
Let us Pray for Nations where Hinduism is the majority religion:
India, Nepal and Mauritius. There are other nations which has a large Hindu populations consisting of millions like Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Myanmar. There are Western Nations where a significant number of Hindus such as USA (2.5 Million), United Kingdom (1.5 Million), and Australia, Canada, Italy, Sweden and other European nations.
Pray for Hindus in India:
Hinduism is the largest religion in India with over a billion Hindus representing 79.8% of the country’s population. India contains 94% of the global Hindu population.
India is the world’s largest democracy. Political, economic, and social challenges all place a heavy burden on the government. Pray that the government will choose to build on the progress of recent decades, especially to preserve and protect human dignity, rights, and freedoms.
The current government has been operating on a Hindutva (Hindu nationalist) platform. This has brought about intensifying persecution of other religions, increasing re-Hinduization/reconversion of Dalit and tribal groups, and the introduction of many barriers of foreign Christian mission in India. The government’s aggressive stance to defend Hinduism – and persecute other faiths – has emboldened religious violence by radical Hindu groups.
The caste system remains a major issue. The Dalits/Bahujans/Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes together are 25% of the population. Others oppressed these groups for thousands of years, and used the caste system (and Hinduism) to justify their harmful actions.
The Church has an opportunity to show that the love of Christ extends to all people, regardless of caste, race, language, gender, and economic status. Pray for Christians to remove all caste discrimination from the Church.
Read More about Praying for India:
Pray for Hindus in Nepal.
Hindus make up about 90 percent of the population of Nepal. In the past they made up more, perhaps 90 percent, but it is always hard to tell in Nepal because so many people are beyond the reach of counting and observation.
Nepal was the world’s only Hindu Kingdom and the king was considered an incarnation of the god Vishnu. It was a nation totally closed from the outside world for centuries.
The first church was formed in 1952 with 29 Christians and had to operate under severe persecution and mostly had to operate underground. Yet, at the height of persecution in 1990, there were 200,000 believers. In 2010 there are as many as 850,000 Christ-followers in nearly 10,000 groups. This was achieved by willingness to suffer for the gospel, profound prayerfulness and a Nepali-driven long-term commitment to evangelism and church planting.
Hindu Customs in Nepal Hindu rituals include worship of household gods (kuldveta), worship of brothers and sisters (bhai tika, celebrated during Tihar) and daily puja (morning and sometimes evening) worship of various Hindu deities such as Ganesh, Shiva, Vishnu, Ram, Krishna, Saraswati, Durga (Kali), Parvati, Narayan and Bhairab. According to “Countries and Their Cultures”: On a day-to-day level, Hindus practice their religion by “doing puja, ” making offerings and prayers to particular deities. While certain days and occasions are designated as auspicious, this form of worship can be performed at any time.’
Pray for Hindus in Bangladesh.
Bangladesh has the third-largest population of Hindus at almost 13.8 million.
Hinduism is the second-largest religious affiliation. Despite having a relatively large number of Hindus, Bangladesh has seen a steady decrease in the Hindu population since 1940, where the percentage of the total population was 28%.
Religious discrimination and tension is rising. Islamists, while a small minority, exert increasing pressure for governance by shari’a principles. Minority groups, even Muslim ones, find themselves vulnerable. Christians, Buddhists and especially Hindus suffer as persecution intensifies, occasionally to the point of destruction of property and sometimes even death. Forced reconversion to Islam is an increasing threat.
Pray for binding of the powers of darkness operating in religious, social and ethnic realms. Pray also that the constitutional freedom allowing all to practise and propagate their own religions might be maintained.
Pray for the churches among sections of the Hindu population. The majority of indigenous believers have traditionally been from a Hindu background, and usually from the less populous and lower caste peoples. The ill-treatment of Hindus in Bangladesh has made them more amenable to the gospel.
Read More about Bangladesh.
Pray for Hindus in Pakistan.
Pakistan has nearly 4 million Hindus, comprising 1.9% of its total population. Hinduism is Pakistan’s second-largest religion behind Islam. Hinduism, as well as Buddhism and Sikhism, has been on the decline in Pakistan for centuries. Non-Muslims in Pakistan have faced discrimination and persecution with the rise of the MMA, a coalition of Islamist political parties that have taken a specific anti-Hindu stance. Additionally, the rise of the Taliban in Pakistan has further influenced the anti-Hindu attitude and increased persecution of Hindus and all non-Muslims. The religious discrimination and persecution in Pakistan have many Hindus looking to India for safety.
Pray for Hindus in Sri Lanka.
Hinduism is the oldest religion in Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka has the sixth-largest Hindu population at 3.09 million, comprising about 13.7% of its people. Sri Lankan Hindus are almost exclusively Tamils, one of the oldest ethnic group in Sri Lanka, with some immigrants from India and Pakistan making up the rest of the Hindu population. Most Sri Lankan Hindus follow the teachings of Saiva Siddhanta while some follow Shakitism. Read More about Sri Lanka Hindus:
Pray for the Hindus in the United States.
The United States has the seventh-largest Hindu population in the world of 2.51 million, comprising 0.7% of its total population. Roughly 90% of American Hindus are immigrants and the children of immigrants, with the remaining 10% being converts. Hindu-Americans hold the highest educational attainment level among all religious communities in the United States. Hindu concepts, such as karma, veganism, reincarnation, meditation, yoga, and Ayurveda, have become popular in the U.S. mainstream, believed and practiced by millions of non-Hindus. Hinduism also has the highest retention rate of any religion in the U.S., with 80% of adults who were raised as Hindus continuing to adhere to Hinduism.
Pray for Hindus in Mauritius
This complex multi-ethnic and multi-religious society makes evangelism a challenge; pray for great wisdom and discernment among Christians. The Hinduization of government and culture, as well as strong ancestral and ethnic ties, make it difficult for Indians to become believers. However, large numbers of Hindus are coming to Jesus through the bold witness of evangelical/Pentecostal churches. Pray for continued church growth – may the body of Christ in Mauritius reflect the beautifully multi-cultural nature of God’s Kingdom! Read More about Mauritius.
NEXT WEEK: 15 DAYS OF PRAYER FOR THE HINDU WORLD.
We invite you to join the 15 day Prayer beginning on 15th October.
THANK YOU for praying for the Hindu World!
Sources: Operation World, LearningReligions.com, Wikipedia, Pew Research, World Population Review,
Photo Credits: Wikimedia, Ninara – Helsinki, Anna Dana – Kumbha Mela,