Next Steps: Starting New Gospel Work in an Unreached Place
Praise God that He does not limit His relationships to people in “easy” places but also extends Himself to the “hard to reach” places.
Last year, Prayer & Praise told the story of Rajan (not his real name, for security reasons), a recent graduate of India Bible College and Seminary. He became a believer in Jesus, coming out of Hindu background. But he knew that God was calling him to minister to Muslims.
He knew this by age 13, after his entire family turned to Jesus Christ after they heard a gospel message that gave them a completely different perspective on life. His family’s life changed so much, Rajan knew he must commit his life to helping others have their own experience with Jesus Christ.
Rajan knew he must make the truth of Christ known to Muslims to free them for the destiny God had for them before He created the world, but hidden by the devil’s insidious lies in religious form. He would enter this place on the truth that Jesus Christ has seized back full authority through the cross and set free all captives from Satan’s chains and dark dungeons, whatever their backgrounds.
Following graduation from IBC, and after many hours of prayer, Bible study and counsel from others experienced with ministry to Muslims, the Holy Spirit gave him a dream that pinpointed with photographic accuracy the exact spot where God wanted him to go. Rajan had never visited this place. When he arrived there, what he saw matched exactly with what he saw in his dream, right down to street signs, tiny shops and other landmarks one does not usually notice.
For security reasons, we will not share the place name, only to say that it is far from his home state. He received two months of orientation from others who were long familiar with the people, culture and history of the area.
One day, soon after his arrival, he visited a local café run by a man who recognized him as an outsider. He discovered the man also came from his home state and spoke the same language. He also believed in Jesus and had a mission to establish a gospel beachhead in this place where Jesus was unknown as Savior and Lord. Only God could have arranged such a meeting. It became clear to both of them that God meant for Rajan and this new friend to join forces.
Soon, the café became a center for making friendships and establishing trust among the local people whose usual tendency was to suspect outsiders. Rajan and his friend (whom we will call “Babu” for security reasons) knew they had to get to know these people well to win their trust before they could hope to share the gospel with them. That would take time and patience.
Rajan and Babu are people lovers as well as prayer warriors, and God helped them to break the ice of suspicion, leading them into deep friendships with people of the community.
Over the next few months, Rajan and Babu learned important things about these new friends. This community suffered from many years of unrest and political instability. Everything felt out of control. Everybody felt helpless. For many years, the local people did not know from day to day if they would live or die.
Rajan and his friend discovered many heavy-hearted people who had lost or were losing hope in life, who felt they had no future. Nearly all of them, both men and women, had lost parents, children, other relatives and close friends in years of turmoil.
This political unrest caused them to raise many questions about their Muslim faith. Why did Allah do nothing to help them? However, they feared to voice their concerns or ask questions of religious authorities or even of relatives for fear of retribution against themselves and/or family members for daring to question anything about their traditional faith. Were they alone in thinking these unthinkable thoughts? So it seemed.
Little by little, these people discovered in these two outsiders a rare opportunity to unburden themselves after years of holding back in deep frustration and despair. When Rajan and his friend listened with care and understanding, they slowly revealed more.
Over time, these various people, both men and women, discovered they were not alone with their doubts and questions. They weren’t going crazy after all! In other locals like themselves, they discovered new friends of like mind, tired of the status quo, also seeking new hope in a seemingly hopeless world.
Gradually, as trust and friendships developed, the café became a center to share with one another and to introduce people to a different way of thinking in Jesus Christ. Starting out small, they realized they must meet together in different places so as not to attract attention to themselves. They have begun to share meals with one another—a sign in their culture of growing loyalty and friendship.
Over the eighteen months or so since Rajan first landed in this community, the God of the Bible has begun to reveal Himself to these seeking men and women through answered prayers, healings and deliverance from demons. Some have indicated they have seen Jesus in dreams and visions.
At this writing, somewhere between 30 and 40 men and women of all ages have become part of this group of seekers, asking the right questions and open to answers that lead them to Jesus Christ. They are willing to risk their lives at the hands of powers-that-be than to live without truth.
In some ways, Rajan, Babu and the Muslim fellowship experience something similar to what early Christians experienced in the Roman Empire during the first three centuries of the Christian faith. With government threats of death as subversives, Christians were forced to meet secretly in catacombs and other places.
In spite of these threats, Christians gained reputations for character, godly power and answers to life that old religions could not answer. In spite of risks to life and limb, spiritually hungry people joined with the underground believers. For those people, the desire for truth became stronger than the risk of death. The same thing is being repeated today with the people that Rajan is reaching with the gospel in one of India’s most prominent Muslim communities.
During the latter part of 2023 and early 2024, Rajan took leave to different places for two months to preach and gain prayer, financial support and much needed rest. With the return of warmer weather, he has since returned to continue his ministry.
Pray for Rajan, his ministry partner, Babu, and for the fellowship of Muslim seekers-for-truth they lead.
Pray for a mighty unveiling of the truth, authority and power of Jesus Christ among them, that they and members of their families and friends will come to Christ.
Pray for a mighty move of the Spirit in this community and other Muslim communities that transforms lives and cultures for the kingdom of God and brings true peace.
Pray for a growing outreach through IGO to Muslims in every part of India (207 million in 2020 [census figures], in every Indian state and territory).
