How to Pray for 1.1 Billion Followers of Hinduism

Emily Sheddan • Jan 03, 2022

As we start a new year, we are focusing on world religions and how to pray for the various followers among them. This month we will look at Hinduism .

The wide and great diversity among what Hindus believe and practice can be somewhat overwhelming. About 15% of the world’s population call themselves Hindu and pride themselves on their liberal and accepting stance toward all other world religions. When a faith already encompasses 33 million gods , what’s one more god to the mix, right? The concept and truth of following just one is difficult for their beliefs and culture to grasp.

While I was growing up in Southeast Asia, it was evident with all the daily rituals and festivals the Hindus had, all the colors, sounds, and story-telling could be intriguing while also, unfortunately, be enslaving. Like many religions, Hinduism is based on fear and obligations.

We can be thankful and give praise to our one true God that many have become aware they can’t deal successfully with these obligations nor cope with sin day in and day out. This realization results in a genuine understanding of redemption in Jesus Christ.

While movement is slow, Christ’s name is being made known steadily among the Hindu. Join us in praying for them around the world and that new and strong believers would multiply.

1. Pray that more disciples of Jesus would learn how to communicate the Good News effectively to Hindus worldwide.

Praying for and reaching Hindus, “requires creativity, faith and boldness on the part of church planters and new believers,” says Ron, a Southeast Asia TEAM worker. “Following Jesus challenges the idolatry and immorality of the Hindu beliefs and practices”, he continues. As with many other religions and beliefs, it takes sensitivity, patience and direction from the Holy Spirit to jump into what may become difficult conversations.

We, as believers, know that our God can supernaturally show Himself amongst their curiosity so that they will desire to follow Jesus Christ exclusively. There are 2,328 unreached Hindu People groups that we can pray for, specifically their hunger and thirst for a relationship with the one and true living God.

Ask the Lord to be with the ones who go out and speak the Word and truth, that they would be emboldened, and share in a way that resonates with the Hindus.

2. Pray for those that have come to believe in the Lord, but have been shunned from their families and communities.

Often ones who do accept Jesus Christ are literally kicked out of their families, as well as lose their friends and jobs. Join us in praying for these new believers!

Often ones who do accept Jesus Christ are literally kicked out of their families, as well as lose their friends and jobs. Join us in praying for these new believers!

Persecution from the world is hard enough, but persecution from loved ones and long-term friendships is intimidating and burdensome.

Central Asia TEAM missionary, Ellen*, says that often ones who do accept Jesus Christ are literally kicked out of their families, as well as lose their friends and jobs.

One family in Central Asia had four members become Christian, one of them being the father. When the father passed, the oldest son who was still a practicing Hindu, became head of the household.

The fellow members who had become believers have been threatened by the oldest son to turn back and reject Christianity. Still today, this family shares with Ellen they are still believers, yet feel unable to practice their faith. Ellen asks for prayer for this family and the numerous ones like them in similar situations.

Pray for the confidence of the ones who have come to know Jesus as Lord. Pray they can practice without oppression and mistreatment.

3. Pray for new believers to grow in their faith, strengthening their walk and foundation.

Attempts from TEAM missionaries to reach Hindu peoples are being carried out in several different regions as well as across several different partnerships. It is encouraging and reaffirms the mission when one comes to call upon Jesus as their Savior.

“We prayed right there together and since that time, Maya’s heart was completely changed,” shares TEAM missionaries Ruby and Kevin*. “Only the love of Jesus can so powerfully transform a life like Maya’s (who previously had come from a Hindu background) and pour out of her that way to her roommates and family”, Ruby said.

Maya’s family has refused her new faith and she struggles. She is sincere with her commitment and new faith in Jesus Christ but her surroundings make it tough.

Pray for Maya and others like her to find believing communities. Pray for their non-believing families to see the light and come to know true liberation in Christ.

*Some names have been changed for security reasons.

By Suzanne Pearson 08 Mar, 2024
Through God-ordained partnerships and creative connections, TEAM worker Keith Moore sees the global Church advancing in amazing ways. In the global missions landscape, a phrase that comes up often is “from everywhere, to everywhere.” God is calling His global Church in literal new directions, as He raises up cross-cultural workers to be sent from places that were once on the receiving end of missions work. We call this movement “polycentric sending.” TEAM workers Dawn and Keith Moore have seen first-hand this transition taking place. Their story involves the unlikely but beautiful intersection of Charlotte, North Carolina; Tegucigalpa, Honduras; and Memphis, Tennessee...and beyond. The Path to Honduras Keith and Dawn joined TEAM in 1991 and served as church planters for nine years in Bogota, Colombia. After safety concerns precipitated their return to the States in 1999, they knew they wanted to continue serving in Latin America. The Moores felt called to Honduras but wanted to connect with a strong missional church to help send them. The Lord orchestrated a collaboration with Bellevue Baptist Church in Memphis, Tennessee. “Some people asked, ‘Why Honduras? Missionaries have been there for 100 years. It’s already reached,’” Keith says. “But there’s a whole section of Latin America that had not been reached - the upper crust.” Keith goes on to explain that he and Dawn felt called to reach college-educated professionals in Honduras – a ministry vision that resonated with the missional goals of Bellevue Baptist. Impact and Growth With the support of this new church partnership as well as another sending church in Birmingham, Alabama, the Moores embarked on their next adventure. Keith and Dawn started Impacto Honduras Church from scratch, and in less than 20 years, the church grew into four locations with 1600 total members. The Moores and other TEAM workers also created a “Bible school” type training program to help professionals who feel a call to ministry to make that transition. Throughout this period of explosive growth, church partnerships played an integral role. “It’s such a different vision when you have a church that says, ‘OK, this is our deal, we want to make this happen,’” Keith explains. “They helped us with everything. They took away every single obstacle to growth. Every time we needed something, they were there.” In 2017, the Moores once again found themselves on the verge of another decision. Was it time to leave Honduras? “I had no desire to leave,” Keith recalls. “People were coming to Christ every week! It was just so amazing.” However, back in the U.S., Keith and Dawn’s parents were in their 80s and would soon be in need of more care. “We realized that either we would leave in a crisis, or we would leave strategically,” says Keith. The couple began to implement a careful succession plan. By the time they left, the four churches were established with strong, Honduran leadership ready to carry on the work of the Gospel.
By Suzanne Pearson 23 Feb, 2024
Justin Burkholder, pictured here with his wife Jenny and their daughters Isabella, Olivia, and Zoey, has recently been named as TEAM’s next International Director. On February 19, 2024, with much excitement and gratitude to the Lord, TEAM announced that Justin Burkholder will become our organization’s new International Director, effective July 1, 2024. Justin, who is currently TEAM’s Executive Director of Global Ministry, will assume his new role upon the retirement of the current International Director, Dave Hall. ( Read the full press release here. ) We sat down recently with Justin to learn a little more about his background, his family, and the journey that has led him to TEAM. Q: Tell us a little bit about your “origin story” - Where did you grow up? What was your family like? A: I grew up in Mexico City as a missionary kid. My parents were focused on church planting. We were very close as a family. Both of my parents are still alive, and my dad serves as a pastor in southern Florida. I have one brother who is a pastor in Wisconsin, and the most special individual in my family is my sister, Amber. She was born with a very severe case of cerebral palsy and is entirely dependent on my mother...who is extraordinary! The three most impactful forces that have shaped who I am (outside of God’s grace) are growing up in Mexico, having parents who loved and planted churches, and sharing life with someone with a severe disability. My parents belonged at the time to a church and denomination that came with quite a bit of legalism and performance-oriented Christianity. Grace was a challenging concept to grasp. While I had an awareness of my sin and need for redemption, it wasn’t until I attended Moody Bible Institute that I began to grasp the fullness of God’s grace and His delight in His children. I have continued learning and trusting in the Gospel through formal education, like completing my M.Div., and through spiritual practices in community. Learning the Gospel and believing the Gospel has been a daily exercise. The Gospel is as beautiful and multi-faceted as a diamond! At an individual level, it is simple enough for us to live convinced that “Jesus loves me, this I know.” At a corporate level, it becomes the foundation that forms and informs our life as a spiritual family. At a cosmic level, it is redemption that reaches as far as the curse is found. It is hard to even grasp the multiplicity of goodness found in the Good News. Q: Share a little bit about your family life now. What does a typical day look like in the Burkholder household? A: My wife Jenny is my high-school sweetheart! She brings joy and kindness wherever she goes. She’s the best listener I’ve ever met, and we love spending time together. We have three daughters. Isabella is ten, Olivia is seven, and Zoey is four. Each of the girls is unique and has taught us a lot in our process of following Jesus together. We like to go out on walks and go to the park together. Once a month I try to get some alone time with each of my daughters which usually includes bowling or trampolines. A typical day in the Burkholder house starts around 5:00am. Because of traffic here in Guatemala City, we have to leave early for school. After school, the girls come home to different activities - sometimes swimming class, sometimes piano lessons. Four or five nights a week we have dinner together where we usually talk about our high and low moments of the day. On weekends, we enjoy time together, playing outside, or watching sports together. Go Cubs and Go Buckeyes! Q: What are your interests and hobbies? If you have the day off, what are you likely to be up to? A: I enjoy physical activity, running, strength-training and following sports. I also love music and, truth be told, am a bit snobby about my taste in music! I also am a very curious person and love reading just about anything that passes through my hands. A day off is usually an opportunity for time with family. Jenny and I like to cook something interesting together on our days off. Often there is time for some reading and watching some type of athletic event. Q: How did God lead you to TEAM? A: My wife and I were working in the Chicago suburbs. I was a youth pastor and she was a Spanish teacher. When we got married, we had already sensed God’s direction to serve cross-culturally, but it was a matter of discerning when and where. There was a driving desire in me to see a church deeply love the Scriptures and at the same time, be deeply engaged in loving and serving their city and the most vulnerable among them. As God directed our paths, we visited a variety of places and made some friends in Guatemala who opened up the path for us to serve here. While we were exploring, we knew that the International Director of an organization called TEAM happened to go to our church, so I decided I should probably invite him out for breakfast - his name was Charlie Davis. Charlie was extremely thoughtful, passionate about disciple-making, and very gracious in creating space for us as we stepped into this endeavor. Charlie connected me with Steve Dresselhaus, a fellow TEAM global worker who was at that time serving as the Senior Director for the Americas. I cannot express the debt that I owe Steve. He walked closely with me in the transition, encouraged courageous thinking about the church and her role in society, and blasted open the doors for us to serve in Guatemala. After meeting Steve, we spent some days praying about joining TEAM. One thing I will never forget – one night during the process, I found myself wide awake in the middle of the night. A peace like I have seldom experienced passed over me confirming that we should join TEAM. There is no doubt in my mind that God tied all of these pieces together to bring us into the TEAM family and community. Q: What roles have you held in TEAM? What have been the milestones in those roles? A: The most important role I have held in TEAM is that of a global worker. God in His grace has allowed us to help plant two churches here in Guatemala, serve in leadership development, counseling, and discipleship. Our greatest joy has been found walking with those who are learning to follow Christ more deeply. I served as the Ministry Area Leader in Guatemala from 2016 to 2019. We helped to establish and lead this ministry area as it grew from just four global workers to over 15. I then served as Senior Director for Mexico and Central America from 2019 to 2021, Regional Executive Director for the Americas in 2021 and 2022, and then transitioned to the role of Executive Director of Global Ministry which I’ll continue in until the end of June. Q: What do you love most about being a part of TEAM? Why TEAM rather than other organizations or job opportunities? A: The TEAM community is full of people who have faithfully served God’s mission and have given up a lot to do so. It is a privilege to know many of our global workers and be counted among them. I am also fascinated by the fact that TEAM has existed now for more than 130 years! There is something to be said about the resilience and faithfulness of an organization that has continued to impact the world for so long. The rest of our conversation with Justin will be coming soon on blog! We’ll hear more about how God called Justin to the role of International Director, and what Justin sees for the next chapter in TEAM’s work in the global Church.
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