Posture of Prayer: Let’s Pray
I’ve spent years learning how to pray for Hindus I love and desire to see know Christ. Let me share some specific ways I often pray when I see a Hindu barefoot and holding a plate of flowers and food, about to offer prayers to an idol that neither sees nor hears them. And as we pray, let us remember that before we met Christ, we were walking through life posturing our days for personal gain and avoidance of pain and loss. Sometimes we still do. Hindus are no different. They need Jesus just like we do—most, tragically, haven’t met him yet.
“The more pain you have before god, the happier he is.”
Pray for Hindus to come to know the one true God.
God formed them in the womb and knows all their thoughts and all their ways. Pray that Hindus will believe that the same God who created the universe created them with a purpose that he will bring into fruition as they place their faith in him (Ps. 139; Ps. 57:2–3).
Pray that Hindus will see God for who he is.
The idols Hindus worship cannot hear them, see them, or speak to them (Ps. 115). They cannot give hope, cannot give peace, and cannot save (Isa. 46:5–10). Pray that Hindus will know that the God of the Bible is the only God who can not only interact with them but can save them (John 3:16).
Pray for God to send laborers to share the gospel with them.
More than 900 million of them are unreached with the gospel. Pray that he will give you opportunities to share the hope you have with Hindus you encounter (Matt. 9:37–38). There are more than 1 billion Hindus living in 53 countries, and 27 million belong to groups that are completely unengaged—meaning no one has a strategy to get the good news to them. Pray for laborers. Be that bearer of good news in a Hindu’s life.
Pray for Hindu-background believers.
Pray that former Hindus, like my friend, Priya, will lovingly and consistently share their faith. Pray that God will strengthen and encourage them as they tell others of the hope they have in Jesus.
*Name changed
This article about the posture of prayer originally appeared here and is part of a series entitled The Posture of Prayer, which takes a look at how people of different faiths pray. Read The Posture of Prayer: A Look at How Muslims Pray here.
