India (MNN) — It’s a persecution story that hits close to home for our ministry partner, Mission India. One of the ministry’s teachers, Shukar, leads a Bible-based Adult Literacy Class in East India.

Recently, a group of anti-Christian activists threatened Shukar saying if he didn’t stop teaching the Adult Literacy Class, they would kill his son.

Regan Miller with Mission India says, “In response, Shukar went ahead and filed a complaint with the police. But before anything could come of that, the activists actually showed up at Shukar’s house and his son was asleep.

“Ten people took this 20-year-old son out of the village and beat him to death. They actually brought him back into the village afterward and put his body on display.”

(Representative photo, courtesy of Mission India)

It is a parent’s worst nightmare. Devastatingly, this extreme persecution is a reality for many believers with Christian persecution in India on the rise.

Miller says, “Our partners in India know that when they choose to share the Gospel and are compelled to live for Jesus, they’re taking a huge risk.”

Mission India is supporting Shukar and his family as they grieve. Pray that Shukar and his family would know the Holy Spirit’s comfort. Ask God to gird up Shukar’s faith, that he would be a steadfast example for Christ in persecution.

The ministry also asks Christians to pray for the mob of extremists who killed Shukar’s son. Miller says, “We’ve seen miraculous situations where the worst persecutors that you would never expect to follow Jesus end up coming to faith in Christ because the Holy Spirit works a miracle in their hearts.”

Mission India’s Adult Literacy Classes both share the Gospel and give adult students lifelong skills to enrich their lives. “Teachers like Shukar end up praying over the students [and] discipling them. It’s so much more than education,” says Miller.

(Photo courtesy of Mission India)

“So a lot of times by the end of the class, graduates not only have a fifth-grade level of education, they know how to save money, they have become entrepreneurs, they know how to take care of their health, and they know who Jesus is and a lot of them choose to follow Him.”

Ask the Lord to strengthen the faith of Adult Literacy Class teachers who may face persecution. Pray they would be faithful witnesses for Jesus.

Mission India is releasing a 7-day devotional highlighting Christian persecution in India. It’s all leading up to the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church on November 3.

Sign up here for Mission India’s IDOP devotional and learn more about praying for persecuted believers like Shukar.

 

Representative header photo of a church in India, courtesy of Mission India.