Durga Prasad, his wife, and their two children live in a city of 600,000 people in India. He lives with his extended family, following strict Hindu religious customs and festivals. One of our church members lives near Durga’s house. Whenever I visited that believer, Durga watched me closely. He did not like Christianity and often boasted about his Hindu gods. Then his mother became sick and suddenly passed away, shocking the entire family.
I went to his house with the church believer to try and provide comfort. I asked them, “Shall I pray for you?” They agreed. Then I read Jesus’ words in John 14:6: “I am the way and the truth and the life ” and prayed for them.
I returned one week later. He asked me, “What is the meaning of your reading?” I explained that Jesus is the only God and way to heaven. He asked, “What about my gods? They are the way to Moksha (heaven).” But I showed him the Bible verses that say we’re all sinners, but God sent his Son Jesus to be the atoning sacrifice for the whole world. After hearing these verses, he was silent. I prayed for the family’s comfort and left. The Holy Spirit started to work in him as he thought about these Bible verses.
Two months later, I went to his house and invited his family to our Christmas program. He came and heard the Christmas message that Jesus was born to save us from our sins and gives life those who believe. He started coming to church with the believer who lives next to his house and listened to God’s Word. When the new year came, he asked me to baptize him. He confessed that he is sinner, was baptized, and received Christ’s forgiveness. He began bringing his wife and children to church.
But his family got very angry. They scolded both of us and set up an intervention with his relatives. His father said, “He is not my son. He doesn’t belong to my family. I hate Christianity, and I don’t want my son to be Christian.” The relatives urged Durga to return to their traditions and avoid being cast out of the home. But Durga said, “I need Jesus more than anything you could give to me.”
His relatives abandoned him and his family and sent them out of their house. But God provided for him. He found another small house for his family as the church encourages and prays for him. We thank and praise God for his salvation. Please keep him in your prayers as he grows in his faith.
From Pastor Manikumar, Christ Evangelical Lutheran Ministries (CELM) in India
