Missions Wednesday: Pakistan

By now many of you are aware of the massive flooding that has taken place in Pakistan. So far 1,600 people have died, and 1.6 million are left without food, water, shelter or healthcare by the disaster. Without immediate help, many in Pakistan face the possibility of death due to disease, starvation, or exposure to the elements. I have heard reports of women having to give birth in horrific conditions, surrounded by flood waters.

Disasters have a way of drawing our attention to a country that is previously not on our radar—and that is to our shame. There are nearly 200 million people living in Pakistan, and 96% of those people are Muslim. Pakistan is an Islamic Republic, and in some areas there are no known Christians. Shari’a law is applied in Pakistan, making it very difficult for anyone who does not adhere to Islam. Christians are increasingly facing persecution. There has been a Christian witness in Pakistan since 1833. In the early days Christians reached out to the “untouchables” of the Hindu castes. Because of cultural bias against Hindus and the caste system, many Pakistanis would not even consider Christianity due to their previous work. Still, in many areas of Pakistan, to become a Christian is a sentence to persecution.

Ways to pray:

• Pray for Pakistani Christians. They face the greatest threat of persecution and death. Pray that they would have courage to speak about Christ and would be welcomed into the Christian community.
• Pray that the Church will grow amidst persecution. Fairness is not a reality in Pakistan. Pray that the Church would be strengthened and sharpened even in the middle of fear and hardship.
• Pray for the unreached peoples. There are over 160 ethnic groups and 40 language groups with no known church or missions plan. Operation World says that “few countries present a greater challenge for missions.”