On 21 July, Pastor Varghese Chacko was going to a house-warming prayer meeting. It was hosted by one of his church members in Dhamtari, Chhattisgarh State.

After Pastor Chacko arrived, a group of villagers entered the house from the Hindu temple next door – demanding a stop to the prayer meeting. They then called the police to accuse the Christians of illegal conversion.

Police arrived and asked Pastor Chacko to leave, but the villagers had punctured one of his car tyres, so he drove to a nearby mechanic.

However, the group followed Pastor Chacko, stopped his car and began beating him with rods. They then dragged him to another temple nearby and forced him to kneel down and bow his head before a Hindu idol. He managed drive to a friend and doctor’s house where he was treated for his wounds.

Please pray for Pastor Chacko, his church, and other religious minority communities in India today. Read more at csw.org.uk/india

Sunday 20 October

Pastor Chacko was badly beaten, but thankfully the next day’s scan at the hospital revealed no internal injuries. Please remember the pastor in prayer, three months on.

Monday 21 October

“You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden.” (Matthew 5:14 NLT)

Pray that Jesus’ words would inspire and encourage Christian communities like Pastor Chacko’s today.

Tuesday 22 October

A Muslim man called Aaqib was attacked on the same day as Pastor Chacko, while travelling between Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh. A group of Hindu pilgrims dragged Aaqib from his car, smashed the windows and tore his clothes, after falsely accusing him of damaging their kanwar (a pot used to carry holy water). Pray for Aaqib and for the safety of India’s Muslim communities.

Wednesday 23 October

On 20 August, 18 Christian families were attacked by a large mob in Iradaha, Chhattisgarh State. The families, who are all converts from Hinduism, have faced threats and harassment for the past year, with villagers attempting to force them to return to their religion. Pray for all who were hurt – including children – and that tensions would ease in the village.

Thursday 24 October

These cases paint a small picture of the dangers facing India’s religious minority communities. Pray for the perpetrators of such intolerance and violence, as well as those responsible for stirring up division through hate speech.

Friday 25 October

Pray that the Indian government at all levels will do more to counter the religious intolerance, hateful rhetoric, and dangerous spread of extreme religious nationalism across the country.

Saturday 26 October

Father, we pray for Pastor Chacko, Aaqib, the families in Iradaha, and all who have been attacked because of their religion or belief. We pray that victims of similar incidents will not be afraid to report them, and that the police would be swift to intervene. Amen.

Download a printable copy of this week’s Prayer Diary