India needs our prayers. While the whole world is in crisis mode, India has reached catastrophic levels. When major cities in the Philippines reverted to ECQ status in late March, it was to halt the daily new cases from reaching the projected 15,000 per day by mid-April. While we are now down to over 5,000 cases per day, India has just breached 400,000 per day. At that rate, they will overtake in a few days the entire number of Filipinos who tested positive since the beginning in March 2020 (over 1 million). It is widely believed that actual numbers could be five to ten times more than what is officially being reported. Brazil is a far second with under 60,000 new cases per day and the US with under 50,000. This is a tragedy of epic proportions and a humanitarian crisis not only for India but for the world.
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Ironically, India’s Health Secretary Harsh Vardhan publicly declared on March 7 that they are in the “end game of the COVID-19 pandemic” as the government felt certain about the strength of their local vaccine program. In light of the current outbreak, his phrase “end game” has taken on a new meaning. Soon after the health minister said those words, a perfect storm of conditions sabotaged the government’s efforts. An Indian variant emerged, which spreads faster and is suspected to be driving this second wave. Election rallies and Hindu festivals, attended by thousands, served as super spreaders. Planning and funding slips resulted in a vaccine supply shortage despite India being the world’s leading vaccine manufacturer. As a result, the national health care system has crumbled and there is a global surge in the pandemic.
Pastor Kevin Menezes of Every Nation (EN) Mumbai says that the “main challenges” they face are “lack of beds at hospitals to admit patients, lack of oxygen cylinders for the patients resulting in increased deaths, and too much pressure on doctors and front liners who have been weary due to the prolonged period of over a year.” He noted however that “while many in our church and even their families are infected, there have been no deaths so far. We are grateful for God’s protection. Thank you for standing with us.”
Pastor Yesupadam at EN Vishakhapatnam reports that his children and their families in the province are sick, “Many church members are sick, a few have passed away, one of our pastors died on Saturday, many people we know are in the hospitals. The need is so great.”
This is the time for us to unite in prayer for our church family in India and for the nation as a whole. When God revealed Himself in Exodus 15 as Jehovah Rophe, the God who heals, it was a promise to protect His people from disease and death, which plagued the Egyptians. Let us call on His name to cover our church members with protection and to extend mercy to the entire nation of India.
PRAYER POINTS
- Plead for God’s mercy to cover and heal the land of India. Ask God to halt the rampant spread of the virus throughout the nation.
- Pray for wisdom and courage for the national and local government leaders to make right and timely decisions, so they can save as many as possible and end this second wave.
- Ask God for world leaders to come to the aid of India through vaccines, medical supplies, equipment, and other means of support.
- Pray for our churches in India. Ask God to protect our pastors, leaders, church members, and their families. Pray also for comfort for those who have lost loved ones, as well as provision for those who need medicine.
- Intercede for the entire Church in India to unite and display courage and boldness to pray for the sick and preach the gospel despite persecution.
Every Nation is a global family of churches and campus ministries, of which Victory is a founding member.
We are called to make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:19). This is the reason we value world missions as a church and persistently pray for the nations every month.
To learn more about the COVID-19 situation in India, you can check the news and resources in the links below.
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