No nation holds more people who have never heard of Jesus than India. Yet South Asia is also where some of the most remarkable stories of the church are being written. Here is how to pray for the Hindu world — with love, hope, and specifics.
The size of the opportunity
About 1.1 billion people — around 14% of the world — identify as Hindu, most of them in India and Nepal. India alone is home to about 1.45 billion people and some 2,600 distinct people groups, of which about 2,100 are unreached — more than any other country. Only about 2.4% of Indians identify as Christian.
That is why mission researchers count people groups, not just countries. A single state in India can hold more unreached peoples than whole continents. Caste, language and community shape how — and whether — someone ever hears the Gospel.
He made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the surface of the earth, having determined appointed seasons, and the boundaries of their dwellings, that they should seek the Lord, if perhaps they might reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us.
Acts 17:26–27 (WEB)
Pray for the nations
- India — 1.45 billion people · about 2.4% Christian · 2,100 of 2,600 people groups unreached
Pray for the more than two thousand unreached peoples of India — most have no church at all. - Nepal — 30 million people · about 2.5% Christian · 290 of 350 people groups unreached
Praise God for a church that grew from nothing within living memory.
Nepal is a story worth praising God for: from a handful of believers in 1950 to hundreds of thousands today.
Pray for three of the largest peoples
Each is tens of millions of people, and each is a frontier people — virtually no believers. Their profiles tell their story and where hope is breaking through.
- Yadav — 60 million · South Asia · Frontier
Pray for Yadav families to meet Jesus together, as households. - Brahmin — 60 million · South Asia · Frontier
Pray for Brahmin seekers to encounter Jesus in the Scriptures they can already read. - Rajput — 45 million · South Asia · Frontier
Pray for Rajput families to see Jesus as the King worth their loyalty.
What to ask for
- Families coming to Jesus together. In much of South Asia, faith is a family and community matter. Pray for households, not only individuals.
- Believers who stay in their communities — following Jesus without being cut off from family, language and culture.
- Freedom for Christians and churches facing pressure, and wisdom for leaders.
- Scripture and media in the hundreds of languages of the region.
- The poorest and most excluded — that the Church would be known for its love for them.
Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father, except through me."
John 14:6 (WEB)
Closer to home
South Asian communities now live in nearly every major city in the world. The person who needs to meet Jesus may be a classmate, a colleague or the family next door — see your city is already international.
Keep going
- Which country has the most unreached people groups?
- Asia-Pacific — the region at a glance, with prayer points.
- 24 unreached people groups to pray for
- Global Prayer Atlas — build your prayer list.
Religious figures: Center for the Study of Global Christianity and Pew Research Center, rounded. People-group figures: Joshua Project.
Questions people ask
How many Hindus are there in the world?
About 1.1 billion, roughly 14% of the world's population, most of them in India and Nepal.
How many unreached people groups are in India?
About 2,100 of India's roughly 2,600 people groups are unreached — more than any other country.
What percentage of India is Christian?
About 2.4% of India's 1.45 billion people identify as Christian.
How can I pray for Hindus?
Pray for families to come to Jesus together, for believers able to stay within their communities, for freedom for churches facing pressure, and for Scripture in the many languages of South Asia.