| · Population of Meerut: 1.5 million; Muslims 400,000 (27%)
Christian Makes Headlines in Meerut
Several years ago, five Muslim men approached a Christian in Merrut and wanted to get baptised. Three of the young men were, while the other two backed out in fear. The two men who refused baptism reported what had happened. Shortly thereafter, local and national newspapers and television news reported about a man in Meerut who was trying to convert Muslims. This man was, and remains, the only known Christian worker among the 400,000 Muslim people in the city of Meerut, India.
This story illustrates the hostile climate in Meerut, a city whose former name literally translates as “City of Demons”. Meerut is still known as a “hotspot” because of its long history of conflict. The city gained international prominence on 24 April 1857 as the starting point for the Indian mutiny against British rule. The area was again in the headlines in 1987 when some of the most deadly communal riots in the India’s history occurred between Meerut’s Hindus and Muslims.
About Meerut in Uttar Pradesh, India
Meerut is located 70 km north-east of Delhi in Uttar Pradesh, the most populous state in India. The majority of the Muslims in the city live in an area of only a few square kilometres. They are typically poor and practise folk Islam. The two largest Muslim people groups in Meerut city are the Ansari and the Shaikh.
God at Work in Meerut
Despite the hostile environment in the city, God continues to work. Many Muslims in Meerut have had dreams where Christ has appeared to them. Other people are coming to Christ through answered prayer and direct verbal witness. One of the greatest needs in Meerut is for Indian Christian workers who will build relationships with Muslims, pray for their felt needs, explain to them about dreams in which Jesus has appeared to them, and proclaim the gospel to them.
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How One Former Muslim Came to Christ
One former Muslim from Meerut shared about how he became a believer. Jesus appeared to him in a dream with blood on His face and carrying a cross on His shoulder. In the dream, Jesus told the man, “I suffered this for you.” This Muslim man had the same dream two more times during the next few years before eventually believing in Christ. When he told his parents about his decision, the man’s father drew a gun and attempted to shoot his son in the chest. The son quickly dodged and was wounded in the shoulder. Fleeing from his parents’ home he found a pastor who cared for him. The young man received some ministry training and now he is travelling throughout north India, training Muslim-background believers about how to reach Muslims for Christ.
Prayer guide for Meerut, India:
* Pray against the hostility and fear in Meerut. Muslims seeking Christ, Christians, and some missionaries are inhibited from speaking about Jesus because of persecution.
* Pray that God will continue to speak to Muslims through their dreams. Pray for Muslims in Meerut to accept Christ and reach their own people.
* Pray for God to raise up bold Christian workers among the Muslims of Meerut.
* Pray for God to meet the needs of Muslims in Meerut in supernatural ways, leading them to faith in Christ.