The Supreme Court has issued several petitions for Rajasthan to justify the anti-conversion law’s constitutionality, which allows state officials to seize property and demolish homes based on allegations of forced conversion.

(Photo courtesy of Bibles For The World via Facebook)

John Pudaite, President and CEO of Bibles For The World (BFTW), says it’s part of a broader legal battle as India’s Supreme Court takes a magnifying glass to anti-conversion laws across multiple states.

“They are questioning how this current government — the BJP government — can continue to steamroll across the country and pass these anti-conversion laws, which are nothing but an attack primarily on Christianity,” he says.

This new scrutiny may also cause those who target Indian Christians using anti-conversion laws to think twice.

“As they felt impunity, they would attack the churches and attack the Christians,” says Pudaite. “People are realizing that the laws they thought covered them may not have as much strength…as they had hoped.”

(Photo courtesy of Bibles For The World via Facebook)

Looking ahead, Pudaite urges the global Church to take this critical case, and others like it, before the Lord.

“We need to continue to pray for the Supreme Court and those justices, that they can be impartial in their evaluation of the evidence and of those laws. We can pray that they will not be politically influenced or otherwise influenced.”

Pudaite also encourages believers to keep the Gospel in sight — with hearts to reach their persecutors with the Gospel.

“Especially as we go into this Christmas season, pray that this may be a special time for the Body of Christ to be able to share the Good News of the birth of Jesus Christ…. Pray that the true spirit of Christ in Christmas may be able to shine.”

Header photo: Architecture in Jaipur, Rajasthan, India. (Photo courtesy of Dexter Fernandes/Unsplash)

India (MNN) — Police continue the hunt for all culprits behind last Monday’s suicide bombing outside of the Red Fort in New Delhi. India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi called the attack that killed at least 13 a “terror incident” done by “anti-national forces.”

So far, the investigation has revealed that the car carrying the explosives was driven by a Muslim doctor, Umar Nabi. Over the weekend, authorities arrested the owner of that car, an alleged accomplice.

People look around in a colorful market in Pakistan (Photo courtesy of Umar Farooq via Unsplash)

John Pudaite with Bibles For the World says most of the violence between religions in India occurs between Hindus and Muslims.

“This is a really interesting development, seeing here the educated among the Muslims who are serving in India becoming radicalized and getting involved,” says Pudaite. “This is a huge cause of concern, certainly for the country of India.”

The clash between the faiths crosses national borders as well. Tensions between majority-Muslim Pakistan and majority-Hindu India have been exceptionally high since April, when a terror attack in Pahalgam, India-administered Kashmir, killed dozens of civilians and sparked a four-day war between the nations.

As if to underscore this, hours before the Red Fort blast, police in India-administered Kashmir uncovered a terror cell involving at least seven people, including two Kashmiri doctors. Then, hours after the attack in India, Pakistan suffered its own terrorist incident in its capital.

A target on their backs

Pudaite notes that there’s another layer in this tragedy to be aware of: whether Christians will be harmed.

Women wearing colorful clothing walk into the historic Agra Fort in Agra, India. (Photo courtesy of IMB)

“One of my first thoughts when I heard [about the suicide bombing was], ‘Oh boy. Where are the Christians going to get attacked in revenge for this?’” he says. “Even though we had nothing to do with it there in India, it seems like we are the easy target for revenge from either side.” 

That’s because attackers know that while their enemies might strike back, Christians won’t strike back. It leads to a sobering trend: On average, two incidents of persecution against Christians happen every day in India.

Now that you know, keep watching India. Pray that Indian authorities will administer justice fairly. Pray for believers who may be caught in the backlash.

“These are the tensions. This is real, happening,” says Pudaite. “Just to be able to pray into that context a little more informedly, that these are real conflicts going on and real threats that they [Christians] face every day. And yet within this, we see so many wonderful Christians, ministries, [and] churches doing outreach among their fellow Indians. It’s just amazing.”

Header photo: “Through the barricades” | The iconic Red Fort or Lal Qila — the 17th-century historic fort in Old Delhi, India built by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site — as seen beyond the security barricades [Photo: October 2022] (Stock photo and caption courtesy of Brijender Dua via Unsplash)

Diwali is a Hindu festival primarily associated with the goddess of prosperity and marks the beginning of India’s fiscal calendar.

“We want to ask the body of Christ to join with us in prayer for the Hindu world during these Hindu holidays,” John Pudaite of Bibles For The World says.

To support this effort, request a free prayer guide from Bibles For The World here. “It’s a beautifully printed guide, and the theme this year is God sees, God heals, and God saves,” Pudaite adds.

“God sees the persecution, God heals – no matter how deep the wounds may be – and then God saves. Ultimately, we want all Hindu people to know of salvation through Jesus Christ.”

“God sees the persecution”

Christians face ever-increasing pressure from India’s Hindu nationalists. Learn more here.

“At the state level, the BJP is trying to put into action its plan for making India a Hindu nation, and in the process, denying the freedom of religion that is guaranteed by the Indian constitution,” Pudaite says.

“Things that are done in the name of, especially Christianity, can be considered or positioned as anti-national. This is a major concern.”

Emboldened by state-level anti-conversion laws, “we are seeing the Hindu activist forces attacking churches [and] home fellowships; [there are] one or two attacks a day,” Pudaite adds.

Furthermore, “new laws are extending to the internet, and any attempts to convert on social media are brought under their purview.”

(Photo courtesy of Bibles For The World)

Hope amid oppression

Pray for wisdom and strength for Christian leaders in India as they navigate the increasing persecution and restrictions. Ask the Lord to protect His people in India.

Pray that as Hindus celebrate the festival of lights, they meet a Christian who will introduce them to the Light of the World.

“We do see the body of Christ growing,” Pudaite says. “We see amazing reports of outreach [activities] happening in different parts of India. The Holy Spirit is still working across that country.”

Header image depicts Diwali lights in Delhi. (Photo courtesy Pratham Gupta/Unsplash)

On September 9, 2025, India’s Rajasthan State passed its latest anti-conversion law. In the weeks since, at least nine documented incidents of attacks or harassment against Christians have happened in the state.

“While this law has actually not been signed by the governor and actually made law, it has certainly emboldened the fanatic Hindu groups there,” says John Pudaite with Bibles For The World.

Anti-conversion laws can easily be used to target Christian and Muslim minorities.  Even something like giving to the poor or playing music at a worship gathering can lead to accusations of forcing someone to convert. Accusations can lead to mob attacks, fines, lengthy imprisonment, and legal battles.

This surge of mistreatment of Christians in Rajasthan isn’t surprising. It’s a reminder to pray for protection for these brothers and sisters, and that attackers will see the light of Christ as believers respond.  The challenges that come from this are serious.

(Stock photo courtesy of Ahmed Fahmi via Unsplash)

“[It forces] them to come up with a lot of money to bail out the pastors and Christians who have been charged, and to have to expend the legal fees to defend their case, and the time and resources that are involved,” Pudaite says. 

The accusations are usually unfounded. “While twelve states have these laws, and there have been hundreds of arrests made under these anti-conversion laws, not a single [case] has stuck in court,” he says. “Even though you have states like Uttarakhand that have now increased the possible punishment to life imprisonment for a forcible or fraudulent conversion, not a single charge has stuck.”

The good news is that a roadblock came up in September against anti-conversion laws. India’s Supreme Court called for nine of the 12 Indian states with such laws to respond to petitions challenging them. The Court says it will consider granting a stay on their enforcement. (More on that here.) 

“That is a very, very important step that the Supreme Court has taken in asking the states to basically show cause [for] why they have passed these laws — really holding to the Indian Constitution, which guarantees freedom of religion,” says Pudaite. 

Pray for justice and truth to be upheld by India’s Supreme Court, which will be under pressure from Hindutva voices to defend anti-conversion laws. 

Header photo: Central Wing of the Supreme Court of India where the Chief Justice’s courtroom is situated. (Photo courtesy of Subhashish Panigrahi via Wikimedia Commons – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0)

Though India’s constitution guarantees an individual’s right to choose their own religion, “We do see states where the BJP is the strongest starting to enact stronger, more stringent anti-conversion laws: Maharashtra, Uttarakhand, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan,” John Pudaite with Bibles For The World says.

“These are states that have a BJP party in power or a coalition in power.”

Anti-conversion laws make it illegal to change your faith, and they penalize the people who introduce you to a different religion.

“They position these laws often under the title of Freedom of Religion Act, and it’s actually the exact opposite,” Pudaite says.

“It’s meant to restrict people from exercising their ability to practice the religion of their choice.”

These new laws broaden the scope of activities considered “conversion,” putting more believers at risk.

“Anything they do, whether they post something on social media or they meet together in a home and have a time of prayer and worship, these things now can be considered as offenses,” Pudaite says.

Keep India’s Christians in your prayers. Ask the Lord to strengthen and encourage them. Request a free prayer guide from Bibles For The World to further inform your intercession.

“The immediate threat is how it emboldens the pro-Hindu, anti-Christian activists. With the government behind them, they can do things against Christians and know that there’ll be no prosecution,” Pudaite says.

“Pray for the leadership, for wisdom and strength in their faith, as well as the congregations, and that they may continue to share the good news of Jesus Christ.”

Header image courtesy of Bibles For The World. 

Even though the Supreme Court has now decided that the laws are unconstitutional, there’s been a strong push in recent years to pass anti-conversion legislation at the state level. Read more about that here.

The laws were “passed because of the strong support and the rise in power of the BJP government, which is a strong pro-Hindu, anti-Christian political party,” explains John Pudaite with Bibles For The World.

(Photo courtesy of Voice of the Martyrs Canada)

Still, this moment calls for gratitude. “It’s taken quite a bit of effort behind the scenes for the Supreme Court to take notice and to take this action, so I do see that as a small win and just an answer to prayer that so many of our listeners have been joining with us on,” Pudaite says.

Prayer remains essential. The leaders of the nine states in question – Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Uttar Pradesh – have four weeks to respond to the Supreme Court’s request.

After that, “we are going to have a hearing in six weeks, [which] is a tight timeframe in India in their judicial system,” Pudaite says.

“Pray that the Supreme Court may continue to treat the issue and the responses that come in from the states truly objectively and according to the Constitution of India, with all of its intents to protect religious freedom.”

For now, enforcement continues. Authorities and Hindu radicals often use anti-conversion laws to target Christians and other religious minorities, leaving these communities vulnerable.

“The context in India is so difficult for us to share the Gospel. If we’re out evangelizing in the streets or sharing Christian literature, they’ll just come and attack us,” Pudaite says.

“You can’t even have a Christian family get-together because if you pray before your meal or you sing a song together, you might get attacked for that.”

Despite the challenges, hope remains. You can stand with believers in India: consider partnering with Bibles For The World to help distribute God’s Word, sponsor Christian students, or provide healthcare in Jesus’ name.

Header image depicts buildings that house India’s Supreme Court. Photo courtesy of the Supreme Court of India. 

Indonesia is a vast nation of striking contrasts. Some regions face significant persecution of believers, and reports have emerged of extremists — like ISIS — setting up camps and training there. Yet ministries based in the country continue to see openness and success in sharing the Gospel, even amid the protests.

John Pudaite from Bibles For The World says, “These protests are being led by students primarily across the country, who feel that this current government is becoming rather repressive and also quite corrupt, and is passing laws and bills that are benefiting them.”

Map of Indonesia (photo courtesy of Putri Nabila via Unsplash)

The main demands include economic reforms to help the middle class have financial stability, more job opportunities with fair salaries for young professionals and graduates, and freedom for opposition voices.

The protests also reveal the nation’s deeper need for hope.

“You could just feel such a poverty for Scripture there in that country, that they haven’t had access to it, and they really want to know what’s written in God’s Word,” explains Pudaite.

Christians responded to this need by going out to share the Good News with protestors.

“The most recent wave of protests and violence we had a wonderful window to provide 80,000 Gospels of John and 15,000 New Testaments for the new believers,” he says.

The Gospel is so refreshing that people often stop in their tracks!

“So often we saw them just kind of step off to the side and start reading God’s word immediately,” he shares.

Pray for lasting peace and economic breakthrough across the country. Pray also for the Gospel to fill the deep void of hope.

“We continue to pray into this situation, that the Prince of Peace may prevail, that these — especially the violent protests — may subside, and that the people will, in the process, come to know that Jesus Christ is truly the only way to everlasting peace and hope,” says Pudaite.

Visit Bibles For The World to see how Scripture transforms lives!

Header photo: 2025 Indonesian student protests in Central Jakarta (photo courtesy of David Wadie Fisher-Freberg via Wikimedia Commons).

Some Gen Z groups claim the demonstrations were meant to be nonviolent but that opportunists “hijacked” them. Regardless, the military enforced the curfew on Wednesday, restoring some order to Kathmandu.

“There have been protests in some of the farther flung areas, major towns and cities across the country. So it’s definitely a nation in flames right now,” said John Pudaite with Bibles For The World.

According to a report from The New York Times, conversations between military officials and young protest leaders have begun. 

The protests were triggered by a government ban on social media last Thursday. 

“We’re very surprised [by] the extreme reaction that we saw from the youth. But beneath the surface, this had been brewing for some time, because there [have] been a lot of protests about the corruption in the current Nepali government,” Pudaite said. 

“These are the youth of the country that are struggling, trying to figure out how far can they go with education? What kind of job will they have? And they’re seeing the resources [of] the country being eaten up by a corrupt government.”

(Photo courtesy of Bibles For The World)

In years past, Bibles For The World has sent millions of Scripture resources for people in Nepal. Pudaite says they have gradually had to stop this activity after tightened restrictions following the COVID-19 pandemic. Recently, the ministry has begun to prayerfully consider ways to renew its gospel work in the nation.

“Even under the current laws and under the current regime, how can we continue to equip the Body of Christ with God’s Word?” Pudaite said. 

Please pray that Nepal’s young generation today will discover the true life that God offers. 

“Pray that this political crisis will bring spiritual unity among the believers in Nepal,” Pudaite said. 

One Bibles For The World partner shared this prayer: “Let us cry out to our Lord for peace and stability in Nepal. Now is the time for us to come together in unity and lift our voices in prayer to our Almighty God. May He heal Nepal’s land, comfort the grieving and bring justice and hope to the people of Nepal.”

Header photo: Nepalese Gen Z protesters in front of Bharatpur city corporation office, September 2025 (Courtesy of हिमाल सुवेदी via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0)

The Countries of Particular Concern (CPC) is a list for which the U.S. president is required to annually review the status of religious freedom in every country in the world and designate each country where the government has engaged in or tolerated “particularly severe violations of religious freedom.”

The State Department’s Religious Freedom Report was not updated last year and has yet to be updated in 2025. The latest CPC list from 2023 excludes India; however, the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) includes India on its recommended Countries of Particular Concern (CPC) and Special Watch List (SWL).

With the rise of anti-conversion laws in several Indian states, attacks against Christians have climbed to an average of twice a day. 

Bibles For The World (BFTW) had hoped that the new U.S. administration would revive work on religious freedom issues. It remains their prayer that the U.S. government will bring these human rights issues into focus and deal with this religious persecution and loss of religious freedom.

John Pudaite with BFTW says, “We’re seeing that from some of our partners, where before they were very willing to take large amounts of scripture from us, whether the gospel of John, (or) New Testaments for New Believers, (we’re) starting to see them lowering their orders or requests. Some of them are just saying, ‘We can’t do this right now.’ And that’s that’s pretty shocking, because most of these were pretty bold in their faith and their outreach and evangelism.”

Pudaite said these Christians are on the front lines.

There is an openness to the gospel in India. (Photo courtesy of Bibles for the World)

“We’re just hoping and praying that under the Trump administration this will shift back toward bringing (India) into focus as a country that really needs to live by its constitution, which guarantees religious freedom for all of its citizens,” says Pudaite.

While Christians face religious persecution in the country, there is also new openness to the Gospel. Pudaite says that people see the regime in power is not reaching down to them and considering them.

Instead, “They’re responding to what they see: The love of Christ coming through the Christians there in India,” says Pudaite.

Please pray for the protection of Christians in India. Pray that they will continue to be strong in their faith, outreach, and in their ministries. Pray that as God opens the hearts of Indians to the Gospel, He will guide world leaders to advocate for minorities in India.

(Photo by Naveed Ahmed on Unsplash)

John Pudaite of Bibles For The World (BFTW) says the trend is troubling. “Quite a number of people are being arrested under these laws. Churches are being attacked in the middle of worship, with police in tow. They’ll file false charges or charges of conversion against pastors and some of the worshipers there.”

A Catholic Church in Calangute, Goa. (Photo, caption courtesy of Adriana Rodricks/Unsplash)

The thing is, those charges rarely hold up in court. “They can never prove that the people were gathered…with an intent to convert,” Pudaite explains.

So why push for a tougher law? Pudaite says Maharashtra is looking to change the framing. “They are now trying to position Christian activities not so much in anti-conversion terms but as anti-national. That will be easier, they feel, to prove in court — that this is upsetting the fragile balance…of the Hindu majority in the country.”

Meanwhile, violence against Christians continues to rise. In just the first seven months of 2025, the Religious Liberty Commission of the Evangelical Fellowship of India documented 334 incidents — almost two per day.

“They know they can go in and attack churches,” Pudaite says. “Even recently, they arrested two Catholic nuns from a public train station and charged them with trafficking and anti-conversion laws.

“We are seeing the government of India just using the letter of the law down to the ‘nth’ degree against Christian organizations, just trying to find any little slip up and turning it into a major issue. In the process, the work of some wonderful organizations is being terribly restricted or completely eliminated from India.”

If Maharashtra’s law passes, India’s already tight space for religious minorities could shrink even further. For churches on the ground, the fear is that Sunday mornings will bring not just worship, but a knock on the door.

Pray for believers in India to stand firm under pressure. Ask God to protect church leaders from false accusations and give them wisdom.

You can also support BFTW here as they serve the Church in India and strengthen believers in the face of persecution.

Header photo courtesy of BFTW.