NEW DELHI (BP)–A Christian radio organization plans to launch an FM station in India’s capital city of New Delhi in October, according to a July 12 report from personnel in the Southern Baptist International Mission Board’s South Asia region.
The India-based radio organization “broadcasts Christian programming in many Indian languages, but with the exception of an FM broadcast in Bangalore, all have so far been available only through short-wave radio,” the IMB report notes. “An FM program aired in New Delhi likely will reach many new listeners. The station will be in Hindi, the trade language of northern India.”
Listing several prayer requests regarding the new broadcast, the IMB report underscores the need for God’s direction of the staff in the initiative and notes: “… pray that this new FM station will effectively share the Gospel with the many people groups who live and work in Delhi. Pray that radio listeners will form churches and that those churches will plant other churches.”
Another media-related item reported by IMB South Asia personnel focuses on “Philip” (a pseudonym), a producer of Christian radio programs in the Urdu language that reach across India, throughout South Asia and into the Middle East, with many listeners writing in to ask questions about Jesus or to request literature.
“Philip now has a stack of 300 letters that he needs to answer,” the IMB report notes. “However, new responsibilities at the radio station have kept him from keeping up with the mail. His wife and sister are trying to answer the letters to help him out. Please pray that no listener is overlooked. Pray that those responding to the mail will encourage the listeners with truths from the Word of God. Pray that Philip will soon once again be able to focus more on the part of his job that he loves. Pray that his radio programs will continue to draw Urdu-speakers to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.”
One such listener, Muhammad who lives in Pakistan, writes, “I am a Muslim and listen to your program regularly. I am married and have two children. After listening to the program, I want to become a Christian, but what should do I do? I do not know. I am living in a Muslim-dominated area and when I become a Christian, I will face a difficult situation, because it is not possible that a Christian and a Muslim may live together. I am very eager from all my heart to become a Christian. Please help me in this regard.”
The IMB personnel ask for prayer that Muhammad will receive wise counsel. “Pray that God would give him faith to accept salvation through Jesus, to lead his wife and children to follow Jesus, to trust Jesus with his life and family. Pray that God would bring other Muslim-background believers across Muhammad’s path to help and encourage him.”
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For more information about outreach in South Asia, go to www.go2southasia.org or www.neglectedfields.net.
