Prayer is at the heart of Tearfund partner Sahaara’s work. Sahaara is the social action wing of the Gateway Ministries International (GMI) churches in Mumbai. When a group of people decided they wanted to work in a local prison, they prayed and fasted for seven days, in a ‘Joshua act’.
Joshua act
For six days they walked round the prison once, and seven times on the seventh day. On the last day they met a prisoner and a guard. A member of their group, a recovering drug addict, knew the prisoner. They befriended the guard and prayed for his child, who was healed. Now they are allowed to go into the prison.
Sahaara also work in the red-light areas of Mumbai, bringing hope to prostitutes and helping them leave the trade. They are working closely with Tearfund partner Oasis India in this work.
When Sahaara started their prison work they prayed for soft hearts for the prisoners. They quickly realised this was the wrong prayer, and started praying instead that they would deal with their prejudices and go into the prisons with their own hearts softened.
Church brings hope
‘The mandate of the church is to take the whole gospel to everyone’, says director of Sahaara Arthur Thangiah. ‘Only the church can bring back hope into their lives.’
Please pray
Give thanks for the work of Sahaara and pray that more and more people from the GMI churches will volunteer with them amongst the most marginalised people in Mumbai.
Pray for protection for the staff and volunteers as they go into the spiritually oppressive atmosphere of the red-light areas. Pray for good relationships with pimps, prostitutes and brothel keepers.