GLOBAL PRAYER NETWORK: Mahli of India

Selasa, 23 Desember 2014

Mahli of India

The name of this community has been derived from the Santal word mat, meaning bamboo. They live in the Chotanagpur regions of Bihar, Odissa, and Bengal. In Bihar, they profess Hinduism and worship Surji Dev or the sun god as their chief god. In Odissa, basket-making is their primary occupation while agriculture and daily labour are subsidiary ones. Some marginal and small farmers are found in the community and a few are share-croppers. They worship deities like Dharam, Garam, Marang-Buru, Jaherera, and some Hindu gods. Literacy rates are low for this community. In West Bengal, the goddess Manasa is worshipped thrice a year.

Ministry Obstacles
A low literacy rate suggests the Gospel needs to come to the Mahli community in oral form, as well as in written form.

Outreach Ideas
Listen to this encouraging comment about this and similar groups: "In places where the Gospel is being preached to the Munda-Santal, the listeners almost immediately receive after the village council talks it over. These precious tribes are ripe unto harvest; they simply need people to show them the way back to the Genuine God!"

Pray for the followers of Christ
There are individuals in the Mahli community who have identified themselves as Christians in the census. Please ask the Lord to send mature believers to these people to help them become real disciples of Christ.

Pray for the entire people group
Pray for an improved literacy rate for the Mahli people. Pray also they will soon be delivered from superstition and the worship of created things.

Scripture Focus
"Ask of Me, and I will surely give the nations as Your inheritance, and the very ends of the earth as Your possession." Psalm 2:8