Pray for the Saraiki of Pakistan

Shakir is one of 26 million Saraiki speakers who live in the Southern Punjab in Pakistan. The area is predominantly rural and poor, despite providing much of the country’s wheat, cotton, sugarcane and mangoes. In recent years, flooding has devastated some areas, pushing people into greater poverty.

The Southern Punjab is proud of its ancient history and its beautiful handicrafts, mystic poetry and the many shrines dedicated to Sufi saints. Festivals held around these saints bring thousands of people who daily come in search of physical or mental healing, solutions for personal and financial problems and other life challenges. People are desperately seeking for a power that can bring meaning and transformation to their lives.

Shakir was one of those people. “I was very religious from a young age,” he says, “following all the Islamic practices strictly. And I used to hate non-Muslims, especially Christians. One day, I had a dream telling me to stop the hatred. After that, I started trying to build friendships with people from other faiths.”

Eventually, Shakir stumbled onto Jesus-centered social media posts and began to learn about Jesus. Shakir explains that, “A brother I met through Facebook began teaching me about Him. This led me to read the New Testament, especially the Gospel of John, which strengthened my faith. Eventually, I received a complete Bible and continued to grow in my faith. I accepted Jesus Christ sincerely, knowing humanly speaking this would bring me difficulties. Please pray for me to be strong in this new Christian journey and for my family to come to know Christ.”

How to Pray

• Pray that a growing number of Saraiki speakers will encounter Jesus through dreams and visions.
• Pray for them to hear the good news through social media, and to be connected to believers who can explain the stories of Jesus to them.
• Ask God for protection of newly emerging fellowship groups and courage and wisdom in sharing their faith.