Pastor Prasad’s story
Pastor Prasad Rao is 65 years old, and unlike many of the church planters in our network, he was raised in a Christian home. But it wasn’t until 1993 when he was in his 40s that he actually met Jesus and gave his life to Christ. Following that time, he had four dreams that he should go into ministry. He ignored the first three, but after the fourth he knew he had to follow the call!
Pastor Prasad has been with Vision Nationals for 10 years. He and his wife have four daughters and two sons. With his family at his side, he planted this church in 1997 in the Guntur district, along India’s east coast on the Bay of Bengal. Today, there are more than 100 members in his congregation. This building is a huge answer to prayer as they were out growing their other space.
Pastor Prasad’s heart is to see more and more people come to know Jesus. He asks you to pray that God would save many people in his village. We are excited about these church openings, not for the building, but rather for the lives changed through a tangible representation of Jesus’ gospel lived out in these villages.
How You Can Pray
Be in prayer for Pastor Prasad’s ministry, as it is undoubtedly toiling on him physically, emotionally, and spiritually. The labor is difficult and pressing, but the fruit of the labor is a sweet and fragrant offering unto the Father.
As more and more people everyday experience Jesus, the need for more ministers of the gospel also rises. We recall the conversation that Jesus had with his disciples in Matthew 9. At this point, Jesus and his disciples have been out, in and among the crowds, proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, healing every disease and affliction. Jesus is observing the crowds, and the feeling that Matthew records Jesus having is, “compassion.” He had compassion on the people because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Jesus says to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.” The fields are ripe with individuals who are dying daily apart from the true joy and eternal satisfaction that is found in God’s Word, his Son.
Pray for Pastor Prasad Rao in wisdom and strength as he is a shepherd who is pointing to the chief Shepherd. Pray that his family would uplift him in hard times or places, and rejoice with him in seasons of fruitfulness. Also be in prayer for the continuing of other leaders to be cultivated through the ministry that God as entrusted to Pastor Prasad.
This story is told by Lauren, who works for Vision Nationals, our church-planting partners in India and Southeast Asia.
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