“May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face shine on us—so that your ways may be known on earth, your salvation among all nations. May the peoples praise you, God; may all the peoples praise you.”

Psalm 67:1-3

This short psalm starts with a shout of praise and a petition for God’s blessing, but it is also an evangelistic psalm, praying that the whole world would be filled with God’s love. Every verse talks of God’s relationship with the whole globe.

It is believed that the apostle Thomas came all the way to India in 52 AD, to a people he did not know and to an area very strange to him, to preach the good news to my ancestors. He came to India before Paul went to the lands of the Roman Empire. Thomas had a much more difficult time. He went to a different people and preached to them in a strange language, Tamil. God gave him the gift of tongues, as he never used a translator. God was with Thomas and blessed his ministry, as he obeyed his heavenly call. Everywhere he went he preached the gospel, planted a cross and built a church. Many temples whose priests had been converted became churches. Because of his ministry, the community of the Syrian Christians was established in Malabar or Kerala and I stand before you today because he converted my ancestors. There is a tradition in my family that we are descended from a Nambudri official of a local Rajah’s court, who was converted by Thomas. Pray for missionaries, especially Indian missionaries ministering in remote areas among tribal people, learning a new language and culture, translating the Bible, and suffering many hardships.

CLOSING PRAYER

Loving God, I am so grateful for the grace and mercy that you pour out in my every day. Help me to express that gratitude, not just to you, but to others. Help me to be more intentional about pointing others to you, showing them the loving care and peace you offer in abundance.

(Written by Peter S C Pothan who was an Academic Consultant at the Global School of Open Learning in Bangalore, India).