Prayer | Beyond

Obedience Unleashed: Multiplication God’s Way

Mar 25, 2026 | South Asia, Stories

In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus shares this parable: “No one tears a piece of cloth from a new garment and uses it to patch an old garment. For then the new garment would be ruined, and the new patch wouldn’t even match the old garment. “And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. For the new wine would burst the wineskins, spilling the wine and ruining the skins. New wine must be stored in new wineskins.” — Luke 5:36–38 (NLT)

One of our teams reflected on this passage and what it means for seeing a true movement of God. They realized that if they want to witness entire regions transformed by the good news of Jesus, they must be willing to think differently about disciple-making. That means letting go of traditions or structures—old wineskins—that hinder people from coming to Christ.

It means anchoring their ministry fully in God’s Word and embracing new ways—new wineskins—that align with wholehearted obedience to Jesus. They’ve seen this paradigm shift bear incredible fruit among their teammates in South Asia. As these workers release tradition and focus on the authority of Scripture, God is doing amazing things.

Earlier this year, the team received a message from Nuh*, a faithful disciple-maker. Nuh joyfully announced the baptism of an entire family who had believed and repented. Six people were baptized that day—by Nuh himself.

During the next morning’s coaching call, the team celebrated this Kingdom breakthrough. But they also gently challenged Nuh with a question: “According to the Great Commission, who is called to baptize?”

Nuh answered, “All disciples who follow Jesus.”

They responded, “Exactly—so why is it that only pastors baptize in your context?”

Nuh admitted that it’s simply the way it’s always been done in his culture. The team encouraged him to compare this tradition with the authority Jesus gave to all His disciples. If Jesus commanded all of us to go, make disciples, baptize, and teach obedience, why limit baptism to only pastors?

They spent three hours together reading Scripture, wrestling with the tension between cultural norms and God’s Word. In the end, Nuh was convinced. But he had another question: “If I don’t baptize everyone myself, how do I pass on the authority to others?”

The team replied, “If we want to make true disciples, we must model and assist others in walking in obedience to Jesus. What do you think you should do?”

Together, they formed a simple and powerful plan: Nuh would gather the new believers, teach them what Scripture says about baptism, then model it by baptizing the first person. That person would then baptize the next, and so on—each one stepping into their God-given authority to obey and make disciples.

On the next call, Nuh shared how freeing this experience had been. No longer feeling the pressure to do everything himself, he had empowered others to obey Jesus fully. The new disciples—who had both been baptized and baptized others—felt strengthened and confident in their faith.

And the fruit? These new believers have already gone into neighboring villages and begun forming new groups among the lost.

*pseudonym

A Story of Unwavering Faith

Mar 18, 2026 | South Asia, Stories

In North India, among the Baghel and Kumhar communities, a faithful disciple-maker named Rohan lived out that truth.

Rohan* boldly shared the good news of Jesus in places where His name was barely known. He led with courage. He served with love. And then he paid the ultimate price, Rohan was martyred for his faith by local opposition.

Rohan left behind a grieving family… including his daughter, Shantha*. But grief did not have the final word. The body of Christ stepped in, surrounding Rohan’s family with prayer, care, and provision. And something unexpected began to happen.

As news of Rohan’s death spread, villagers began to ask questions. “How could someone be killed just for doing good?” As people learned he had been killed simply for serving the Lord, many responded with shock and sympathy.

Rohan’s family remained firm in their faith. Their forgiveness… their perseverance… their hope became a living testimony.

Men and women who had never heard of Jesus began attending Bible discovery groups. Some chose to follow Christ—drawn not by argument, but by a faith refined through suffering.

Slowly, people gathered to learn more—joining Bible discovery groups, encountering Jesus through the quiet witness of a family who chose faith over fear.

Today, Shantha carries her father’s legacy forward. She is a bold disciple-maker and trainer—equipping others to take the gospel even further.

What persecution meant to silence, God used to multiply.

Watch the video below.

*pseudonyms used

Balking at Baptism

Feb 19, 2026 | Stories

Three thousand people believing and being baptized in one day?! It sounds too good to be true, yet we know it is. The second chapter of Acts records this supernatural event. Thousands of people “from every nation” heard the loud arrival of the Holy Spirit and came to investigate. Filled by the Holy Spirit, Peter’s words pierced the hearts of 3,000 people. Answering their stricken question, “What should we do?” Peter responds, “repent of your sins and turn to God, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ.” In verse 41, we read, “Those who believed what Peter said were baptized and added to the church that day—about 3,000 in all.”

Perhaps you can think of other instances of groups of people believing and being baptized the same day or soon thereafter? (Cornelius, Lydia, the jailer, etc.) Actually, in the book of Acts, there are only three times when a lone individual comes to faith in Jesus. The vast majority of people who came to Christ in Acts came as part of a group.

And we see it happening today.

In North India, the Banjara are a poor and marginalized people. They live in tents next to open sewage at the side of the road. They eat leftovers that people throw to dogs. They get run out of town. Their children don’t attend school. Society has taught them that this is what they deserve. Life is very difficult for them.

But through Sanjay, a movement catalyst in India, many Banjara have heard the Good News and become disciples of Jesus. Among them are a man named Arjan and his family. Soon after believing, Arjan’s entire family (he, his wife, and their three young children) were baptized. In a nearby town, however, other Banjara believers had reservations about being baptized. As baptism is a public declaration of loyalty to Jesus, many feared retribution from their neighbors and their old gods. They wondered, too, if God would test their newfound allegiance with trials they could not bear. They were afraid. Wasn’t life already hard enough?

Wanting to embolden them to take this step of obedience, Sanjay brought Arjan to speak to this Banjara community about his baptism experience. When Arjan spoke about Jesus, he pointed out that Jesus Himself had experienced testing. He was tested by the devil for 40 days in the wilderness. And He prevailed. He was not defeated by His enemy. And so, because He has already been tested and come through victorious, we, too, can face our fears, our potential tests or trials, knowing that anything we face is nothing when compared to what He faced. He walked the road of testing before us so that when our turn came, we’d be able to walk it, too. We have nothing to fear. He went on to say, “I thank God that when my child was about one year old, my whole family, came to God together,” Arjan told them. “From the oldest to the youngest, we came . . . all five of us took baptism together. And you would think that after this, we would have fallen into big (troubles). But no. Not at all. Everything changed. For the better. We felt joy.”

Far from regretting his decision, Arjan shared that his family was only glad they had been baptized. The terrible tests and pressures that he thought would come never materialized. Their greatest fears did not come true. In fact, the opposite happened. Blessings came. “And so I am telling you,” Arjan concluded, “you should absolutely remove from your minds any thoughts that after baptism, insurmountable (afflictions or persecution) will occur . . .. Please do it. Because Jesus has already given proof of his superiority, (and) you have already put your faith in Him. We are left with absolute life. Hallelujah!”

An announcement was made that a baptism would occur in three days. When the day arrived, more than half of the families were baptized together as a proclamation of their faith and allegiance to Jesus. Hallelujah, indeed!

*pseudonyms used

One Miracle, An Entire Family’s Salvation

Feb 11, 2026 | South East Asia, Stories

Ajarn is a well-known Christian pastor in Thailand. Like many Thais, he views life through the lens of a large, interconnected family rather than as an isolated individual. When asked about his journey to becoming a disciple of Jesus, Ajarn shares the remarkable story of how his entire family came to faith.

Ajarn’s grandparents lived in a northern Thai village, struggling to provide for their family of nine, which included seven children. Despite their hard work, they never seemed to have enough. Like others in their village, they identified as Buddhists but turned to the local shaman for help with their real-life issues.

One day, their eldest child fell gravely ill. The shaman demanded a water buffalo as a sacrifice to save the child. The family reluctantly parted with one of their precious working animals, only to watch in despair as their beloved child died.

Not long after, their second child also became dangerously ill. This time, the shaman required a large pig. The family scraped together the money to buy the animal, made the sacrifice, but tragically lost their second child as well. This heartbreaking pattern continued with their third and fourth children. Each time, despite the immense cost, they provided the sacrificial animal, valuing nothing more than their children’s lives.

When their fifth child fell ill, the family was desperate and nearly hopeless. At this critical moment, a disciple of Jesus with the intention of making more disciples arrived in their village. He asked if anyone needed prayer, and the villagers directed him to Ajarn’s grandparents. Hearing their tragic story and seeing their dire situation, he offered to pray for their sick child without requiring any sacrifice.

The disciple-maker explained that the disciples of Jesus received freely and were sent out to give freely. Skeptical but desperate, the family allowed him to pray over their child in the name of Jesus. Miraculously, they witnessed their child’s recovery right before their eyes! Moved by this experience, the entire family – father, mother, and remaining children – embraced Christ as their savior, experiencing salvation from both physical and spiritual death.

Now, in the grandchildren’s generation, many, including Ajarn, serve as full-time pastors or missionaries. Those who do not serve full-time remain steadfast in their faith, grateful that Jesus saved their whole family without cost and empowered them to go out among the lost and share this gift freely.

*pseudonym

Two Broken Women, One Gracious Savior

Feb 4, 2026 | Austronesia, Stories

When *George and *Nesta stepped into *Hiraka’s small one-room apartment, in Southeast Asia, they found her sitting quietly, clutching her belly and fighting back tears. Her world had fallen apart. The moment her boyfriend learned she was pregnant, he disappeared. Her parents, disappointed, angry and ashamed, threw her out of their home.

They told her she could return—but only if she gave the baby away.

George and Nesta listened as Hiraka poured out her pain. Then, gently, they shared the story of the woman caught in adultery—how Jesus saw her, forgave her, and spoke life over her: “Go and sin no more.”

As they spoke, tears began to stream down Hiraka’s face. She whispered that she longed for that same forgiveness, that same freedom.

Not far away, in another village, George and Nesta met *Rini—a young woman recently divorced and forced to move back in with her parents. Her heart, too, was full of pain and rejection.

George and Nesta introduced the two women. Soon, Rini and Hiraka began meeting together, studying stories of Jesus. As they listened to His words, something beautiful began to grow—a spark of hope. Together, they chose to believe. Together, they were baptized, stepping into a new family—God’s family.

Now, these two women, once defined by shame, are walking in the light of grace. They are learning one day at a time what it means to follow Jesus.

Pray for Rini and Hiraka—that their faith would grow deep and strong, that their families would see the transforming power of Jesus in their lives, and that God would protect Hiraka and her baby, bringing about a safe and healthy delivery.

*pseudonyms

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