How to Pray for Buddhists

Tenzin was raised in a Buddhist family in Bhutan. As he prepared for school each morning, his mother would sweep the house to rid it of evil spirits. Tenzin would help her carry bowls of rice and fruit to their family altar. Together they would bow before the altar, kneeling and pressing their foreheads to the ground. Some days, Tenzin and his mother would bow a hundred times before Tenzin left for school.

Each week, Buddhist monks visited Tenzin’s school to teach the children about Buddhism. Tenzin learned about the exploits of ancient monks and the clever teachings of Buddha and his followers. The monks brought drawings of the gods and goddesses who would protect the children if they were careful not to anger them. Tenzin and his classmates were also warned about the dangers of Christians.

Tenzin had never met a Christian – there were none in his town – but the monks made sure the children understood that entering a Christian church would cause them to go insane.

Years later, when Tenzin left his Buddhist town to attend college in India, some Christian students in his dorm invited him to church. Tenzin remembered the monks’ warnings and politely refused the invitation. But Tenzin’s new Christian friends were persistent. He finally agreed to attend a youth service at the church. “The first time I went to church with my friends, I was so afraid of what would happen to me,” Tenzin recalls.

“I was shaking with fear, but as I listened to the Word of God preached, I knew that it was true. I didn’t go insane. Instead, I became a Christian.”

Pray for Buddhists:

• Pray against the spirit of fear. Buddhists live with a very strong awareness of the spirit realm, and their fear of angering demons affects nearly every decision of their lives.
• Pray that Buddhists will hear and receive the finished work of Christ’s suffering on their behalf.
• Pray that Jesus will be presented to Buddhists in a way that honors their culture and enriches their families.
• Pray for workers to be called and open doors to access Buddhist communities.
• Pray for the Spirit’s power to point Buddhists to Jesus. Many Buddhists have experienced undisguised demonic power and are hungry for displays of God’s love for them demonstrated in words of knowledge, healing, and miracles.