When you walk through Amritsar, it’s impossible not to feel the weight of history. The first time I stepped into the old city, I was struck by the crowds flowing toward the Harmandir Sahib—the Golden Temple. It gleams like fire in the sun, and thousands of pilgrims line up every day to bathe in its waters, to bow low, to whisper their prayers. Their devotion is moving, but my heart aches because I know they are searching for a peace and a cleansing that only Jesus can give.

Amritsar is known as the birthplace of Sikhism, but it is also a crossroads—Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, and Christians living side by side. Just 15 miles from the Pakistan border, our city still carries the scars of Partition. I’ve listened to elderly men recount the violence they saw as children—families fleeing, trains arriving full of the dead. That wound remains, shaping how neighbors see each other, how walls are built in the heart.

The streets are loud and full of life—rickshaws honking, vendors shouting, bright fabrics fluttering in the wind. But behind the noise, I hear cries: children abandoned at train stations, teenagers restless for meaning, widows with no one to care for them. India carries the weight of millions of orphans—over 30 million. And in Amritsar, I see their faces every day.

Still, I believe Amritsar is a city God has His eyes on. This land of devotion, division, and searching can become a place of revival for His Kingdom in this generation.

When I look at Amritsar, I see both pain and promise. I see children without homes, yet I also see young men and women hungry for truth. I see division, yet I believe in reconciliation through Christ. I see devotion, and I pray it will one day be directed to the Living God.

This is why I stay. This is why I pray. For the day when the streets of Amritsar will echo with songs of worship to Jesus—the true Light of the world.

- For Every Language and People Group: Amritsar is home to dozens of ethnic groups and languages—Punjabi, Hindi, Urdu, Dogri, and more. Many remain unreached. I pray that God’s Kingdom would advance among every people group, and that multiplying house churches would rise among Palestinian Arab, Najdi Arab, North Iraqi Arab, and local communities who have never heard Jesus.
- For the Harvest in Amritsar: When I look at the wheat fields swaying outside the city, I remember Jesus’ words: “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few.” (Matthew 9:37). Punjab is called the breadbasket of India, and I believe the same is true spiritually. I pray for laborers—ordinary men and women who will share Jesus in homes, schools, and markets until worship rises in every corner of Amritsar.
- For the Children of India: At the railway station, I often see barefoot children begging for coins or food, their eyes tired though they are so young. My heart breaks knowing so many have no families to care for them. I pray Psalm 82:3 over them: “Defend the weak and the fatherless; uphold the cause of the poor and the oppressed.” Lord, give them safe homes, loving families, and most of all, the hope of Christ.
- For Healing Across Divisions: This city knows pain between religions and castes. Even today, mistrust runs deep. But I cling to the words of Jesus: “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.” (Matthew 5:9). I pray for His church to rise as a bridge—reconciling Hindu and Sikh, Muslim and Christian—showing a love stronger than fear, a unity deeper than division that only comes through Jesus Christ.
- For Bold Witness of Jesus: It is not easy to follow Jesus here. Fear of rejection, pressure from family, and even persecution can silence believers. Yet the Spirit reminds me of Paul’s words: “My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power.” (1 Corinthians 2:4). I pray for courage to speak, and for God to confirm the message with miracles and signs—healing the sick, opening blind eyes, and softening hearts to receive Him in all 36+ languages represented in this city.
- For a Movement of Prayer: In my heart, I dream of prayer rising from this city like incense. Small gatherings in homes, groups of students praying in whispers, families crying out together—until a movement of prayer multiplies across Punjab. Just as the early believers “joined together constantly in prayer” (Acts 1:14), may Amritsar become a city of intercession that touches the nations.