A Christian woman in northern India named Sheela Devi (45) was jailed for nearly 3 months

Divine Mandate December 12, 2025

A Christian woman in northern India named Sheela Devi (45) was jailed for nearly 3 months after her Hindu neighbors complained to the police that she was breaking India’s law about converting Hindus to Christianity. Due to illness, she was released on bail.

Sheela had led a small in her home for two years that generated increasing hostility in her village.

“She said she could not stop the gatherings. ‘I told the Lord, if I stop this church fellowship, these people would scatter here and there, get lonelier, and walk in their sickness. They find peace and healing when they come to church.’”

“During on 20 July a large group of police entered the house, interrogated Sheela and alleged that she was fraudulently converting people.”

Sheela reported, “They confiscated all the , the cross, song books, a that hung on my wall and the amplifier. They took my cell phone, which was my only source, to listen to .”

Sheela

, thank You for Sheela’s bold commitment to serve You and her fellow Christians in northern India. She was willing to face opposition which sent her to jail. We are thankful that she has been released. We pray that you would bring healing to her body as they later discovered cancer in response to her illness in jail.

May Sheela’s testimony inspire the believers in her church fellowship to stand strong for You. Grant favor with the authorities to allow the Christian community in this small village to continue to meet. If not, give the Christian leaders wisdom to know what to do in the future. May the light and love of Jesus continue to shine in India, especially in the northern part of the country. In Your great name we pray.

“And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, in whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. For we do not preach ourselves but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as your bond-servants for Jesus’ sake.”