Joshua Project, November 28th, 2023
Nanak was the founder of Sikhism. This Hindu storekeeper (1469-1539) had a life-changing spiritual experience, which incited him to travel for years seeking spiritual truths. A wealthy admirer funded a village for Guru Nanak and his followers after they settled in Punjab. Some followers remained as permanent residents of the village; many more made periodic visits to obtain Nanak’s blessing. They listened to the teachings expressed there in numerous devotional hymns intended for communal singing, many of which still survive.
Upon his death, Nanak chose a disciple to be his spiritual successor and leader of the emerging Sikh community: Nanakshahi. Unlike the Hindu community from which Nanak originated, Sikhs know that only one supreme God reigns. They believe in God’s gift of salvation through disciplined meditation on his name. This meditative focus ought to be sufficient without idols, texts, structures or routine religious duty, focusing instead on inward prayer. Because Guru Nanak didn’t promote Jesus, his followers do not either.
There has been an economic downturn in tin mining, the main industry among the Bangka. This presents an opportunity for Christ followers to minister to the Bangka by helping them build new businesses and explore new industries.
Intercessors could pray for the Nanakshahi community from afar and have contact with them by praying for their needs in person that Jesus would reveal his nature and his salvation to the Nanakshahi community during their meditation and through other supernatural encounters.