Slumdog Millionaire renders inspiration to Global Poverty Prayer Week

As Christians worldwide joined hands in prayer for an end to poverty, a major Charity group recommended the India-themed Slumdog Millionaire movie for an overlook on poverty.

Tearfund Chief Executive Matthew Frost said he hoped the movie would inspire Christians to connect with the reality of poverty.

Directed by Danny Boyle and based on Indian diplomat Vikas Swarup's novel, "Q&A," Slumdog Millionaire won eight Oscars and four Golden Globe awards. Interestingly, 'Smile Pinky', another short documentary based in India also won an Oscar.

"One of the things that prayer does is it connects us to the reality of poverty," Mathew said after the movie swept the Oscar awards.

"When we connect with God in prayer it compels us to look through a justice lens that keeps poverty in focus. It reminds us of the reality of the way most of the world lives."

As part of Tearfund's Global Poverty Prayer Week till March 1, churches are praying for God's intervention in countries affected by poor sanitation and lack of clean water, climate change, and high rates of HIV among other challenges.

Christians will also pray for disaster relief and the impact of the local church in places of need, according to our UK correspondent.

Tearfund's Advocacy Director, Paul Cook, said the church was being mobilised locally and globally to respond to the needs of people losing their livelihoods in the downturn and those living in poor communities where the impact of climate change is already being felt.

"World leaders must now work to ensure that failed systems are re-structured to fairly accommodate the poor in society. In a biting recession developing countries are hit even harder," he said.

According to the World Bank, a third of the global poor reside in India. The country also has a higher rate of malnutrition among children under the age of three (46% in year 2007) than any other country in the world.