Persecution Blog

The Mighty Power of Prayer for the Persecuted Church

God has ordained certain aspects of his will to be accomplished through our prayers. In his sovereignty he does a lot of things without our participation being required, but in certain areas, our participation is vital. Our prayers create the potential for grace to be dispensed to those being persecuted or as light to the persecutors. E. Stanley Jones writes: “In prayer you align yourselves to the purpose and power of God. He is able to do things through you that He couldn’t do otherwise. For this is an open universe, where some things are left open, contingent upon our doing them. If we do not do them, they will never be done. For God has left certain things open to prayer—things which will never be done except as we pray.” (15).

Andrew Murray reinforces this point when he says that “prayer is the power by which that comes to pass which otherwise would not take place” (173). It is clear that there is a relationship between prayer and ministry to the persecuted church. George Mueller said that “our business is to spread our cases before the Lord, in childlike simplicity to pour our heart out before God.”

After his death and resurrection, Christ ascended into heaven to take up the continuing role of priestly intercessor.  “He ever makes intercession. The work of Christ on earth as Priest was but a beginning…That intercession is an intense reality, a work that is absolutely necessary, and without which the continued application of redemption [obtained through the atonement] cannot take place” (Murray, 152).  “Our ministry of intercession is made possible only because of Christ’s continuing ministry of intercession” (Foster, 193).

Intercessory prayer is simply to pray to God on behalf of others. It is an honor to be involved in the priestly role of intercessor. “The greatest service, whatever your vocation, is to be your priestly intercession. God has ordained to work through the prayers of His people” (Duewel, 41). Foster explains: “Intercessory Prayer is priestly ministry, and one of the most challenging teachings in the New Testament is the universal priesthood of all Christians. As priests, appointed and anointed by God, we have the honor of going before the Most High on behalf of others. This is not optional; it is a sacred obligation—and a precious privilege—of all who take up the yoke of Christ” (191).

The potential of prayer is staggering. Our prayers can affect and change the situation of people in all parts of the world. Wesley Duewel writes: “God has a wonderful plan by which you can have worldwide influence…a true partner in His kingdom’s work, if you really want to be” (11).

Works cited:
Duewel, Wesley. Touch the World Thought Prayer, Zondervan: Grand Rapids, 1986.

Foster, Richard. Prayer: Finding the Heart’s True Home. Harper: San Francisco, 1992.

Jones, E. Stanley in Helen Smith Shoemaker. The Secret of Effective Prayer. Westwood, NJ:

            Revell, 1955. Later published by Word Books.

Murray, Andrew. The Believer’s School of Prayer. Minneapolis: Bethany House Publishers,

            1982.

 

Roy Stults, PhD, is the Online Workshop Coordinator and Educational Services Coordinator for The Voice of the Martyrs. He graduated from Olivet Nazarene University (BA and MA), Nazarene Theological Seminary (M.Div.), Trinity Evangelical Divinity School (Doctor of Missiology), and The University of Manchester (England) with a PhD (theology). A Vietnam veteran, Dr. Stults served as a missionary for 19 years and pastored U.S. churches for eight years. Prior to joining VOM, he was a Professor of Religion at Oklahoma Wesleyan University.

 

Jesus Freaks: Prepare For Battle

Each month VOM produces "The Jesus Freaks Minute," a daily radio-PSA that shares the stories of the persecuted church with Christian radio listeners all over the United States and around the world. Here's the script for one of the spots that will air next month, a spot entitled Prepare for Battle:

[LYRICS:]  What will people think when they hear that I’m a Jesus Freak.  What will people do when they find that it’s true.

[TOBYMAC:]  Hey, this is TobyMac with truth every Jesus Freak should hear from the Voice of the Martyrs.

[VOM:]  You know the scripture passage that challenges believers to resist the enemy by putting on the full armor of God:  the belt of truth, breastplate of righteousness, shield of faith, helmet of salvation, and Sword of the Spirit.

But the very next verse doesn’t instruct you to charge into battle.

Instead Ephesians 6:18 says  -- quote – “Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.”

Did you hear that?  We are to prepare for battle and then pray.  For more on prayer – including how to get your own 2014 VOM Prayer Calendar -- go to persecution.com.

MOVING TOWARD MUSLIMS: Loved Into the Kingdom

Throughout 2013, "Anna" has written posts for the PersecutionBlog about friendship, culture, and Kingdom-living from her home in the Middle East. We have re-posted some of these blogs during this Christmas week. In this final post in the Moving Toward Muslims series, Anna challenges us to take what we've learned and put it into action.

In this year’s Moving Toward Muslims series, we’ve discussed ways to relate with Muslim individuals in a way befitting Christ’s followers. Instead of harboring hatred or holding at arm’s length, we’ve talked about ways to take a step forward in relationship with Muslims.

In February, we saw how initiating friendship can disarm a Muslim’s wariness. In March, we considered keeping a Name Notebook because you and I might be the only intercessor praying for our Muslim acquaintances. We discussed how you could offer hospitality to Muslims…without knowing one Arabic recipe! All of these are ways we can move toward Muslims.

Still, the primary way I see God transforming Muslims is through the sincere and sacrificial love of His children. “I’ve never met anyone like you!” Muslims sometimes exclaim to me. The love that naturally flows from a follower of Jesus is out of the ordinary to Muslims. Others-first, no-strings-attached Jesus love is not only disarming, it’s inviting.

“By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:35, NKJV). When we demonstrate love to Muslims, particularly within the context of Christian community, they experience the love of Christ and what it could look like to follow him. It has been said that a Muslim needs to be “loved into the Kingdom.”

What does it look like to love a Muslim? It looks like…

• Exhibiting patience when they show up late.
• Going the extra mile to meet a need they’ve expressed.
• Not being easily provoked when they say something offensive.
• Bearing with their diet restrictions.
• Believing God can change even the hardest heart.
• Enduring persecution or ridicule as you explain the Gospel.

As the last post in the Moving Toward Muslims series, it begs the question: What are we going to do about what we’ve learned?

If you take Jesus’ teaching seriously, I hope you will take a step toward those he loves so much. This could include educating yourself about Islam, but beware: Never substitute supposed “book knowledge” for the value of learning from a living, breathing soul who identifies himself or herself as Muslim.

If you choose to move toward Muslims, there will be times you stumble for words. You will make some dead-wrong assumptions and some fantastic cultural blunders. This is certain. But what is also certain is that in the midst of your fumbling, what your Muslim friend will see is love.

He will see a person without all the answers, but with deep wisdom he respects. He will notice the open door, the gift given, and the community surrounding. His eyes will see your well-used Bible, his ears will hear your heartfelt prayer, and his hands will feel your warmth.

Some would say Muslims must be loved into the Kingdom. But who will be the ones to extend that love? Will you?

Your Turn: How has this series affected your thoughts toward Muslims? Are there any steps you plan to take as a result?

Anna loves Jesus and wants to see Him cherished by her neighbors and people everywhere. Anna is a pseudonym, and all names in her posts are changed for security reasons.

Repost: MOVING TOWARD MUSLIMS: Making a Convert or Pointing to Jesus?

Throughout 2013, "Anna" has written posts for the PersecutionBlog about friendship, culture, and Kingdom-living from her home in the Middle East. This Christmas week, as we celebrate a Savior who came to earth to save Muslims (and everyone else), we thought it might be good to review some of the lessons Anna has shared with us throughout the year. Tomorrow we’ll have a brand-new post from Anna, her final post for 2013.

In August, I shared how I felt like a project when my Muslims friends try to convert me. But what if I turn the tables and ask myself: Should I, as a Christian, convert Muslims?

The short answer? No.

The religious leaders of Jesus’ day did a lot of converting. In fact, they traveled “over land and sea to make one convert.” Impressive, right? Not to Jesus. He said those efforts to impose religion were making the spiritual condition of their converts worse than before! (See Matthew 23:15.)

Instead of starting a new religion, Jesus of Nazareth ushered in a kingdom where he reigns as King. In this kingdom, people are healed physically and spiritually. The poor finally have some Good News. Dead people are raised to new life in Jesus.  

For any of us to move toward Jesus, the supernatural must occur. The Holy Spirit wind of God must blow through my life, regenerating my enemy soul. In Jesus’ words to Nicodemus, “You must be born again.”

Ephesians 2:4-5 describes the miracle: “But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ…” (NKJV, emphasis mine).

As I interact with Muslim friends, I attempt to introduce them to Jesus Christ and  the reality of his kingdom reign. With a growing admiration for Jesus, we can learn together what it looks like to obey him gladly. I look for the day when Muslims unburden themselves at Jesus’ feet, without taking on my religious baggage in the process. This is clearly supernatural!

In my years of building relationships with Muslims, I have shifted my focus away from winning converts to my religion. Muslims are not prizes to be won. We are all flawed human beings who desperately need Jesus. I am identifying more with John the Baptist, who saw his role as a “mere stagehand” in the drama Christ is unfolding in the nations (Luke 3:16 MSG).

With this shift in focus, I can begin to recognize God’s everyday miracles of stirring the spiritually dead:

• A friend in turmoil is comforted by a psalm of David.
• A family matron asks a question about Jesus and her attentive daughters and nieces listen to the answer.
• A light bulb goes on for a university student and she remarks, “God is showing me how much he cares about me!”  

I will never “convert” Muslims. Instead, by God’s grace, I will live wisely and take every opportunity to point to Jesus. I may be a player in the drama God is unfolding in my friends’ lives, but I want Jesus to be the star of the show.

He must increase, and I must decrease. Because, let’s be honest. If I tried to run the show, I would operate much like the Pharisees of Jesus’ day and make my convert twice as much a child of hell as I am.

JOIN THE DISCUSSION: Do you agree with the author’s premise that Christians should not convert Muslims? Is it possible to make a convert worse off spiritually than before?

Anna loves Jesus and wants to see Him cherished by her neighbors and people everywhere. Anna is a pseudonym, and all names in her posts are changed for security reasons.

Repost: MOVING TOWARD MUSLIMS: Take the First Step

Merry Christmas!

Throughout 2013, "Anna" has written posts for the PersecutionBlog about friendship, culture, and Kingdom-living from her home in the Middle East. This Christmas week, as we celebrate a Savior who came to earth to save Muslims (and everyone else), we thought it might be good to review some of the lessons Anna has shared with us throughout the year. Friday we’ll have a brand-new post from Anna, her final post for 2013.

Has it ever occurred to you that Muslims might be as afraid of you as you are of them?

An Arab Muslim woman studying in the United States confided in me that her family was worried about her living in America. “They tried to stop me,” Najma said. “My aunt visited me and warned me, ‘Don’t you know America is full of violence? They will kill you on the street!’”

Together, we laughed at her aunt’s fears, knowing how far it was from the truth of the sleepy town in which Najma lived. Her aunt had based her impression of America and Americans on violent films she had seen. But Najma’s reservations evaporated once she began meeting average Americans—store clerks, teachers, her host family. They were nothing like the Americans she had seen on TV.

When people ask me, “What do Muslims think of Christians?” a simple answer eludes me. First, which Muslims? To lump all Muslims—the Western convert, the uneducated Bosnian woman, and the Syrian engineer—into one pile and ask what “they think” is presumptuous at best. And second, which Christians? Although you might define Christian as “evangelical” or “practicing Christians,” Muslims don’t define it that way. Most will categorize an entire nation as Christian, so we have to recognize and work with the Muslim’s definition.

“What do Muslims think of Christians?” is a loaded question, with no way around approximations and generalizations. But in a phrase, they are respectful, yet wary.

• Muslims consider Christians “People of the Book” and respect their faith in one God. While still seeing themselves as superior for practicing the best religion, Muslims respect those who worship one God, pray, and treat others kindly. A Muslim recently told me, “Your prophet (Jesus) was the Prophet of Love, that is why Christians are so loving.”
• Muslims are in a love/hate relationship with the West. They love healthcare, technology and some ideas from the West but regret its deteriorating effect on their cultures. Some blame television programs and government policies from the “Christian West” as the reason for problems and sin in their own countries.
• Muslims tend to be wary of Christians. Stories circulate about argumentative, in-your-face polemicists that defame Islam, and most Muslims want to steer clear of a fight. They may be concerned that by befriending a non-Muslim they will be criticized by other Muslims, or even worse, influenced to sin.

These misconceptions run deep, but something stronger can disarm a Muslim’s watertight wariness: initiative on our part. Just as average Americans helped alleviate Najma’s fears, the same holds true when authentic Jesus-followers take the first step with wary Muslims. One perspective shift, coming right up!

Meeting a follower of Jesus should be like a refreshing breeze blowing or an attractive scent alluring. It piques the interest and leaves the other wanting more. As a believer I am instructed to “let [my] conversation be gracious and attractive” in interactions with outsiders (Colossians 4:6 NLT). Gracious. Attractive. That will blow the mind of Muslims…or anyone, for that matter.

Muslims may be hesitant to initiate a relationship, which leaves the ball in our court. I’d hate to have Hollywood do all the talking, wouldn’t you?

Your turn: How much of your opinion of Muslims is based on films and other media? Have you met a Muslim who blew apart your preconceptions?

Anna loves Jesus and wants to see Him cherished by her neighbors and people everywhere. Anna is a pseudonym, and all names in her posts are changed for security reasons.

Repost: MOVING TOWARD MUSLIMS: Hospitality 101

Throughout 2013, "Anna" has written posts for the PersecutionBlog about friendship, culture, and Kingdom-living from her home in the Middle East. This Christmas week, as we celebrate a Savior who came to earth to save Muslims (and everyone else), we thought it might be good to review some of the lessons Anna has shared with us throughout the year. Friday we’ll have a brand-new post from Anna, her final post for 2013.

Did you know that the majority of Muslim international students living in the United States have never set foot inside a Christian home?

The home can be a place where hospitality is offered and deep values are communicated. When a meal is shared, it ups the stakes even more. For Easterners, to share a meal is to commit to one another in friendship. You can hear similar overtones in Jesus’ words in Revelation 3:20: “Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends” (NLT, emphasis mine).

So what prevents us from sharing a meal as friends with Muslims? For me, it was the feeling that I wouldn’t “do it right.” My rented house was sparsely decorated and I didn’t know how to cook any Arabic dishes. And what about conversation – what would I talk about with students who were still learning English?

Your home will probably never be perfect for entertaining, and you’ll never say and do all the right things. But by learning some basics, you could drum up the confidence to invite a Muslim to your home.

Here are some basic guidelines when hosting Muslims:

On the table. Steer clear of pork products and all alcohol. Rice, curries, and roasted lamb or chicken will please almost any Muslim dinner guest. (Takeout from an ethnic restaurant is also a fabulous idea.) The larger the quantities of food you serve, the more honor you bestow on your guest!

What to wear. Modesty is important to all Muslims in differing degrees. Most will feel comfortable in your home if you dress modestly. For women, that could mean a long skirt or loose-fitting pants, and a high-necked shirt with sleeves. For men, long pants are more respectful than shorts.

In the doghouse. Dogs make some Muslims uncomfortable. If at all possible, keep your dog in another room while your guests are present.

Gender divide. Ask a Muslim couple if they prefer to segregate inside your home. If so, prepare a separate space for the women to sit - even an office or spare bedroom will do. (It should go without saying that single men and women should only invite Muslims of their same gender.)

I have found that Muslims almost always accept a meal invitation. Or you can begin gradually with tea or coffee together. They may bring a small hostess gift – chocolates or a trinket from their country – as a way of saying thank you. Don’t be surprised if they remove their shoes and take detailed notice of the room’s décor and pictures.

Perhaps the most important way you can prepare to host a Muslim is to bathe the visit in prayer. You could even place your hand on the chair your friend will sit in, praying for him or her to encounter Christ in a real way inside your home.

Don’t let fear or perfectionism hold you back. Can you think of a Muslim – a co-worker, an international student, or an employee at a store you frequent – that you might bless with the gift of hospitality? All you have to do is extend the invitation. In opening your home, you are sealing the bonds of friendship that can eventually point a Muslim to Christ.

Your Turn: Are there lessons you have learned from hosting Muslims? What holds you back from welcoming Muslims into your home?

Read More: Both men and women can benefit greatly from the cultural insights shared in Joy Loewen’s book Woman to Woman: Sharing Jesus with a Muslim Friend. (Also available for Kindle.)

Anna loves Jesus and wants to see Him cherished by her neighbors and people everywhere. Anna is a pseudonym, and all names in her posts are changed for security reasons.

 

Disclosure: VOM is a part of the Amazon Associates program. If you click on the links above and purchase a product, a small referral fee will be paid to VOM.

Repost: MOVING TOWARD MUSLIMS: The Only Intercessor

Throughout 2013, "Anna" has written posts for the PersecutionBlog about friendship, culture, and Kingdom-living from her home in the Middle East. This Christmas week, as we celebrate a Savior who came to earth to save Muslims (and everyone else), we thought it might be good to review some of the lessons Anna has shared with us throughout the year. Friday we’ll have a brand-new post from Anna, her final post for 2013.

Kris kept a little notebook on hand. The Name Notebook. On her trip through several Muslim countries, she met dozens of people. At a salon, Kris took the names of the beauticians she met. From bathroom cleaners to teenagers sitting beside her in a coffee shop, if she got to know them personally, she asked their names and wrote them down in the Name Notebook. Why? To pray for them.

As believers, we have many people praying for us: perhaps Bible study leaders, parents, and friends from church. But most Muslims don’t have that privilege. If you know a Muslim by name, have you ever considered that you may be the only praying Christian in his life? Perhaps no one else but you is bringing him before our Father God, interceding for him in prayer.

If Jesus has made you right with God, you are particularly poised to intercede for Muslims in a powerful and effective way (James 5:16). Petition, prayer, intercession and praise in the name of Jesus draws on the authority of His Name as King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

Don’t know how to begin praying? Like Kris, you could record the name of any Muslim you meet and begin to pray for his salvation. Or, if you meet a Muslim, you could pray with him right then and there! First ask his permission then pray aloud a simple prayer of blessing upon him, his business, or his family. 

Or maybe your new friend has an immediate need, like Abdullah did. I met Abdullah on his way home to visit an ailing sister. After listening with concern, I asked for his sister’s name. Sara. “I will pray for Sara to be well.” I went on to explain, “Jesus the Messiah has power and authority to heal our bodies as well as our hearts.”

Perhaps you don’t know any Muslims personally? Then pray through the Middle East news, naming specific Muslim dignitaries, authors and artists. Or pray through VOM’s newsletter. As you come upon the name of a Muslim persecutor, or someone’s hostile family member, could you find it in your heart to pray for him? First repent of any hatred you might be harboring (Psalm 66:18) and then pray for his salvation.

I heard of a man who walks around a mosque in his city once a week, interceding for the Muslims who worship there. He prays for Jesus to reveal himself in an undeniable way in their lives. Quietly and simply, with no banners or megaphones, he asks the Lord for a harvest of souls among Muslims in his city.

There are many ways to go about praying for Muslims. You might even start a Name Notebook like Kris. However you pray, know a unique privilege is yours: you could be the first believer to truly intercede on a Muslim’s behalf.

Your turn: What creative ways have you discovered for intercession? Are there specific Muslim friends you pray for regularly? Please share in the comments.

"Anna" loves Jesus and wants to see Him cherished by her neighbors and people everywhere. Anna is a pseudonym, and all names in her posts are changed for security reasons.

The Baby Born in the Cross’ Shadow

This month we celebrate one of the highlights of our faith history: the time God sent his son into the world to be born as fully human and fully God at the same time. We celebrate that God’s plan for the salvation of man began to be realized when Jesus came into the world that night in Bethlehem.

However, Christ’s birth also means something else had to happen: the cross. As I heard someone describe it recently, the Christ child was born in the shadow of the cross. In other words, he was born knowing he had to suffer and die. Suffering was part of God’s plan of salvation all along.

This Sunday in my church, we read from Revelation 21:3-4 as part of our celebration of Advent. As the pastor said, it’s not your typical Advent verse, but it speaks to the completion of God’s plan of salvation begun with Christ’s birth, carried out in his death and resurrection, and finalized with the triumphant return of Christ, the destruction of his enemies and our unification with him in the place he has prepared for us.

During Advent, we celebrate the hope we have in Christ. However, there is no hope without the payment for our sins through Christ’s suffering. I thought it was appropriate then that later in the service we sang a song called “Lead Me to the Cross,” a song about kneeling before the Christ’s cross and offering ourselves as an offering to Him.

My prayer this season, as we celebrate the hope and joy of Jesus’ birth, is that we also willingly humble ourselves before Christ’s cross and be willing to suffer for his name, to pay whatever cost it takes to proclaim him in our lives. May we be willing offer ourselves for hardship, for discrimination, for hard work, for shaming or even death because Christ sacrificed so much for us.

This Christmas, let us remember that the baby’s birth points to a cross of suffering, and be willing to take up that cross as well as share the cross of our persecuted brothers and sisters.

Dory P. has worked with VOM for six years. She grew up in Ecuador, met her husband while working with another mission organization, and now lives in Oklahoma. Between Dory, her husband and three-year-old son, they share five passports. Dory helps tell the stories of the persecuted through VOM's newsletter, and her husband serves with VOM's international department.

Photo Credit: MTSOfan via Flickr

Looking Up

I have a painting hanging in my office that gives me constant perspective. You may have seen it before: it’s called Safely Home and was painted by Ron Dicianni.  Working at VOM, I consistently hear amazing testimonies; people are miraculously saved, protected, released from prison and provided for. God answers our prayers. Just last week after 220 days in prison, Pastor Farhad Sabokrouh was released from imprisonment in Ahvaz, Iran. All of the hundreds of letters and prayers were not in vain. I also consistently hear other stories. Also just this week we heard updates of continual attacks on Christians Egypt, homes were destroyed, at least two Christians were confirmed dead and a 15 year old girl was thrown from the second floor window of her home as her punishment for being a Christian, causing her severe injuries.

When I read the most tragic of stories, the ones where my mind can’t even quite formulate the words to pray, that’s when I look at this painting. The painting depicts a scene that takes place in the throne room of heaven. Jesus has come off of his throne and has a believer wrapped in his arms. The Christian man looks utterly relieved, he is leaning into Jesus, his clothes are dirty and torn, we don’t know what he endured, but we know it wasn’t easy. Jesus’ face is full of emotion as he holds the man close to his heart, showing he knows what this believer went through but is proud he made it safely home.

Safely Home, painted by Ron Dicianni

The details in this painting are what make it even more powerful. The man is holding onto a crown in his hand that has replaced handcuffs, now lying next to him. In the background is an Angel patiently waiting, holding a white robe which is reserved for those martyred for their faith in Christ. (Revelation 6:11, 7:13-14) A crown of thorns is etched into the red carpet, a reminder that we aren’t the first to have suffered.

It’s so easy to be quick to forget about eternity, in our own lives or in the stories of our persecuted family. Certainly, I have seen God move in powerful ways and answer prayers, there are times we see the church growing, the light vividly pushing back the darkness. But then there are other times that the world would even look at and call failure; seemingly senseless suffering and unresolved injustice.

But that’s where we still have hope, because this life isn’t it. In Christ, nothing will remain forever senseless or unresolved. 1 Corinthians 15:19 says “If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied.”  And again we see in 1 Thessalonians 4:13, “Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uniformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope.” As Christians, this life isn’t the focal hope that we have. Ultimately we have victory, no matter how dire the circumstances may look on this side of heaven.  If we truly grasped even in the smallest measure what eternity really means, I think this would change our perspective immensely.

So when I read the stories of suffering, I look up—up at that painting on my wall and also up to Jesus who is sovereign, unchanging and faithful. I’m reminded of 2 Timothy 1:12, which says “That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet this is no cause for shame, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him until that day.” 

"Grace Taylor" serves on the staff of VOM. She was first introduced to the ministry of VOM by her parents and grandparents, who received the VOM newsletter, and through the VOM book Jesus Freaks. She has served in 12 different countries and is passionate about helping expand God’s Kingdom throughout the nations of the world.

Christmas Prayers for Iran

On Dec. 2, Rasoul Abdollahi, a Christian convert from Islam, was moved to Ward 350 of Evin prison in Iran. While it is unclear whether he was held elsewhere immediately before this or whether he was at home on temporary bail, he is now in Evin serving a three-year sentence for “collusion against the government and evangelism.” 

Rasoul’s prison sentence stems from a raid conducted by Iran’s Revolutionary Guard in December, 2010. In an organized attempt to stop Christians from meeting together, authorities stormed a Christmas celebration on Dec. 26 and arrested 22 Christians, including Rasoul and the group’s pastor, Farshid Fathi, whose story is featured on The Voice of the Martyr’s Prisoner Alert Web site.

After ten of the Christians were intensely questioned and forced to sign an agreement stating that they would refrain from Christian activities, they were finally released. With the exception of Farshid, the other 11 people arrested, including Rasoul, were released by April, 2011.

In Iran authorities use temporary bail as a tactic to keep those previously arrested in a constant state of uncertainty. Those on bail can be recalled to face further interrogation or longer prison sentences. Prisoners can also be held without being charged or sentenced and many wait months before knowing what the official charges are or how long they will face in prison.

Pastor Farshid was never released, even though authorities took a large sum of bail money from his family, who were hoping to have him return home. Instead, he was held in solitary confinement for over a year. On March 5, 2012, Farshid was charged with “acting against national security through membership of a Christian organization, collection of funds, propaganda against the Islamic Regime by helping spread Christianity in the country,” and sentenced to six years in prison. He is also currently being held in Ward 350 of Evin prison.  

Pastor Farhad Sabokrouh and his wife, Shahnaz Jayzan.

A year after the raids of December, 2010, authorities raided another Christmas celebration on Dec. 23, 2011. This time, it was an Assemblies of God church in Ahvaz. Everyone at the service was arrested, including children. Several hours later, authorities released all but four Christians, including Pastor Farhad Sabokrouh, his wife, Shahnaz Jayzan and two church ministers, Davoud Alijani and Naser Zamen-Dezfuli. Each of their stories are also included on Prisoner Alert.

After being released on bail by Feb. 21, 2012, the four were sentenced to one year in prison in October, 2012. They were called to a court hearing in May, 2013 when each was arrested. Davoud was sent to Karoon prison in Ahvaz, and the other three were sent to Sepidar prison, located in Ahwaz.

On Dec. 4, 2013, just two weeks prior to the end of their year term, the pastor, Farhad, and church minister, Naser, were released. Farhad’s wife and Davoud are still serving their terms and have been in jail over 220 days. It is hoped that they will also be released in the coming weeks.

At least 40 Christians are currently being held in prisons throughout Iran, many of them arrested  during Christmas services in 2010 and 2011.

Knowing that Iranian believers who celebrate Christmas are at risk of having their churches raided, how will you pray for Christians this Christmas season?

“Ann Kay” is a writer for VOM. She learned about VOM five years ago when she read Tortured for Christ and began receiving the newsletter. She is passionate about reaching the world for Christ and sharing stories of the persecuted church.