The Christmas Conversion: Sundar Singh's Encounter with Christ

Hello, and welcome back to Nations 4 Jesus. We're continuing our Christmas-themed podcast series, and today I want to share one of the most dramatic conversion stories in Christian history—a story that began with a young man planning to take his own life and ended with a Christmas Day baptism that launched one of Asia's most influential missionary careers.

This is the story of Sadhu Sundar Singh, and it happened in December 1904 in Punjab, India.

Sundar Singh was born in 1889 into a wealthy Sikh family in the Punjab region of northern India. His mother was deeply devout and raised him to be religious. She took him to sit at the feet of Hindu sadhus (holy men) and Sikh gurus. She wanted him to find spiritual peace.

But when Sundar was 14 years old, his mother died. Her death devastated him. The boy who had been raised to seek God now became angry and bitter. He directed that anger toward Christianity, which he saw as a foreign religion corrupting India.

When a Presbyterian mission school opened near his village, Sundar became one of Christianity's fiercest young opponents. He publicly burned pages of the Bible. He threw mud and stones at Christian preachers. He was so hostile that he once purchased a Bible just to burn it page by page in front of his father—mocking the Christian Scriptures as he destroyed them.

But even as he raged against Christianity, Sundar was deeply troubled. He had no peace. The religions of his upbringing left him empty. He later wrote that he felt like a man dying of thirst while standing in a river—surrounded by religious teaching but unable to find what his soul needed.

By December 1904, 15-year-old Sundar Singh had reached the end of himself. He decided that if God didn't reveal Himself that night, he would take his own life by throwing himself in front of the 5:00 AM train that passed near his home.

In the early hours of December 18, Sundar began to pray—not to Jesus, but to whatever God might be real. He prayed desperately, demanding that God show Himself. He was prepared to die if no answer came.

And then, at about 4:30 AM, something happened that changed everything. A bright light filled his room. Sundar thought at first the house was on fire. But then, in that light, he saw a figure—and he heard a voice speaking in Hindustani:

"How long will you persecute Me? I have come to save you. You were praying to know the right way. Why do you not take it?"

Sundar saw the face and hands of Jesus Christ—including the marks of the nails in His hands. The vision lasted several minutes, and then it was gone. But Sundar Singh was forever transformed.

Instead of going to the train tracks to end his life, he went to his father and declared: "I am a Christian."

His family was horrified. His father pleaded with him to reconsider. His relatives mocked him. But Sundar would not turn back. He had seen Jesus. He knew the truth. Nothing could change that.

On Christmas Day—December 25, 1904—just one week after his vision, Sundar Singh was publicly baptized in the Anglican church in the nearby town of Ludhiana. It was a profound act of faith. In Indian culture, baptism meant final separation from family and community. Sundar knew he would be disowned, and he was.

His family considered him dead. They held a funeral for him. According to some accounts, they even attempted to poison him before he left home. At 15 years old, Sundar Singh was alone in the world—but he had Christ.

Rather than adopting Western Christian dress and customs, Sundar chose to become a Christian sadhu—a holy man in the Indian tradition. He wore the saffron robes of an Indian religious wanderer, went barefoot, carried no money, and depended entirely on God for his needs. But the message he carried was the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

This was revolutionary. Sundar Singh showed that one could follow Jesus without becoming Western. He made Christianity accessible to Indian people in a way that foreign missionaries often couldn't. He spoke their languages, wore their clothing, understood their culture—and he told them about the Jesus who had appeared to him.

Over the next 25 years, Sundar Singh became one of the most remarkable evangelists Asia has ever known. He traveled throughout India preaching the Gospel. He made multiple dangerous trips to Tibet—one of the most closed regions on earth—to share Christ, enduring imprisonment, torture, and near-death experiences. He traveled to Europe, America, and Australia, speaking to huge crowds about Jesus.

His preaching was powerful because it was authentic. He had experienced Jesus personally. He lived a life of radical simplicity and dependence on God. He spoke of Christ not as a foreign religion but as the fulfillment of India's spiritual longing. And thousands came to faith through his ministry.

Sundar Singh's writings have been translated into numerous languages and continue to influence Christians worldwide. His books and recorded teachings still inspire believers more than a century after his conversion. He's been called the "Apostle of the Bleeding Feet" because of his endless walking to share the Gospel, and the "Saint Paul of India" because of his dramatic conversion and missionary impact.

In 1929, at about age 40, Sundar Singh set out on another trip to Tibet—and was never seen again. He likely died in the Himalayan mountains while trying to bring the Gospel to Tibetans. His body was never found.

But his legacy lives on. The man who burned Bibles at age 14 became one of Christianity's greatest ambassadors to Asia. The boy who planned to kill himself on December 18 was baptized on Christmas Day and spent the rest of his life telling others about the Christ who had saved him.

I love this story for our Christmas series because it shows us what Christmas is really about. Christmas is about Jesus coming to seek and save those who are lost. Sundar Singh was utterly lost—hostile to God, empty inside, planning to end his life. But Jesus came to him. Jesus revealed Himself. Jesus saved him.

That's the Christmas message! God didn't wait for us to find Him. He came to us. He came to a world that was hostile to Him, that rejected Him, that would crucify Him—and He came anyway, because He loved us and wanted to save us.

And notice the timing. Sundar's vision was on December 18. His baptism was on Christmas Day. It's as if God orchestrated the entire timeline to make the connection clear: This is what I do. I come to those who are lost. I reveal Myself to those who are seeking. I transform enemies into ambassadors.

Sundar Singh's story challenges us in several ways. First, it reminds us that no one is too hostile for God to reach. Sundar burned Bibles and threw stones at Christians—and Jesus appeared to him personally. Don't give up on anyone. The person most opposed to the Gospel today might be tomorrow's greatest evangelist.

Second, it shows us that Christianity isn't a Western religion. Jesus appeared to an Indian boy in Punjab and called him to follow in an Indian way. The Gospel transcends every culture and can be expressed in every culture. We need more Sundar Singhs who will show their people that following Jesus doesn't mean becoming Western.

Third, it reminds us that a personal encounter with Christ changes everything. Sundar didn't become a Christian because of arguments or programs. He met Jesus. That personal reality sustained him through persecution, poverty, and danger for the rest of his life.

Merry Christmas, friends. May the Christ who appeared to Sundar Singh appear to you this season—and may you never be the same.

Until next time, remember—keep your eyes on the nations, and never underestimate what God can do with a transformed life.

You can listen to this in podcast form at Spotify podcast

Advent Devotional (November 28) Angels from the Realms of Glory

 

“But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.’”

- Luke 2:10-11

Advent Devotional

Have you noticed that angels often tell people not to be afraid? Scan through the Bible for mention of angels, and “fear not!” usually starts their conversations. And did you know that “fear not” is one of the most common commands in the Bible? Fear must plague us more than we care to admit.

Maybe it’s not unreasonable to fear an angel. How much more should we expect fear to be our default mode in getting close to God? After all, He is the one the angels declared to be “holy, holy, holy” and “the Lord God almighty.” If He’s a holy God who judges sin, shouldn’t we have good reason to fear?

C.S. Lewis wrote that we want God to be something different from what He really is. Here’s how he put it. “An ‘impersonal God’—well and good. A subjective God of beauty, truth and goodness, inside our own heads—better still. A formless life-force surging through us, a vast power which we can tap—best of all. But God Himself, alive, pulling at the other end of the cord. . .that is quite another matter.”

So how do we move from fear to joy?

It’s the wonderful news that “a Savior” has been born. The good news embedded in the word “savior” is that we can be saved. The bad news is that we need to be saved. The gospel affirms both truths: We need to be saved and we can be saved. If we receive God’s wonderful gift of salvation, through repentance and faith, our fear turns to joy—for all eternity!

Prayer

Dear Savior,
Thank You for dying on the cross for sinners like me.
May these days of Advent draw me closer to You.
May it be that your love for me would melt all my fears
(of people, of pain, of circumstances, of the
future, of anything that looms larger than it should)
and may I rejoice
that You are my Messiah and Lord.

Taken from https://www.cslewisinstitute.org/christmas-carols/ 

Christmas Devotion (Dec 3) - God Chooses a Tribe

     

Read Genesis 49

Genesis 49:9-10 - Judah is a lion’s cub...The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until tribute comes to him; and to him shall be the obedience of the peoples. 

Jacob had twelve sons, and God moved them to Egypt for a while so they would become a unique nation, separated from the other people with whom they shared a language. God wanted them to be His people, not because of who they were, or because He loved them more, but simply because He had chosen them to be the nation from which the Messiah would be born. 

Of the twelve sons, Judah was selected by God to begin the tribe which would become the kingly tribe. God’s promise in our verse today was unequalled in history – never before, and to only one man since, was the promise made: a king of this tribe would always carry the title of ruler. Even though Israel had no physical king after their slavery in Babylon, the royal lineage was kept in the records to know exactly who would be the next in line. 

However, it would be about 400 years before the first king from the Tribe of Judah would be crowned – David.

Prayer: Lord God, thank you that the Old Testament points continually to our Savior. May we see Jesus in its words and in its promises. Focus us this day on the Lion of Judah. In His name we pray, Amen. 

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A Christmas Morning Rescue: Amy Carmichael and the Girl Who Prayed

Hello, and welcome back to Nations 4 Jesus. This is the first of our Christmas-themed podcasts this season, and I want to start with a story that beautifully illustrates how God works on Christmas morning—a story of a desperate prayer, a miraculous escape, and a rescue that would save thousands of children.

Women have played a crucial and often overlooked role in spreading the Gospel throughout history. Today's story is about one of those women: Amy Carmichael, an Irish missionary who served in South India for 55 years without a single furlough. And it begins on Christmas morning.

Amy Carmichael arrived in India in 1895 and eventually settled in the town of Dohnavur in Tamil Nadu, South India. What she discovered there broke her heart. Young girls—some just toddlers—were being dedicated to Hindu temples as "devadasis," which means "servants of the gods." In reality, these children were being sold into ritual prostitution and abuse. Their families received money, and the children were trapped in temple slavery with no way out.

Most people in Amy's day—including many missionaries—turned a blind eye to this practice. It was considered part of Indian culture, too controversial to confront. But Amy couldn't ignore it. She saw these children as precious souls that Jesus loved and died for. She began praying for a way to rescue them.

In a Hindu temple not far from Dohnavur, there was a young girl named Preena. She had been given to the temple by her family, and she was suffering terribly. The temple women were cruel to her. She was burned with hot irons as punishment for trying to escape. She had no hope, no help, no way out.

But somehow, Preena had heard about Jesus. Perhaps from a passing missionary, perhaps from a Christian neighbor—we don't know exactly how. But she knew enough to cry out to Him. On Christmas Eve, this little girl—trapped in darkness, surrounded by Hindu idols, bearing the scars of her failed escape attempts—prayed a desperate prayer:

"If You are there, save me!"

That's all she knew to pray. She didn't know theology. She didn't know doctrine. She just knew that there was supposed to be a God who could save, and she was begging Him to prove it.

That night, Preena escaped from the temple. A little girl, alone in the darkness, running for her life. She wandered through the night, not knowing where to go, not knowing if anyone would help her.

And on Christmas morning—Christmas morning!—she found her way to Amy Carmichael's mission in Dohnavur.

Can you imagine that scene? Amy Carmichael waking on Christmas Day to find this frightened, scarred little girl at her door. A child who had prayed "If You are there, save me!" and then walked through the night until God led her to the one person in the region who would take her in and protect her.

Amy didn't hesitate. She took Preena in. She became her "Amma"—her mother. And that Christmas morning rescue marked the beginning of something that would grow far beyond what Amy could have imagined.

Preena's rescue on Christmas morning launched the Dohnavur Fellowship. Amy Carmichael began actively rescuing temple children, hiding them, raising them, and teaching them about Jesus. It was dangerous work. Temple authorities and families who had sold their children were furious. Amy faced threats, legal challenges, and opposition from both Indian and British authorities.

But she persisted. Over the following decades, the Dohnavur Fellowship rescued thousands of children from temple slavery. Amy became "Amma" to hundreds of girls and later boys. She raised them as her own children, gave them education and skills, and most importantly, introduced them to Jesus—the God who had answered Preena's Christmas Eve prayer.

The Dohnavur Fellowship continues to this day, over 100 years later. It still cares for children in need in South India. All because one little girl prayed on Christmas Eve, and God led her to Amy Carmichael's door on Christmas morning.

I love that this story happened at Christmas because it perfectly illustrates what Christmas is about. Christmas is the story of God answering desperate prayers. For centuries, humanity was trapped in the darkness of sin with no way out. And God sent His Son—on that first Christmas—to rescue us.

Preena's prayer—"If You are there, save me!"—echoes the cry of every human heart. And God's answer to her prayer echoes His answer to all of us: "I am here. I will save you. I am sending a Rescuer."

Jesus is the ultimate Rescuer. He came on Christmas to save us from a slavery far worse than temple bondage—slavery to sin and death. And just as Preena found her way to Amy Carmichael's door, God makes a way for all of us to find salvation in Christ.

This story also reminds us of what we explored in our episodes on women in missions. Throughout history, God has used women in powerful ways to advance His kingdom. Mary carried the Savior into the world. The women at the tomb were first to proclaim the resurrection. Priscilla taught Apollos. Phoebe carried Paul's letter to Rome. Lottie Moon transformed Southern Baptist missions. Gladys Aylward rescued children in China.

And Amy Carmichael rescued temple children in India. She never married. She gave up comfort, safety, and her homeland to become "Amma" to thousands of children who had no one else. She served for 55 years, the last 20 of them bedridden after an accident, yet still writing and leading the ministry from her room.

These women didn't let cultural expectations or opposition stop them. They saw needs that others ignored. They went where others wouldn't go. They loved people that others considered unlovable. And God used them to change the world.

Friends, there are still children today who need rescuing. Human trafficking remains one of the greatest evils in our world. Millions of children are trapped in slavery, prostitution, and exploitation. Organizations like International Justice Mission, Compassion International, and many others are doing the work Amy Carmichael pioneered—rescuing children and showing them the love of Jesus.

This Christmas, as you celebrate the Rescuer who came to save you, consider how you might help rescue others. Pray for organizations fighting trafficking. Give to support their work. And remember that no child is beyond God's reach—just as Preena wasn't beyond His reach on that Christmas Eve when she prayed, "If You are there, save me!"

Let me pray: Dearest Lord Jesus, You are our Rescuer! Your Father sent You to earth on the greatest rescue mission ever! As we gaze on and think about the baby in the manger, may our eyes immediately go to our Savior on the cross and Your sacrifice for us! Every day, You rescue people from the Kingdom of darkness into the Kingdom of Your Father and You fill us with Your Holy Spirit. Please be with the children held captive by traffickers. Thank you for the efforts being made in our own country to release them. We pray for those people, around the world, dedicated to rescue in Your name. Guide them we pray. In Your name, Jesus, amen. 

As we enter the Christmas season, may you celebrate the Rescuer this season—and may you be part of His rescue mission to the world.

Until next time, remember—keep your eyes on the nations, and never forget that God hears the prayers of desperate children.

Scripture: Isaiah 61:1 (freedom for captives) | Source: Amy Carmichael biography, Dohnavur Fellowship | Read more: nations4jesus.blogspot.com

Here this in podcast form at Spotify podcast

Christmas Devotion Day 2 - God Chooses a Man

   

Read Genesis 12 and 15

Genesis 22:17-18 - I will surely bless you, and I will surely multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and as the sand that is on the seashore. And your offspring shall possess the gate of his enemies, and in your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice.

Mankind continued in their sin until God destroyed everyone except for Noah and his family – eight people. Then the day came that God chose one man to make a nation from whom this “seed of the woman” – the Messiah – would be born. This man was Abraham.

God could simply have given Abraham many children and said the Messiah would come through one of these many children, but instead God gave Abraham a very specific promise. Even though Abraham had several children after he was an old man, God gave him one special son, miraculously born of his wife who was also too old to have children, and promised the Messiah would come from this man – Abraham’s son, Isaac.

Isaac had two sons, Esau and Jacob, and God again promised the nation that the Messiah would come from just one of them - Jacob. 

*What promises of God do you have trouble believing will be fulfilled completely?

Prayer: Lord God, may we keep our eyes focused on You during this Advent season. Help us to see through Your Word, the incredible plan, begun long ago, to come to this earth as a baby and to die for the sins of all people so that all people might have a chance to live with You through eternity. We love you Lord! In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. 

Christmas/Advent Devotion (December 1)

   

Read Genesis 3

Genesis 3:15 - I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed (offspring) and her seed (offspring); he shall crush your head, and you shall strike his heel.

The story of Christmas begins at the beginning of the Bible. God had created a universe, earth, an animal kingdom, and finally mankind, and had said it was good. There was no sickness, or war (even between the animals), or hatred. Then Adam and Eve chose to disobey God, and sin entered the world and all creation.

But God was not caught by surprise. He already had a plan for how He would redeem mankind. He had given them the choice to obey or disobey, and now He would make a way so mankind could choose to return to Him without being destroyed.

However, one of the greatest angels God created had also chosen to sin. Satan hated God so much he wanted to destroy everything God had created. Satan could not force Adam and Eve to disobey, so he tempted them to do so. He still tempts us today – not because he wants us to be with him, but simply because he hates God so much.

God’s first prophecy came in reply to this first sin: His promise that Jesus would one day come – the only man ever to be born just of a woman without the seed of a man. Satan would "strike" Jesus but ultimately, Jesus will "crush" his head and destroy him and his power. 

Prayer: Thank you God for creating us and the beautiful world we live in. We are sorry for the sin that so easily entangles us. Thank You Jesus for coming to this earth, taking on human flesh and being willing to be struck by Satan so that we can be saved. May our focus be on You this Christmas season and every day. We love you! In Your name we pray, Amen. 

Freedom After 12 Years: Pastor Zhang and the Persecuted Church in China

Hello, and welcome back to Nations 4 Jesus. I have news that should both encourage and convict us. After 12 years in a Chinese prison, Pastor Zhang Shaojie is finally free - released last week.

But even as we celebrate his release, we need to understand the broader reality: Faithful Christians continue to be persecuted worldwide, and the persecution in China continues to increase. While the Western church argues about petty church politics and TikTok trends, our brothers and sisters in China are preparing for prison simply for preaching the Gospel.

Chinese Pastor Zhang Shaojie just walked out of prison, this week, after more than a decade behind bars—imprisoned on charges believers say were nothing but a political hit-job to silence the Gospel and seize church land.

He was locked up in 2013. In 2014, he was convicted of "disrupting public order" and "fraud." But here's the translation of what really happened: He refused to bow to the government and give up the land meant for a new church building.

Think about that. A pastor spent 12 years in prison—years stolen from his life, from his family, from his ministry—simply because he wouldn't surrender to government control of his church. This wasn't about actual fraud or public disorder. This was about the Chinese Communist Party's determination to control every aspect of religious life in China.

Today, as Pastor Zhang steps into freedom during Thanksgiving week here in America, he says it was only global prayer that kept him alive. Listen to his own words: "Without it, I might not be here and could have been forcibly disappeared."

Forcibly disappeared. That's what happens to Christians in China who become too troublesome for the government. They vanish. No trial. No announcement. Just gone.

But Pastor Zhang survived because believers around the world prayed. His 84-year-old mother, who prayed every single day for 12 years, was waiting to embrace him when he walked out of prison. Twelve years of daily prayer. Twelve years of faith that God would bring her son home. That's the kind of perseverance we need to learn from.

But as the post says, "This is bigger than one man's release. This is a reminder that faithful Christians are STILL being persecuted worldwide—while the West argues about petty church politics and TikTok trends."

That statement should convict us. What are we focused on? What consumes our attention as the Western church? Church buildings, worship styles, comfort, preferences, cultural relevance, social media presence. Meanwhile, Christians in China are being arrested, imprisoned, tortured, and killed simply for gathering to worship Jesus.

And here's what many people don't know: Persecution in China is actually increasing, not decreasing. When someone becomes a Christian in China today, especially if they become a pastor or church leader, they actually prepare for a prison sentence. It's not a question of "if" but "when."

Let me give you some context. China has the largest population of Christians of any communist country—estimates range from 80 to 130 million believers. That's more Christians than in most Western nations!

But since President Xi Jinping came to power in 2012, persecution has intensified dramatically. The government has implemented increasingly restrictive policies:

• Churches are being demolished or their crosses removed
• Pastors are being arrested at an alarming rate
• House churches are being raided and shut down
• Christians are being forced to renounce their faith or lose jobs, education opportunities, and social credit scores
• Children under 18 are banned from attending church
• The Bible has been edited by the government to include Communist Party propaganda
• Surveillance technology tracks believers and identifies those attending "illegal" religious gatherings

According to Open Doors, which tracks Christian persecution worldwide, China ranks #19 on the World Watch List of countries where it's most dangerous to be a Christian. That's up from #43 just a few years ago. The persecution is getting worse, not better.

Here's what's both heartbreaking and inspiring: When someone in China decides to become a pastor or church leader, they prepare for prison. They prepare their families. They make arrangements for who will care for their children. They write farewell letters.

Can you imagine? In America, when someone enters ministry, they prepare for seminary, for ordination, for church planting. In China, they prepare for arrest.

Pastor Wang Yi of Early Rain Covenant Church in Chengdu wrote a declaration titled "My Declaration of Faithful Disobedience" before his arrest in 2018. He's still imprisoned today. In it, he wrote: "I firmly believe that Christ has called me to carry out the faithful disobedience through a life in which I renounce my rights... As a pastor of a Christian church, I must lead my church to address the realities of a government that deceives the people, rather than ignore them."

He knew he would be arrested. He prepared for it. And he went ahead anyway because faithfulness to Christ was more important than freedom.

Pastor Zhang's release is wonderful news, but the arrests continue. Just in recent months:

• Multiple pastors have been arrested for "illegal religious activities"
• House church networks have been infiltrated and dismantled
• Christians have been sentenced to years in prison for printing Bibles or Christian literature
• Believers have been detained for sharing the Gospel online

The Chinese government views Christianity as a threat to Communist Party control. Any church that refuses to register with the government-controlled Three-Self Patriotic Movement is considered illegal. And even registered churches face increasing restrictions on what they can preach, who can attend, and what activities they can conduct.

So why should this matter to us in the West? Several reasons:

First, because they are our brothers and sisters. Hebrews 13:3 says, "Continue to remember those in prison as if you were together with them in prison, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering."

When Pastor Zhang suffered in prison, we should have felt it. When Chinese believers are arrested, we should grieve. When they're tortured, we should weep. We are one body. Their pain is our pain.

Second, because our prayers make a difference. Pastor Zhang himself said global prayer kept him alive. Our intercession matters! God hears our prayers for persecuted believers and responds.

Third, because persecution is coming to the West. What starts in China doesn't stay in China. The surveillance technology being used there is spreading. The social credit systems that punish Christians are being considered elsewhere. The restrictions on religious freedom are creeping into Western nations. Just look at the UK to see how restrictions have increased! 

If we don't stand with persecuted Christians now, who will stand with us when persecution comes here?

Fourth, because it exposes our comfort and complacency. As the post says, some will celebrate Pastor Zhang's release. Others will pretend persecution isn't real. Either way, God just showed the world He still breaks chains.

But are we paying attention? Or are we too busy with trivial things?

So how should we respond? Let me give you specific actions:

First, pray regularly for the persecuted church. Pray for Chinese believers by name when possible. Pray for Pastor Wang Yi, still imprisoned. 

Second, stay informed. Through this podcast I will do my best to keep you informed.

Third, support ministries serving the persecuted church. Voice of the Martyrs, Open Doors, China Aid, and others provide Bibles, support families of imprisoned believers, and advocate for religious freedom.

Fourth, write letters and advocate. Contact your elected representatives and urge them to pressure China on religious freedom. Some governments listen when constituents speak up.

Fifth, prepare yourself spiritually. If persecution is coming to the West, are you ready? Would you stand firm like Pastor Zhang if faced with the choice between freedom and faithfulness? Start strengthening your faith now.

Sixth, share these stories. Don't let the persecuted church be forgotten. Share on social media. Tell your church. Let people know what's happening.

Let me close with a challenging question: What would you do if becoming a Christian meant preparing for prison? What if following Jesus meant losing your job, your education, your freedom? What if serving as a pastor meant 12 years behind bars?

Would you still follow Jesus? Would you still serve? Would you still refuse to bow?

Pastor Zhang did. Pastor Wang Yi did. Thousands of Chinese believers are doing it right now. They've counted the cost and decided Jesus is worth it.

The question is: Have we?

Let me pray: Dear Lord Jesus, we know that Your Holy Spirit walks into each prison cell with each brother or sister arrested for faith in You. May our prayers also accompany them! Thank You for the release of Pastor Zhang! Help him recover after 12 years in a Chinese prion. May his testimony touch many lives. Please be with Pastor Wang Yi and the many Christians imprisoned in China right now. Bring them Your comfort, strength, and wisdom and may their time in prison produce much fruit for Your Kingdom. Please speak to us about coming persecution. Help us learn to be strong in you so that when persecution comes to us, and the Bible says it eventually will, may we stand. We love you! Continue to guide Your Church! In Your name, Lord Jesus, amen. 

Thank you for joining me today. Don't forget Pastor Zhang or the millions of persecuted believers worldwide.

Until next time, remember—keep your eyes on the nations, and pray for those who suffer for Jesus's name!

Listen to this in podcast form at Spotify podcast