The presence of prayer

“Be on your guard and stay awake. Your enemy, the devil, is like a roaring lion, sneaking around to find someone to attack. But you must resist the devil and stay strong in your faith. You know that all over the world the Lord’s followers are suffering just as you are.” 1 Peter 5:8-9 CEV

Can you imagine what it would be like to be imprisoned because of your faith in the Lord?

I recently read an interview of two Christian women who were jailed in a notorious foreign prison. One of the things that spoke to my heart was the fact that many people sent letters to these women to encourage them but the women never received the letters. Their captors read the letters, then taunt the women by refusing to let
them see the mail.

According to one of the women, even though they never saw the letters, they were encouraged because they knew many were praying for them. They knew that the Bible verses in those letters were being read by their enemies and were impacting the lives of their captors.

It would have been easy to succumb to discouragement and defeat, but the women were able to stay strong, because they sensed the very real presence of all these prayer warriors with them in their cells, holding them up and keeping them strong.

WOW! Prayer is so necessary and important - so much more than a bedtime ritual. Through prayer, those women actually felt the presence of other believers with them in their suffering. Now, that's powerful.

Prayer is a lifeline, a palpable presence, helping those who are suffering to stay strong in their faith.

Do you know someone in prison or who is suffering for their faith? Commit to pray for them today!