When you are dying in cold prison cell in Afghanistan charged for carrying out God’s plan, you see things from a different perspective. You question your convictions. What seemed to be so sure, fades. Things that you may not appreciated in the good moments, gain in tremendous value: Sunlight, a shower, a change of clothes, bedding, food, freedom, life….
You may grasp for Bible verses for strengths. But those are fading in those times… That is when you regret spending unnecessary time on anything but reading your Bible and memorizing scripture.
Hopeless becomes one of the hardest challenges. When hope is gone, the body starts dying!
When you start dying even your basic body functions fall apart. Your soul is torn by the dying body into darkness, anguish, sorrow, and despair. You may feel absolutely helpless and worthless. Yes, you may feel less significant than the cockroach that crawls on you…
But even in the darkest hour, there can be victory!
Here is what you can do!
- Understand and accept that it is totally normal that your body breaks apart in such situations.
- Expect that your anguished body rips on your soul. Your emotions will get out of control.
- Accept that you may die (if God allows it)
- Recognize that you are not your body. Your body is dying, not your soul. Your soul will live forever. And if you have received the Spirit of God (by receiving a new birth when accepting Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior), you (=your soul) will be back “home” with God in joyful eternity.
- Embrace your dying body. It weakens your sinful flesh (that is not your body but expressed in your body). Leverage the situation as an extremely positive refinement process that will help your sanctification!
- Decide to use the time productively! Take the initiative!
- Turn the worst imaginable situation into the world’s best prayer platform!
- When you are weakest, when your body is broken, the Holy Spirit will radiate through your broken body!
- Every prayerful thought, any of your whispers, any sighing of praying will be powerful!
- Now pray your heart out! Scream out your intercessions for people. Pray for your lost family, friends, and relatives!
- Then adopt one country of the world after the next. Pray specifically for every single people group.
- Do that for every single country. Repeat your prayers as it comes to your mind.
- Your prayer will not be eloquent, but God will hear and bless.
- Your exhausted, anguished brain may just utter: Mother: salvation. Father: salvation: Harald, salvation. Silke, salvation…
- By the time you have gone through all the prayers, you will be either released from prison or die and go to heaven. Your old broken body will be carried out by prison guards. But you, your soul, will be in heaven joyfully and forever!
- So, grin into the face of death. And “thank” Satan for setting the stage of your greatest ministry opportunity in your entire life. Do all to the glory of God!
- Do not waste a second, pray, pray, pray! Set many people free. Pray for the revival of entire people, groups and nations! Pray your friends, family, relatives, and neighbors into heaven!
Overall:
Understand that the Apostle Paul’s most powerful ministry and impact happened in jail. Yes, he was preaching to thousands while traveling countries, but his letter (that form a large part of the New Testament), have beenread by hundreds of millions of people!
Final words:
It was a Friday when Alex was dying in prison cell in Kandahar, Afghanistan. The prison guards understood the situation, but they could not help. In a Muslim country Friday is a holiday and all decision makers who could help had their day off. Alex said his last prayers. He was ready to leave this world.
And then the prison door opened: Alex was brought out into the warming sunlight. There, against a barb wired fence, Alex was warming up in the sunlight on a dirty blanket. Flies on his body.
Against all odds a doctor was called in on Friday. But he could not help! Further, nobody had the authority to release Alex to get him other medical attention… The people urged Alex to make it through another day…
And then God… Against all logic, suddenly Alex was released. A pure miracle! Alex was brought to his hotel and got a chance to flee Afghanistan on an over-night bus ride to safety…
PS: I love the Afghan people. I would like to go back, but I would be immediately arrested and those who would meet with me. So, I hope that many believers will go and share the gospel in Afghanistan. God prepared the hearts of the Afghan people. Will you go?
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