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“May he strengthen you with all power according to his glorious might.”
CBN News reported that Iran’s judiciary sentenced more than 25 years in prison to five men who converted to Christianity. According to CBN News, the Hengaw, an organization that accuses human rights violations against Kurds in Iran, claimed that five Christians were sentenced to heavy punishment without any reason presented for the charges.
The Jerusalem Post reported that Hamid Afzali was sentenced to 10 years behind bars, followed by Nasrollah Mousavi, Bijan Gholizadeh, and Iman Salehi, each of whom was sentenced to five years, and Zohrab Shahbazi, who received a nine-month jail sentence.
Todd Nettleton, vice president of the Voice of the Martyrs (VOM), said, “The growth of the church in Iran is wonderful news to Christians around the world and a great testimony of God’s power in growing His church despite anything that any government might do to stop it.”
“But the high price our Iranian brothers and sisters are paying to follow Christ is a different kind of alarm that we need to pray as often as possible for them as they willingly suffer for the name of Christ,” he added.
The report from the Hengaw noted that Iran’s decision to imprison the five Christian converts violates Article 18 of the United Nations’ International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which states, “Everyone shall have the right to freedom of ideology, conscience and religion”.
In addition to these five Christian arrests, the Hengaw noted that another recent Christian convert in Iran, Yasin Mousavi, has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for charges including “membership in groups or associations aimed at disrupting security” and “propaganda against the government through promoting Christianity.” Open Doors which tracks Christian persecution around the globe, has placed Iran at No.9 on its World Watch List and rates the persecution Christians face in the Muslim-ruled country as “extreme.”
“Conversion from Islam to Christianity is illegal in Iran, and anyone caught as a convert can be arrested and imprisoned. The government views conversion as an attempt to undermine Islam and the Islamic government of Iran by the West. Anyone found to be a member of a house church can be charged with a crime against national security, which can lead to long-term imprisonment,” Open Doors explained. (Source: Gospel Prayer Newspaper Comprehensive)
For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience. (Colossians 1:9,11)
God, although Christian persecution is still severe in Iran, we thank You for continuously adding new converts to Your Kingdom and raising brothers and sisters who willingly suffer for the gospel. Through the saints in Iran, let the government and persecutors see that nothing can stop the growth of Your church and the revival of Your kingdom, and may they repent and bow down to You together with all nations. May the churches around the world continue to pray for Iran as one body in Christ, so that we will rejoice in You who answers our prayers that the Iranian brothers and sisters will persevere in their hardships and be victorious until the end.
Prayer 24·365
prayer@prayer24365.org
