VIRGINIA BEACH — The Voice of the Martyrs is broadcasting a special program to highlight Christians who suffer for their faith and to encourage their brothers and sisters around the world to come to their aid in prayer. “Imprisoned for Christ” shares the persecution stories of three Christian workers who were put in prison for their faith, tormented at the hands of their captors and learned that God had a greater purpose in their suffering.

All three described sinking into despair and God comforting them in their time of need.

The greatest comfort, they said, came from the prayers of the global church.

To find out more George Thomas from CBN News spoke to VOM Radio’s Todd Nettleton.

George Thomas: Todd Nettleton is host of VOM Radio and joins us now to tell us more about it. So Todd what is the purpose of this special program?

Todd Nettleton:

Well you know I think there are multiple purposes. But one is just to celebrate God’s faithfulness as we’ve just heard about Andrew and Dan, we also have Petr Jasek hearing his story of being imprisoned in Sudan. And just to celebrate the faithfulness of God that reaches even into a prison cell. The other thing that I think will happen is that American Christians and Christians in free nations will think about what are we willing to sacrifice? What are we willing to suffer to advance Christ’s kingdom in our lives, in our neighbourhoods, in our workplace in our schools.

The other great by product of this is going to be people are more educated to pray for Christians who are in prison right now. They will understand some of the challenges and some of the hardships that will enable us to pray more passionately and pray more effectively for Christians who are in prison right at this moment.

George Thomas: You talked to Andrew and Dan about how they saw God’s hand at work through the prayers of the global church. Let’s take a look at what they said.

Andrew Brunson:

God had a purpose in my imprisonment that He was using me to be a magnet for prayer to turn millions of eyes to Turkey and that region. And I believe I had an assignment to prepare for harvest. And I came to realize that my time in prison was part of that assignment. Millions of people began to pray for that area.

Dan Baumann:

I got so excited when post being out of prison in Iran at that time. There were great political changes in Iran right after my situation. And so that amount of prayer and what He did got me so excited.

George Thomas: How many Christians are suffering for their faith worldwide and what kind of persecution are they enduring?

Todd Nettleton:

Well persecution ranges from what we might call discrimination – hey if you’re a Christian your kids can’t go to school, you can’t get a job, you get kicked out of your apartment. All the way up to Christians who are literally laying down their lives for the cause of Christ. This is happening in 70 countries around the world. And as you know the Bible says when one part of the body suffers we’re all supposed to feel that. Now this Imprisoned for Christ virtual event is going to help connect the body of Christ around the world. It’s going to help us honour that scripture passage.

About The Voice of the Martyrs

The Voice of the Martyrs is a nonprofit, interdenominational Christian missions organization dedicated to serving our persecuted family worldwide through practical and spiritual assistance and leading other members of the body of Christ into fellowship with them. VOM was founded in 1967 by Pastor Richard Wurmbrand, who was imprisoned for 14 years in Communist Romania for his faith in Christ; his wife, Sabina, was imprisoned for three years. In 1965 they were ransomed out of Romania, and soon thereafter they established the global network of missions of which VOM is a part. The Wurmbrands based these missions on Hebrews 13:3, which instructs us to “Remember the prisoners as if chained with them—those who are mistreated—since you yourselves are in the body also.”

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