News / Thoughts

Prayer request from Iran

Ebrahim Firouzi, a Christian prisoner in Rajai Shahr Prison in Karaj in Iran, has asked for prayer for Christians and churches in his country.

On 21 August 2013 Ebrahim was arrested with two friends during a raid by security officers. He had also been detained in 2011 and earlier in 2013 because of Christian activities.

The other two believers were released on bail after several months. On 2 October 2014 Ebrahim was relocated from Evin Prison in Tehran to Rajai Shahr Prison near Karaj. He was due for release on 13 January 2015, but was kept in detention, re-tried on 5 March 2015 and charged with ‘acting against national security, gathering, and collusion’. At the end of April 2015 Ebrahim was sentenced to five years in prison. He is in a ward with potentially dangerous criminals and last year went on hunger strike to protest against the conditions.

Ebrahim emphasised that he wants to stand strong in the face of persecution, asking for prayer to help him do this. He longs to be free from prison, but quoted 2 Corinthians 3:17 – ‘where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom’.

“Jesus is our example; the Saviour who came among us to be crucified and save us. We sometimes have to sacrifice our freedom to live in God’s love, so I can’t think only about myself when there are so many believers suffering persecution. My freedom and getting out of prison cannot be my only purpose. We think especially about the suffering of new believers. If my being in prison stirs the international community to work to prevent such future persecution of new believers, then my choice is to remain in prison.

“I ask you to pray for the reopening of the churches in Iran that the government has forcibly closed – let the sound of worship and praise be heard in the buildings again! Pray for me to be a good example before the other prisoners.”

Source: MEC

Pray now…

• That there will indeed be change in Iran so that churches can be re-opened and the sound of praise can be heard again in those buildings
• That God will keep Ebrahim in His love and continue to strengthen and encourage him
• That Ebrahim will be in good health and aware of God’s abounding love to him in Jesus
• That Ebrahim will be released soon
• That Ebrahim’s life will speak of Jesus’ love to the prison guards and his fellow prisoners.