The Forgotten Passage: Praying for Those in Prison—As If We Were There Too

“allow your affections to be stirred to the point of action.”

By Joshua Pease
Open Doors

For eight years, Asia Bibi has been imprisoned, sitting in Pakistan’s version of death row, awaiting word on her appeal. In 2009, Bibi had a conversation with Muslim women in her village who were pressuring her to convert from Christianity. She told them Christ was alive and the true Savior and that Muhammad was dead and a fake.

She was arrested within hours.

In Oct. 2016, Bibi’s appeal was postponed and since, she has sat in her prison, largely forgotten and alone. And the question is, what does this mean for Christians in America – her brothers and sisters abroad – when we hear her story? What can we do? What does the Bible say about this?

At the end of a long, convoluted treatise on the identity of the church in this world, the writer of Hebrews ends encouraging Christians to live out their mission in Christ with each other. He instructs them to work hard, love well, submit to each other, and then in Hebrews 13:3, he says this:

Remember those in prison, as if you were there yourself. Remember also those being mistreated, as if you felt their pain in your own bodies.

This isn’t a verse many are familiar with, at least compared to the one right before it about “entertaining angels.” The idea of helping a random stranger on the road who might be a heavenly being captures the imagination, but how can we understand what it means to remember Bibi “as if you were there” and to feel her pain “in your own bodies?” 

Obviously this isn’t suggesting some sort of self-flagellating extremism. It’s not saying “sit around feeling miserable all the time.” This verse must be more than an exercise in passive empathy. So what does it mean for us practically, today?

Part of the answer is found in understanding the context. The church reading this message not only knew people in prison for their faith, but was in regular contact with them. In Roman culture being accused of a crime often led to a lengthy process of trial and punishment. 

While waiting many prisoners were dependent on the kindness of others for sustenance. Paul discusses this in his letters, thanking those who have both provided friendship and resources while he was under house arrest.

So when the writer of Hebrews tells people to “remember” it’s the type of remembering that leads to action. It not only means “think about and then pray” but “allow your affections to be stirred to the point of action.”

It’s the same for us today. Our first step is to allow God to break our hearts as we pray for our persecuted family. One way to do this is to sign up for Open Door’s Prayer Alerts. Each week, you’ll receive an email giving you practical ways you can pray for the Christians in need around the world.

Open Doors continues

Persecution Unveiled has been called by God to prick the consciences of this nation and all free people to speak up and act on behalf of those who have no voice.  Follow us on  Pinterest, and Google; like us on Facebook, and visit our website using this link.