Prison Ministry
Iman was sent to one of the worst cells, a room full of murderers, addicts, and mentally ill prisoners. Through a friend with influence at the prison, he was offered to change rooms. He declined. “If God is sending me to that room, I don’t want to be anywhere else,” Iman said.
In his cell there were sixty-five people, but only forty-five beds—fifteen triple-decker bunk beds in a 20×20 foot cell. A fellow prisoner asked if Iman had just arrived at the jail. “No, I was in solitary confinement for twenty-one days!” “How did you survive being all alone? I was in solitary for six days, and I almost went crazy!” “Oh, I wasn’t alone,” Iman told him. “I was with God.” “I want to talk to you,” the other prisoner said. And so launched Iman’s prison ministry. That same day, he laid hands on a drug addict going through withdrawals, praying for him in Jesus’ name, and the man’s symptoms were healed.
Stealthy Evangelism
There were three cameras monitoring the room, so Iman’s ministry had to be stealthy. He would go under beds to talk to other prisoners out of sight of the cameras. “It was the sweetest time of my life,” Iman told me. He was in the cell for eight days. He saw twenty-four fellow prisoners come to faith in Christ. Two were convicted murderers awaiting execution.
On the fifth day, Iman was told he could put up bail money and be released; he delayed making the bail payment for three days to continue his ministry in prison—until the guards grew suspicious about why he wasn’t leaving. “I believe that when God sends us to some place, He prepares and equips us for that place,” Iman told me. “I knew I had a mission in that prison.”
Continuing the Mission
After he was released and back home with his family, Iman filed his normal monthly ministry report to his leaders. He didn’t mention arrest, twenty-one days in solitary confinement, or time in prison—just ministry work: “In the past month, I was able to share the gospel with one hundred people. Of those, twenty-four prayed for the forgiveness of sins and committed their lives to following Jesus Christ.” It was only several weeks later that his leaders realized Iman’s ministry that month had happened inside a prison.
“The day I was out of jail, I continued my ministry,” Iman told me. “Until my last breath, I owe Jesus. Whatever I have done, it was the Holy Spirit in me. I know who I was. I was so weak before, so all the glory goes to Jesus. I am nothing; Jesus is everything. Without Jesus, I am the same [sinful, addicted] person that I was before.”
1 Peter 3:14 — But even if you should suffer for the sake of righteousness, you are blessed. And do not fear their intimidation, and do not be troubled.
THE END
Date: 18th November 2023
Martyr: Iman
Location: Turkey, 2010
Source: When Faith Is Forbidden: 40 Days on the Frontlines with Persecuted Christians
Author: Todd Nettleton
Suffering Saturday 065
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