Praying for Pastor Saeed

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Most of you have probably heard about Pastor Saeed Abedini. He is a pastor from Boise, Idaho that has been imprisoned in Iran for 225 days. What is his crime? Its his faith. The Iranian government says that he has committed crimes against the Isalmic Republic which really means he has been sharing his Christian beliefs.  He celebrated his 33rd birthday, just 2 days ago, in solitary confinement. He has been brutally beaten and tortured and has internal bleeding along with many other injuries. He has a brokenhearted wife, Naghmeh, and two children. 

At church this past Sunday we prayed as a congregation for Pastor Saeed. Dylan was in the service with us and overheard our prayer. He was very concerned and asked Bryan to explain what was happening to Pastor Saeed. Bryan carefully explained the situation and Dylan was touched by it. It has been 4 days and Dylan has still been thinking of Pastor Saeed. This morning he asked if he could write him a letter. Well, of course! So, Dylan and I sat down to write his special letter to Pastor Saeed. He wrote it all by himself and then we prayed together for the pastor and his family. Dylan and I were reminded of one of his memory verses, Luke 1:37. It says, "Nothing is impossible with God." Dylan wrote this in his card and we prayed for a miracle!

Dylan's desire to encourage Pastor Saeed and his family really touched my heart. As I searched for the address, I found a link to send an email as well as sign a petition. If you'd like to take part in the petition and/or send an email, please go to savesaeed.org. If you'd like to write a letter, the address is shown in the picture below.
Dylan's card to Pastor Saeed
"Pastor Saeed, I am praying for you! Love, Dylan
"Nothing is impossible with God" Luke 1:37
Pastor Saeed Abedini
Evin Prson
Saadat Abad
Tehran, Isalmic Republic of Iran
Today I am thankful for my son's tender heart towards others. Pastor Saeed has been on his heart for days now. It was his idea to pray for him and write to him. His thoughtfulness is so inspiring! I am also thankful to live in a place where my faith is accepted. I cannot imagine being tortured because of my belief in Christ. It is such a blessing to be able to be so open about my love for Jesus! I am also grateful for the ability to pray for our brother in Christ. Although there is nothing that we can do physically, God has given us the ability to do something amazing for others. We can lift them up in prayer and ask the God of the Universe to come to their aid. What an incredible privilege! 

Father, I lift up Pastor Saeed. Please comfort him and help him through this difficult time. Your Word says that nothing is impossible with YOU so I pray that You might do something miraculous in this situation and free Pastor Saeed from prison! I pray for his family. Lord, please give them peace and hope in these dark days. Please surround them with encouraging people and allow them to know that their brothers and sisters in Christ are standing with them and lifting them up in prayer. Father, we trust You! In Jesus Name, Amen
***UPDATE: Since writing this blog earlier today, Pastor Saeed has been released from Solitary! Praise God! Dylan could not have been more excited to hear this news! It is amazing to watch God answer prayers! We're continuing to pray for his release from prison!

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