When things go wrong, I phone my dad.  I’ve phoned him while he’s in meetings to tell him that I just can’t do my coursework.  I’ve called him while he’s driving, because I just spoke to the boy I like and had butterflies in my tummy!  I’ve phoned him while I was jumping on my bed because I just got offered to join a trip to Uganda!  But whatever I need, he always tries to help.

Since joining Release and going on my journey with persecuted Christians, I’ve found myself asking God to teach me about something that I thought I understood.  Kids get taught that prayer is like talking to your Daddy who loves you so much!  Ask for anything you need, and he’s right there for you.  But I’m wondering now what that really looks like.  What is it that we’re meant to pray for?

So I’m asking him to teach me how to pray.  Because when someone’s been in prison for years, or when the laws against Christians have been the same for generations, it’s not always the ‘God make it better’ prayers people need.

When you ask a persecuted Christian what they want you to pray for them, they say things like strength- faith- perseverance.  Not just a get-out option.  Some very honest Christians in Pakistan asked us to pray that they wouldn’t give in to the temptation to drop Jesus for the offers of safety, houses, money etc that the authorities say they’ll give them.  ‘Deny your Jesus and you can go free.’

Paul wrote to the Ephesians: ‘In Christ, God has given us every spiritual blessing in the heavenly world.’ (Eph 1:3)  I’m learning here that God’s spiritual blessings are more precious than anything else we can offer to people.  Even people with great physical and practical needs.  So I’m learning what it means to pray ‘give us today our daily bread’.  Sometimes, we do need a loaf of bread. But sometimes, we need courage or peace more.

Lucy – @ Release Potential on work experience