I met a group of ethnic-German Christians who emigrated from Russia through Serbia.  Some had been leaders of the underground Church in Russia, and most had spent many years in prison.  With many tears, one sister told me the story of her Father, who had been a leader in the underground Church.

One night, about 10 communist officers came to their home, searched the home, took every Bible and Christian book, and took her Father.  She said it was the last time she saw Him.  She was 10 or 11 years old at the time, and there were eight children in their home.

Her Mother fought hard to keep eight children alive without a Father.  But after six years, her Mother got sick and died.  Since the girl was the oldest child, she remained with the other children, taking the place of her Mother and Father.

Once all of her brothers and sisters had moved out on their own, her first thought was to try to find out what happened to her Father.  For two years she tried.

Then, one day the door opened and two gentlemen she didn't know entered her home.

"We come from far away, from a prison in Siberia," the two men told her.  "When your Father was arrested, we too were arrested.  We together with him.  After a time, the communists decided to put us to death.  Your Father taught us to pray ,to believe, to look up to heaven.  And in this great despair, we learned to pray.  Now the great day came.  We three were brought out to be shot.  In these moments, your Father said 'I would ask you only one favor - please allow me to pray before you shoot me.'"

The men told her that the communists allowed Him to pray and that He knelt and started to pray in a loud voice.  Even the communists were impressed.  And as He prayed , the Lord took him home.  Now the Christians were not afraid, but the communists were so afraid that they did not shoot the other two men.  They took them back to the prison and reported to their officers what had happened.

"These men said my Father had given his life for them," the woman told me tearfully, "but what they envied most was how He knew to pray.  HowHe knew to pray."

This man was taken from his children.  He had nothing but the ability to pray, which saved the lives of these two men and has brought many souls to Christ.

How will you pray today?

Sabina Wurmbrand (1913-2000) and her husband, Richard (1909-2001), co-founded the Voice of the Martyrs (www.persecution.com.)  Her inspiring story is told in the film Sabina:  Tortured for Christ, the Nazi Years.  You may visit SabinaMovie.com to learn more.  

Your are invited to visit com.org/martyr to watch a short feature film about those that have suffered at great personal cost for the advancement of the gospel.

Please pray for ALL those that are persecuted for their faithful witness, committing to share Christ boldly.

A Father's Prayers

By Sabina Wurmbrand

Image of 2 Russian Priests from the Russian Orthodox Church sent to the Gulag Labour (Prison) System in Siberia. They tried to hide at a monastery in the Ural Mountains but were spotted by a plane and the inhabitants were all arrested. The Priest on the left, died in the camp.