PRAYER & ACTION
Useful Tips
Prayer:
Prayer is the most important action you can take. God alone can break spiritual strongholds. We are powerless without God. Prayer is also an act of faith, acknowledging God’s power and believing that He hears.
But prayer without action is like faith without works.
“Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: show me thy faith without thy works, and I will show thee faith by my works.”
James 2:17-18
To be most effective we must combine Prayer & Action!
Action:
It is important that a prisoner is kept in the public eye and not forgotten. When a prisoner is forgotten, s/he is at greater risk ofbeing mistreated, tortured, disappear and/or killed.
Many times we have seen prisoners get better treatment and even set free because of public outcry! Examples of such cases is the reversal in Iran of Youcef Nadarkhani’s death sentence and the presidential pardon of Czech missionary Petr Jasek from a Sudan prison.
“The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” E. Burke
When we are silent, human rights abuses flourish.
From years of experience, Door of Hope International has learned that the best advice to families and governments is to expose and publically condemn human rights violations and the hidden torture techniques used on prisoners.
“Our silence in essence confers tacit approval of human rights violations such as death to prisoners.” Paul H. Popov, President of Door of Hope International
What You Can Do:
We urge you to not be silent and to speak out on behalf of those who are persecuted and oppressed.
- Write to your local government, senators, and representatives (sample letter, go here)
Bring the prisoner to their attention. Countries like Iran which state in their constitution that there is freedom of religion and claim to abide by the Universal Human Rights Declaration can often be pressured to improve their treatment of prisoners when the world is watching.
You can get the names and contact information for the people who represent you on the federal, state, and local levels here: Find and contact elected officials | USAGov
We also have a strong advocate in the US Commission on International Religious Freedom in Washington D.C. Write to the USCIRF today and encourage their diplomatic efforts on behalf of Persecuted Christians who have spent years being tortured and imprisoned for the sake of their faith in Jesus Christ.
Send your letter to:
The US Commission on International Religious Freedom
Att: Chair Rabbi Abraham Cooper
732 N. Capitol Street, N.W., Suite A714, Washington, D.C. 20401
Your actions make a BIG difference!
Write a card or letter to a prisoner ( Sample Letters here)
Christian prisoners can often fall into despair and hopelessness, especially when they feel forgotten and lose contact with the outside world. Even a small card with simple words like, “I am praying for you!” can liftup their spirits tremendously.
Often a prisoner begins their prison term strong in the Lord, determined not to deny Him. In brutal countries like Eritrea, Iran, Pakistan, North Korea, and other such countries, where they are repeatedly beaten and tortured to deny Christ, their strength falters.
Some, unfortunately, lose hope like in the case of Amin Afshar-Naderi. Having endured repeated torture in the brutal cells of Evin Prison, Iran, for more than a year before receiving his 15-year sentence, Amin lost hope and went on a hunger strike to end his life. He felt that 15 more years of isolation, beatings and torture was more than he could bear.
We must help such prisoners through prayer and letters of encouragement and hope.
Knowing someone cares and is praying is sometimes all it takes to keep a Christian from totally giving up or denying Christ.
Safety Measures:
When writing to a prisoner, please keep these useful tips in mind:
- Do pray for the persecuted believer who will receive your card or letter.
- Do tell them that they are not forgotten.
- Do keep your letter short and use simple English phrasing.
- Do quote a Bible verse and give the reference.
- Do sign the letter with only your first name.
- DON’T mention DOHI in your letter as it may jeopardize our work with other imprisoned Christians.
- DON’T criticize the government or laws of the nation where the believer is imprisoned as it may jeopardize their safety.
- DON’T give your full name, address, or any contact details.
- DON’T send any money or gifts with your correspondence.
How to address your envelope:
