CENTRAL ASIA: “LORD, THIS IS THE LAST PRAYER OF MY LIFE”

After roman* became a Christian he was forced out of his community, But God was with him, leading him to a new town and a small house church, where he grew in faith and eventually became its leader. But little did he know that leading that church would lead to God’s miraculous protection over his life and the future life of the church!

The story Roman tells begins when he was leading a house church meeting and there was a knock at door. Standing there were 30 masked men with guns and large knives. They were members of a tribe or gang, wanting the property for their fight with another tribe, and they threatened to kill the believers if they didn’t leave within a few days.

The house church was shocked but, with astonishing bravery, they decided to stay – and pray. They were convinced God had given them the house for them to share His love and hope with the local community.  

A pastor’s last prayer – or not?

After a few days, the gang returned. The 30 armed men stood before the members of the house church. Summoned from the home, the believers courageously stood in a circle, held each other’s hands and sang and prayed together. They prayed for their persecutors, for their families, for their village and for the country.

The gang were a bit confused, and they focused their anger on Roman, grabbing him and saying, “We are going to kill your pastor first.” They took Roman to a rubbish dump, where they prepared to shoot him. They asked if he had any final words.  

“Lord, this is the last prayer of my life, give me Your wisdom now,” Roman prayed aloud. “Give me one more chance to preach Your gospel. I pray for my persecutors, Lord. Please give them what they need. I also pray for their fathers and mothers, their wives and their children. Bless them. I also pray a blessing for this area and for our village.”

“Why are you praying for us now?” said one of the attackers, to which the pastor replied: “You should know that I first want to forgive you for the fact that you are going to shoot me, and that God loves you very much. His love will also remain with you, no matter what.”

It was then that something remarkable happened. Stunned by what they’d seen, the group said, “You are completely crazy. Go to your group and we will come and get you again. You’re not done with us yet.”

‘YOUR PRAYER MADE A BIG IMPRESSION’

Roman’s story doesn’t end there, because something even more incredible was to come. A week later, the armed men returned to the house church, but this time they asked Roman to come out alone. “I first want to say goodbye to my wife and children before you shoot me,” he told the group.

“We have to tell you something,” said the group’s leader. “A few days ago, we were on our way for a commando mission and suddenly we were ambushed. We were shot at from all sides and we saw no way to flee, and we really thought that our last hour had come. But what happened was very miraculous, because none of us was hit by a bullet. None of us were even injured.

“And then your prayer for us came to mind. Your prayer had made a big impression on us, and you even prayed for our protection. And that prayer has really been answered. We come to thank you for what you have done for us, and want you and your group to know that you can now continue to live and come together here in freedom. We will continue to protect you and your group.”

Wow. Please use the points below to pray for Roman and the church he leads.

*Name changed for security reasons.