Continued from a Previous post, Max Lucado and his book ‘Unshakable Hope’:
God hears your prayers as quickly as they are offered. Why? Because they come from his child. Will God do what you ask? Perhaps. Or perhaps he will do more than you imagined. He knows what is best. Stand firmly on this promise: “When a believing person prays, great things happen” (James 5:16 NVC). You are never without hope because you are never without prayer.
A dramatic illustration of this promise is found among Christians of Russia. For eight decades of the twentieth century, Christians in Russia experienced systematic persecution from the communist government. School teachers would hold up a Bible and ask kindergarten students if they had seen such a book in their homes. If a student said yes, a government official would visit the family. Pastors and lay people were imprisoned never to be heard from again. The government required pastors to visit their offices to report on any new visitors. Pastors were required to present sermon topics for approval.
This is the world in which a man named Dmitri taught his family and practiced his faith. He and his family lived in a small village four hours from Moscow. The nearest church was a three day walk, making it impossible to attend church more than twice a year. Dmitri began to teach his family Bible stories and verses. Neighbors got wind of the lessons and wanted to participate. When the group grew to twenty-five people, officials took notice and demanded he stop. He refused. When the group reached fifty people, Dmitri was dismissed from his factory job, his wife was fired from her teaching position, and his sons were expelled form school.
Still he continued. When the gathering increased to seventy-five people, there wasn’t enough room in his house. Villagers squeezed into every available corner and closed in around the window so they might listen to the man of God teach. One night a group of soldiers burst into the gathering. A soldier grabbed Dmitri and slapped him back and forth across the face. He then warned Dmitri to stop or something worse would happen to him. As the officer turned to leave, a small grandmother stepped into his path and waved a finger in his face. “You have laid hands on a man of God and you will not survive!” Within two days the officer was dead from a heart attack.
The fear of God spread and one hundred fifty people showed up at the next house meeting. Dmitri was arrested and sentenced to seventeen years in prison. His jail cell was so small that he needed only one step to reach each wall. He was the only believer among fifteen hundred prisoners. The officials tortured him and the prisoners mocked him. But he never broke.
Each morning at daybreak Dmitri stood by his bed and faced eastward, raised his arms to God, and sang a song of praise. Other prisoners would jeer. Still he sang. Whenever he found a scrap of paper he scribbled down a verse or a story from memory. When the paper was completely filled, he took it to the corner of his cell and affixed it to a damp pillar as a sacrifice to Jesus. Officials routinely spotted the papers, removed them, and beat Dmitri. Still he worshipped. This went on for seventeen years. On only one occasion did he nearly recant his faith.
Guards convinced him that his wife had been murdered and his children were wards of the state. The thought was more than Dmitri could bear. He agreed to renounce his faith in Christ. The guards told him they would return the next day with a document. All he had to do was sign it, and he would be released. The officials were sure of their victory. What they did not know was that when believing people pray, great things happen.
Believing people were praying for Dmitri. A thousand kilometers away believing people were praying for him, that night his family sensed a special burden to pray for him. They knelt in a circle and interceded passionately for his protection. Miraculously, the Lord allowed Dmitri to hear the voices of his loved ones as they prayed. He knew they were safe.
The next morning, when the guards came for his signature, they saw a renewed man. His face was calm, and his eyes were resolute. “I am not sighing anything! he told them. “In the night, God let me hear the voices of my wife and children and my brother praying for me. You lied to me! I know that my wife is alive and physically well. I know that my sons are with her. I also know that they are still in Christ. So I am not signing anything!”
The officials beat him and threatened to execute him but Dmitri’s resolve had only increased. He still worshipped in the morning and posted on the pillar. Finally the authorities had all they could take. They dragged Dmitri from his cell through the corridor in the center of the prison toward the place of execution. As they did, fifteen hundred criminals raised their hands and began to sing the song of praise they had heard Dmitri sing each morning.
The jailers released their hold on him and stepped back. “Who are you?”
“I am a son of the living God, and Jesus is His name!” Dmitri was taken back to his cell. Sometime later he was released and returned to his family.2
You’ll likely never find yourself in a Russian prison, but you may find yourself in an impossible situation. You’ll feel outnumbered and outmaneuvered. You’ll want to quit. Could I ask you, implore you, to memorize this promise and ask God to bring it to mind on that day. Write it where you will find it and in your heart. “When a believing person prays, great things happen” (James 5:16 NVC).
Prayer is not the last resort; it is the first step. God has power you’ve never seen, strength you’ve never seen, strength you’ve never known. He delighted in and answered Elijah’s prayer. God delighted in and answered the prayers of Dmitri and his family. God delights in and answers ours as well. ~~~ Max Lucado, ‘Unshakable Hope’ (Thomas Nelson, Harper Collins Christian Publishing, Inc. 2018) p.53-56
