Easter Prayers for Pastor Saeed
Many of us will gather this weekend with family and friends to celebrate Easter - the resurrection of Jesus Christ. For me and my family, we also celebrate Passover - God's deliverance of the Jewish people from the bondage of slavery under Egypt's Pharaohs.
During this important time, I want to ask you to pause for a moment and reflect on the freedoms each one of us possess in America - freedom to celebrate Easter - to celebrate Passover - the freedom to express our faith - without fear - without threats - without imprisonment.
It's easy to take our freedoms for granted. Especially our freedom to pray - to share our Christian faith with others.
This Easter, American Pastor Saeed Abedini remains in an Iranian prison - simply because he is a Christian. As you know, he continues to suffer beatings and torture at the hands of his captors in one of Iran's most dangerous prisons.
Today, I re-read a letter that Pastor Saeed sent to his family in February. And I was reminded that this U.S. citizen - who is entitled to religious freedom - even by one of the world's most brutal regimes - sets a powerful example for each one of us.
His faith is strong, unwavering - despite the life-threatening abuse he continues to receive in Evin Prison.
"They are trying to put me under such horrific pressures (that are sometimes unbearable) so that they can show me that my faith is empty and not real," Pastor Saeed wrote. "And after all of these pressures, after all of the nails they have pressed against my hands and feet, they are only waiting for one thing…for me to deny Christ. But they will never get this from me."
Incredible courage and spiritual strength.
This Easter, as we continue to work to secure his freedom, please keep Pastor Saeed and his family in your prayers.
On behalf of everyone at the ACLJ and our international affiliates, I want to express to you and your family our heartfelt gratitude for your support and wish you and yours a very blessed Easter.