“Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’ So we can confidently say, ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?'” (Hebrews 13:5-6)
Four Days That Became 445
When Petr Jasek traveled to Sudan in December 2015 on behalf of The Voice of the Martyrs, he planned to stay four days. Instead, he stayed 445—behind bars, facing a death sentence.
At the Khartoum airport, ready to board his flight home to the Czech Republic, Petr was arrested. The charges were severe: espionage, waging war against Sudan, arming rebels. His crime? Meeting with persecuted Sudanese Christians and documenting their suffering. Within hours, he found himself in a cell operated by Sudan’s Intelligence Service, locked behind a door he recognized, the same door from a disturbing dream God had given him two and a half years earlier. God had been preparing him.
His first cellmates were six ISIS fighters, including a former bodyguard to Osama bin Laden who had participated in the killing of Egyptian Christians in Libya. When they discovered Petr was a Christian, the persecution began immediately. They made him their slave – washing their clothes, cleaning toilets with his bare hands, enduring their mockery. Torture by the authorities escalated. They beat him with wooden sticks during interrogations and planned to waterboard him the next day.
Supernatural Peace in the Darkest Hour
Yet in those darkest moments, Petr experienced something he describes as “supernatural peace.” He spent hours every day reading the Bible and praying, feeling the Lord’s presence very near. (The Voice of the Martyrs) When his health deteriorated, and he could barely remember Scripture passages he’d memorized as a boy, the Holy Spirit brought verses back to his mind—just enough to give him strength each day.
After one brutal beating, Petr later realized it was the exact time his wife’s Bible study group back home had stopped their lesson to pray for “the Lord’s presence over the situation.” (Christian Post) He could physically feel those prayers. “I was experiencing a supernatural peace,” he later testified.
Holy, Holy, Holy
Confined to solitary, Petr received a Bible from Czech officials. Standing at the cell bars where light could reach, he read from Genesis to Revelation in three weeks, gaining what he called “a new understanding of Scripture.” But it was a verse from Revelation 4:8 that became his lifeline—not a promise of freedom, but a declaration of God’s holiness: “Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty.”
Petr thought, “If these four creatures can say this day and night forever, if I just repeat this, one day, one week, one month, one year, or maybe several years, I might be able to do what these creatures do: worship God.” (Mission Network News) Focusing on God’s glory rather than his circumstances brought unexpected peace and joy.
Prison Became Mission Field
God turned Petr’s imprisonment into ministry. When 14 Eritrean prisoners were added to his overcrowded cell, God led him to share his testimony with them. After getting to know them, he introduced them to the gospel, and two made decisions to follow Christ. (The Voice of the Martyrs) The next morning, all 14 were transferred out—he never saw them again. But a day that should have been filled with discouragement became a day of celebration.
The Key Holder
After being moved to Kober Prison and sentenced to life imprisonment, Petr sat in the prison yard on February 23, 2017, reading Psalm 126: “When the LORD brought back the captivity of Zion, we were like those who dream… The LORD has done great things for us, and we are glad.” Within seconds of finishing the Psalm, the prison commander approached him and said, “Petr, you are getting released today.” (The Voice of the Martyrs)
From his first days in custody, Petr had declared, “God is the One who holds the key to my cell.” After 445 days, God used that key.
The Global Reality
Petr’s story is not unique among today’s persecuted church. According to Voice of the Martyrs Canada, more than 7,000 Nigerian Christians were killed in the first 220 days of 2025 alone—an average of 32 deaths per day. (Voice of the Martyrs Canada) Christians in Iran, China, India, Pakistan, and dozens of other nations face imprisonment, torture, and death simply for following Jesus. One in seven Christians worldwide suffers persecution or discrimination due to their religious beliefs, with 380 million Christians affected globally. (The Interim)
The Unbreakable Promise
Yet the promise of Hebrews 13:5-6 remains: “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” God doesn’t promise His children freedom from suffering, but He guarantees His presence in the midst of it. Whether in a Sudanese prison cell with ISIS fighters, in Nigerian villages under attack, or in Chinese detention centers, believers discover what Petr discovered—that God’s presence transforms even the darkest circumstances into opportunities for His glory.
When fear threatens to overwhelm, when the future looks hopeless, when persecution seems unbearable, our persecuted brothers and sisters cling to this truth: the Lord is their helper. What can man ultimately do to them? Man can imprison the body, but not the spirit. Man can threaten death, but not eternal life. Man can close prison doors, but cannot separate believers from the love of Christ.
As we pray for our persecuted family, let us ask God to help them sense His constant presence, to surround them with His love as a shield, and to fill them with the supernatural peace that sustained Petr through 445 days of darkness. May they know—truly know—that wherever they go, whatever they face, God is with them.
Lord, strengthen our brothers and sisters in the fire. Remind them of Your promise never to leave or forsake them. May they experience Your nearness in their darkest hours, just as Petr did in that Sudanese cell. Give them courage to stand firm, peace that surpasses understanding, and joy that cannot be stolen. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Sources:
- Voice of the Martyrs (persecution.com)
- Voice of the Martyrs Canada (vomcanada.com)
- Voice of the Martyrs Radio interviews with Petr Jasek (vomradio.net)
Blogs about today’s persecuted church:
A Month of Prayers for the Persecuted Church – 31 prayers based on Scripture
Standing with Our Persecuted Brothers and Sisters – a short, simple reminder that we Christians are all one in Christ, called to love and support each other
When the Bible Becomes Precious – sometimes we forget the value of the Treasure we see every day
Never Alone: God’s Presence in the Prison Cell – Petr Jasek proves Hebrews 13:5, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”
One Body, Many Members: When the Church Suffers Together – reporting on an occasion when the Church stood together in prayer to support a member of our Body
The God of All Comfort: When Martyrdom Leaves Families Behind – in some dark lands, spiritual warfare can be fatal
Passing the Torch: Teaching Faith in the World’s Darkest Places – teaching children about God is risky in North Korea, maybe even a capital crime
Water for a Thirsty Soul: The Desperate Hunger for God’s Word – stories of hope and joy when Bibles reach believers eager to read God’s Word
Here are links to my blog indexes, so please click one and keep reading!
My Books, Workbooks, and Fun Books
Knowing the Unknowable One
Opening the Treasure Chest
Walking Heart-to-Heart with God
Walking Heart-to-Heart with Each Other
Fighting the Good Fight of Faith
Christian Mysteries: Why I Love Them!
List of Some Nonfiction Books You Don’t Want to Miss
Index of Assorted Topics