Lily

At IMM, we have the privilege of working with Christians from all over the world, many from countries where being a Christian comes at a high price. One of these colleagues is a woman I’ll call “Lily.”

On one occasion, Lily was helping us with a project about martyrs in the second century after Christ. While working on a certain scene, Lily became emotional. A line in the script reminded her of when she was on trial for being a Christian. During her trial, she was asked if she believed in Jesus. She was given three opportunities to deny her faith, much like Peter after Jesus’s arrest. She told us that, each time, she boldly proclaimed her faith in Jesus; she didn’t back down, even though she knew the consequences would be less severe if she did.

She ended by saying, “I couldn’t have done that in my own strength. That’s how I know it was the Holy Spirit. I couldn’t have spoken with that much power.”

Many stories in the Bible and many of the stories shared by IMM tell of those who remained faithful in times of real difficulty. Some survived, others lost their lives and gained eternity. It’s easy to look at these stories and think that they exist only in the past, but in Lily’s own words, “This isn’t history. This is going on today.”

Lily's testimony tells us that when we say yes to God and remain faithful in moments of crisis, His presence is with us through the Holy Spirit to support us and give us the strength we need. We must strengthen our faith every day, knowing that no matter what scenario we are living in, glorifying God brings us the power of the Holy Spirit to overcome all difficulties, even death.

God’s Word for Today:

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Acts 1:8

Pray with us:

  • Pray for conviction to fall on the unjust judges who do not allow freedom of religion.

  • Pray that IMM finds the right stories to reach cultures that are closed.

  • Pray for your own boldness in the Holy Spirit to follow Christ no matter what.

Have a need that you would like us to join you in prayer for? Want to join our Prayer Team? Click the “Pray with us!” button to sign up and submit prayer requests.