Of those of us who have come together because we feel called to pray for Jahar – we often realize that we have been praying the same exact things without even communicating about them. However, what’s especially fascinating to me is the way in which the Holy Spirit speaks to us individually and places a specific thing on our hearts. Sometimes it’s something that none of us have ever thought to pray for before. Other times, it’s just something that weighs more heavily on our hearts than it does on others’. Here are two of mine:
1.) For the portion of the SAMs to be lifted that prevents Jahar from having access to a chaplain or group prayer. Would this mean very much to him now? Possibly not – but potentially, it could be an avenue for him to come to Christ. More importantly, the reason that it truly weighs on my heart is because of my own experience. Even within the past year – I was a believer, but I had no deep connections with other believers. I went to church, and I went home….where I felt like an island in my faith. I had no one to read the Bible with. I had no one to pray with. I had no one to encourage me. And so, I fell away from God. I was living life for me – content in my sin – and even starting to doubt His existence. Within the past several months, I have had the amazing opportunity to forge deep connections and lasting friendships with other believers. Because of that, I have found my way back to God. Having other people to get into God’s word with, pray with, learn with, and grow with has kept me accountable and has encouraged me immensely on my journey with God. Those connections with other believers have led me to develop such strong roots in my faith that I feel I will likely never stray from God again in such an extreme way. I am living for Him. My life has completely changed as a result of my relationships with other believers. I know that all things are possible with God – but I still can’t help but fear for Jahar because of these SAMs. If he were to come to Christ on his own (which I fully believe that he can and will) – without other believers to pray with him and for him, to answer his questions, to encourage him – it would be so easy for him to fall back into his old ways. My heart is so heavy with the desire for Jahar to have access to other believers so that when he does come to faith in Christ, he will not fall away the way that I did.
2.) For God to give Jahar even a tiny glimpse of His plans for him. We have all read the stories. It is almost inevitable that inmates in solitary confinement will eventually be affected by mental illness, depression, and/or suicidal thoughts. Of those of us who have felt called to become prayer warriors for Jahar, many of us believe that God has plans to use Jahar to build His kingdom. If Jahar were to come to Christ – his testimony would be so incredibly powerful because of who he is and what he is accused of – that he would inevitably be able to help grow God’s kingdom in a huge way. It is this dream for Jahar that gives us hope. It is my prayer for Jahar that God would reveal to him even the tiniest piece of His plans for him the way He has to us – and that because of that knowledge, Jahar would have the same hope for himself that we have for him – that it would give him a reason to want to keep waking up every single day, despite what he is facing.
Would you join me in praying for these two things that the Holy Spirit has placed on my heart?
-K
Christians United For Jahar 
I won’t comment extensively since obviously you and I have talked and prayed about these two things a lot. But I really want him to have the sort of thing that you and I have going on in being able to read the Bible and pray together. As you said, it’s made such a huge difference, and I’m sure it would for him. It seems impossible because of the crazy amount of restrictions on him right now and the amount of restrictions that convicted terrorists are under, but as you and Lynn said, nothing is impossible with God. We’ve got to walk by faith and not by sight. And if he could catch even the slightest glimpse of God’s plans for him, that would be amazing because I can’t possibly imagine how hopeless he feels in that cell all alone facing what he’s facing.
“God will only allow enough pain and presssure to bring Jahar to Jesus, not enough to break or ruin him.” I hate so much to think about Jahar suffering (though yes, if he’s guilty, he deserves it to some extent), but you’ve got that right: Pain can be integral in helping bring him to Christ. I often quote this from C.S. Lewis: “God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pains: it is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world. [Pain] removes the veil; it plants the flag of truth within the fortress of a rebel soul.”
I’d love to meet you too, as (like I’ve said a billion times already it seems) you’re a huge encouragement and we’re blessed to have you here. I’m certain that at least one day, we’ll all get to welcome our brother home. I can’t wait for that day.
You mean if we wanted to communicate within the group privately since these comments are all public for those who look at the blog? I’ve communicated with other members in various ways, such as Facebook messages, Twitter direct messages, Skype, Kik (a messaging app for your phone), text messages, and emails.
I will definitely continue to join you all in prayer. I feel like we’re on the verge of something big, despite some set backs. The last letter I sent, in which I shared the Gospel, was returned to me, but the first letter of prayers & scriptural encouragement I sent was not returned to me, so I trust God’s timing that He allowed one to get through, and not the other.
“I feel like we’re on the verge of something big, despite some set backs.” – I think a lot of us have been feeling that way. Hopefully that’s for a good reason.
I sent six letters (including a birthday card and a postcard) from May to September, and I only got the last one back because of the SAMs. I didn’t share the Gospel in any of those (regretting that now since who knows when we’ll be able to write him again), but I’m hoping they at least planted some sort of seed.
I know you’re asking the other person, but the one letter that I got returned was sent September 18. I expected to get back my August 27 letter because of the SAMs, but I haven’t… YET. They are really slow at returning letters.
The letter that was returned to me was sent to Fort Devens about mid-October, but I didn’t receive back until late December. But the first one which wasn’t returned was sent in the beginning of August, so it got in just before the SAMs.
Of course I’ll pray for this with y’all!
“If he were to come to Christ on his own (which I fully believe that he can and will)…”
Wow, I was just thinking of another story along the lines of what you just said. The Godly, lovely family that I’ve said before that helped me to understand Christians’ joy once told this story they heard (supposedly true) while teaching a Wednesday night class:
“There was this Russian orphan girl. In Russia, they don’t even mention God and discourage Christianity and faith in Higher Powers. So this girl never heard the word “God” or had any Biblical teachings.
One night, this girl cried and PRAYED, saying “I know that there’s a God out there. I know that there’s somebody who created the world and who is watching out for me. I just want You to know that I love You and trust You.”
She later told this story, giving it as her testimony.”
Oh LORD! You reveal Yourself even to the most “forsaken!” God can reveal himself to Jahar, and I’m sure He will 🙂