Send! Web Extras - First Quarter 2009
Locked Up
Even though her family often keeps her away from church, Sapna faithfully prays for those who do not know the Lord. |
Sapna Chander spends most Sundays at home. She rarely makes it to worship services. Sapna used to go, but now her attendance is hit or miss.
Think she's a nominal Christian or a "backslider"? She's not. Sapna's non-Christian parents have even locked her up before because she's living so faithfully for Jesus. But just because she's often confined to her home, doesn't mean Sapna isn't making a difference in eternity. She has a special role in Christ's kingdom—prayer warrior.
When Gospel for Asia missionary Abed Musuri began his ministry in a nearby village, he met Sapna and shared the Gospel with her. She was filled with peace and joy as she heard about a God who cared for her. Soon, she decided to follow Jesus with her whole life.
Every week, Sapna would attend the church Abed had started. She loved the fellowship with other believers and the biblical teaching, and she began growing in her faith.
When Sapna's brother-in-law, a leader for an anti-Christian fundamentalist group, heard about Sapna's transformation, things changed. He made a threatening call to Sapna's parents, harassing them until they promised to stop her from going to church.
They grabbed her and beat her up for going to worship Jesus.From that point on, every Sunday, Sapna's parents locked her in her bedroom and would not let her out until the services were over. Sad that she couldn't publicly exercise her faith, Sapna gained encouragement by secretly meeting with Bindi Tira, another sister in Christ from the church.
Sapna and Bindi frequently prayed and read the Bible together. One day during their time together, Bindi told Sapna that the church was having a special Christian conference. Knowing that it was impossible for her to sneak away to attend the conference, Sapna promised to fervently pray for it.
The next time Sapan saw Bindi, she gave her a gift to pass on to Pastor Abed. It was all of her savings, and Sapna wanted it to go toward the conference expenses, so that more people could hear about Jesus.
Bindi and Abed were extremely moved by her generosity and service to the Lord. Even though she was confined to her home, she was doing everything she could to help share the Gospel with others.
Some time later, Abed planned a day of prayer and fasting for the believers. When they gathered in another location to worship the Lord and pray for the lost, Sapna slipped away and joined them.
Unfortunately, Sapna's sister happened to be in the same area and spotted Sapna worshipping with the believers. She went home and told their family what her sister was doing.
That evening, when Sapna returned, three of her family members were waiting. They grabbed her and beat her up for going to worship Jesus.
A few days later, Sapna happened to see Abed when she was out in the village. She told him the terrible story of what happened to her after the meeting, but added that she was determined to follow Christ boldly. Sh also said she would still come to worship services when she could—no matter the cost.
Abed asks for prayer for Sapna that she would have grace and wisdom from the Lord as she follows Him. He also requests prayer that Sapna's family would come to know Jesus as a result of her faithfulness.
