Petr Jasek, a Czech national and VOM’s Africa regional director, spent 445 days in a Sudanese prison. Days after returning home, Petr sat down with VOM Radio host, Todd Nettleton, to share his story and thank the thousands of people who prayed for him and his co-defendants during his long months in prison.

Listen in as Petr shares about going to the airport to leave and the point when he knew what he faced was much more than a routine security screening. He’ll share how he kept praying as he was questioned, and how he found out that his cell mates were members of ISIS. 

Your faith will be encouraged as you hear how God had been preparing Petr—even years before his arrest—to remain faithful even during months in prison.

Listen as he shares the verse that became a theme for him during those long months in prison. It was not a verse about setting captives free. Instead, it was a verse about the holiness of God. It became a theme for Petr; he would use it to guide his prayers and recite it over and over each day throughout his imprisonment. Meditating on God’s holiness provided strength for Petr as his radical Muslim cellmates began to pressure, persecute and torture him.

Listen also for the opportunity God provided that encouraged Petr as he began to lose hope after four months in prison. Petr’s story challenges each of us to think about how we deal with hardship or opposition, and reminds us to seek God’s plan and His will, even when we’re uncomfortable or suffering.

From the first days after his arrest in Sudan, Petr repeatedly said, “God is the One who holds the key to my cell.” Listen as he shares how he stopped praying to be released from prison and simply focused on fulfilling the Lord’s purpose for him inside prison walls. 

Petr tells what it was like to hear the judge announce that he was sentenced to life in prison, and the verse he read from Psalms moments before he found out God would be using the key and opening Petr’s cell door.

Petr will also share—from his personal experience—how we should pray for Christians in prison, and for their families who sometimes suffer more than the prisoners. You will be challenged to think about what it means to wait on the Lord as you hear Petr share how, after 445 days, God set this captive free.

Forbidden Faith listeners can receive a free copy of Petr Jasek’s book, Imprisoned with ISIS, as well as an “Imprisoned with Them” wristband to remind us to pray for Christians currently in prison for their faith, when you make any donation to The Voice of the Martyrs at www.Persecution.com/Petr.

Hear fresh stories of persecuted Christians and those working for the gospel in hostile and restricted nations each week when you subscribe to the VOM Radio podcast.