Acts 12, updated...

And so it was that Iraq was a country of great violence, and many were kidnapped and killed. And many more stayed in their homes for fear of the insurgents. But Fadi, youth pastor of Baghdad’s Evangelical Alliance Church and known and loved by everyone in Baghdad, journeyed to Kurdistan to minister there.

Now it happened that in the fourth month, on the sixth day, as Pastor Fadi was returning from Kurdistan to his home to Baghdad, militants seized him. After kidnapping him, they held him with little water and no change of clothing, and put him up for ransom for a large sum of money.

So Fadi therefore was kept in hiding, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him. Young people prayed at Fadi’s church night and day, as did people in all the Evangelical churches of Baghdad. Indeed, word went out throughout all the world, and messages came back to Baghdad: believers were praying earnestly for the release of their brother in Christ.

And, behold, while the church prayed, the kidnappers came to Fadi with a large bag. In the bag were identification cards belonging to people they had killed. They ordered Fadi to look for his own card. “We don’t know why,” they told him, “but we will not kill you.”

And in the fourth month, on the thirteenth day, Fadi was released by his kidnappers. He went to his home, where family and church members gathered with shouts of joy to sing and praise God.

And the church throughout the world was strengthened, and gave glory to God.

Hear it again: The God of Acts has lost none of His power. He still keeps watch over His own. He still hears and answers prayer. He’s still in charge, no matter how tangled the mess our world has gotten itself into.

If He can do it in Iraq, He can do it anywhere.

Remember that when you pray today.