Today, on Day 21 of our 30 Days of Prayer for Global Awakening, as we pray for East Asia to awaken to God’s love, we wanted to share with you this miraculous news of answered prayer from North Korea:
Praise God! A Christian imprisoned in one of North Korea’s inhumane labor camps is free!
Deacon Jang* was abducted from Chinese territory in November 2014 while waiting at the river border between North Korea and China to help North Koreans in need.
He had built a ministry providing humanitarian assistance and sharing his Christian faith with those who crossed into China seeking food, medicine, and shelter.
Authorities sentenced him to 15 years in prison on charges stemming from his Christian work among North Korean visitors.
His conditions for release reveal a God who does the impossible. Jang was released under a special amnesty—a rare occurrence for prisoners detained on religious grounds. Sources close to the deacon indicate that three factors contributed to his release: his exemplary conduct in prison; the timing of the country’s 80th anniversary of the founding of the Workers’ Party of Korea; and the fact that he had completed exactly 11 years of his sentence.
The release represents a significant departure from North Korea’s typical handling of foreign-linked Christian prisoners, who are rarely freed early.
As you can imagine, Jang was barely recognizable, bearing the unmistakable marks of prolonged suffering. All of his teeth were gone except for his molars. He was extremely thin, looking like someone who had not eaten for days. His skin had become dry and tough, and all his hair had turned completely white.
He is slowly recovering at home in China, though the physical toll of his detention is severe.
“The release of Deacon Jang must give a boost to our prayers,” says Simon Lee*, Open Doors’ coordinator for ministry among North Koreans. “We never thought he would survive his sentence, yet he has returned home.”
Please pray with us for Jang’s physical and emotional healing, for his safety amid Chinese interrogations and for the thousands of other believers who remain imprisoned in North Korea.
Open Doors US on Facebook, March 5
North Korea ranks #1 on Open Doors’ World Watchlist of most dangerous countries in the world for Christians to live, where an estimated 50,000-70,000 Christians are currently imprisoned.
Lord, we thank You for brother Jang’s release and that he is now safely home. Please heal his heart, mind and body, and restore his strength. Bless him and his family abundantly for all he has sacrificed to see Your Kingdom come among North Koreans. For those who encountered you through His witness, we ask You, Father, to quicken their hearts with faith. Bring freedom to the captives, both in body and in spirit. Wrap Your arms around every persecuted Christian, especially those who suffer in prisons and labor camps. Keep them warm. Provide for all their needs. In fact, provide for them so abundantly they will share of those provisions with the lost around them, showing them what it looks like to follow the God of Love. Shield, strengthen and rescue those who are in danger or suffering under heavy loads. Let them feel Your presence so near that faith, hope and love radiate from them, drawing others to You. Strengthen their faith and give them courage to forgive those who torture and kill them and their family members. Speak so powerfully, performing signs and miracles and wonders by Your mighty hand, that the fame of Your name races across the nation like wildfire, bringing with it the good news of salvation and igniting every heart with desire for the One who sets them free. God of Miracles, we ask You to perform them in the hearts of North Korea’s leader and all those bound to obey him. Whenever they raise a gun, hand or other weapon against a Christian, stand in the way, blocking the blow. Be a Shield so real that the bullets and blows ricochet off and hit those bent on evil. Let every oppressor see Your angels standing in front of believers, guarding them gloriously. Meet President Kim and other persecutors in their dreams, bind up the demons that control them, break through the darkness of their hearts and minds with Your light. Ignite within them such a fear of You and hunger for Your love that they will repent, choose salvation and let You set them free. Release the captives, O God, especially every Christian in labor camps and prison. Bring a swift end to the reign of terror. Lift the clouds of darkness and awaken every heart in North Korea to You. Isaiah 51:7-16. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
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