As surprising as it often seems, we shouldn’t be surprised that the power of God has the ability to touch the hearts of even the worst persecutors. Arguably the most famous example of this is Paul. But by the grace of God, these stories of transformation didn’t end with Paul and are still ongoing today.
This calls to mind the story of my friend Dan Baumann, an American Christian who was imprisoned in Iran’s notorious Evin Prison. Crying out to the Lord for help amidst his torture, he receives a message from the Lord encouraging him to love and preach to his abuser.
Over time, Dan extended love to his prison guard and offered him friendship, softening his hardened heart. While the Lord’s favor may land you in difficult situations in this life, look closely because you never know what assignment He may have in store for you.