Pastor Hassan Abduraheem Taour helped train Sudanese pastors to prepare them for persecution. He didn’t know he was also preparing himself for the day he’d be arrested by the Islamist regime in Sudan, charged with aiding espionage and sentenced to 12 years in prison.

There were difficult days in prison, yet Pastor Hassan experienced the joy of the Lord—joy so powerful it brought tears to his eyes. It is because of that joy, and because of the ministry God gave him in prison, that Pastor Hassan looks back on those long months as “one of the best times of my life.”

Pastor Hassan shares how his heart remained upbeat, even as he stood in the courtroom while the judge pronounced him guilty, and sentenced Hassan to 12 years in prison. He’ll talk about how reading the Bible is different inside prison than when you’re free. Hassan says he experienced persecution as a blessing from God—a blessing so profound it caused him to weep tears of joy.

“It is really a privilege to be persecuted,” he says.

Your faith will be encouraged, and you’ll be challenged to pray for the church in Sudan and for Christians currently imprisoned for their faith as you hear Pastor Hassan’s amazing testimony this week on Forbidden Faith: Inspiring Conversations With Persecuted Christians.

Pastor Hassan was imprisoned along with the Africa regional director for The Voice of the Matyrs, Petr Jasek. You can hear Petr’s side of the story here.