Source: www.csw.org.uk
Date: August 14, 2021
‘Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God. Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.’ (Luke 12:6-7)
Jesus reminds us that God cares deeply about every aspect of his creation, from the humble sparrow to the hairs on your head. No-one is forgotten or overlooked by God.
Keep this verse in mind as we pray for Gao Zhisheng and his family this week. It’s now been four years since Gao went missing – but he has not been forgotten.
Missing, but not forgotten
Gao Zhisheng is a Chinese human rights lawyer who was known for defending religious minorities, including Christians and Falun Gong practitioners. This caught the attention of Chinese authorities, who illegally arrested him for the first time in 2006.
Gao subsequently suffered multiple disappearances, beatings and torture, as well as serving a prison sentence from 2011-2014. Then, on 13 August 2017, he disappeared completely.
As far as anyone is aware, Gao was never charged with anything or sentenced. He’s believed to be in some form of detention, but his whereabouts and condition remain unknown. He has had no contact with a lawyer, and no contact with his family either.
The years of worry have taken their toll on Gao’s family, but his wife, Geng He, continues to call for her husband’s freedom. They haven’t given up, and neither have we.
In summary, please pray:
- That God will reach into the darkness, wherever Gao is being held, and bring him safely home to his family.
- For God to strengthen and comfort Gao’s family as they call for truth and justice.
- For increased pressure on the Chinese government to release information about Gao’s whereabouts and condition.