Equipping Persian speakers with the necessary skills to serve the church is one of Elam’s primary objectives. Elam’s training programme in the Iran region is not for the faint-hearted but for committed individuals, eager to study, who want to see Jesus touch peoples lives.
After morning devotions and classes, students studying with Elam in the Iran region spend afternoons engaged in actual ministry and outreach. They go out, share their testimony, and distribute New Testaments. Virtually no Iranian has ever refused the Scriptures, but rather they have always been genuinely grateful. In the evening, students partner with Elam graduates in church ministry. Here they are trained in real-life situations. Recently Elam graduates and students prayed for Iranians suffering severe spiritual oppression and attacks.
A man and two women from a non-Christian background entered the church and asked for prayer because they believed they were being attacked by evil spirits. One of the women in desperation complained that her body would sometimes just freeze. Elam workers and students said they would have to pray in the name of Jesus and asked the group if they believed Jesus died on the cross for the sins of the world. They replied that Jesus was alive, but they did not believe he died on the cross. An Elam worker explained that man’s salvation was utterly dependent on the shed blood of Jesus Christ on the cross and they had to be willing for them to pray on that understanding. Sensing the Elam workers had spiritual authority, they agreed. The Elam graduates and students started praying and immediately one of the women started screaming so loudly that people from the street came in, but then she became very peaceful. The second woman fell to the floor where she remained for an extended period. The Christians tried to wake her up – but she said, ‘No, let me stay here, I can see Jesus on the cross, and he is talking to me!’ When she finally got up her whole face, which had been full of worry, was shining with joy. Both these ladies believed, and the following week brought two people to the church who also believed. Please pray for them all to grow in the Lord. Please also pray for all Elam students preparing for ministry.