Faithful Christians
James 5:16
The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.
It has been 24 years since the Lord Jesus Christ saved me in Nicosia Central Prison in Cyprus and not a day goes past where I do not give thanks to God for the way that He reached me. I owe Him my life. I owe Him my all!
While it is all down to what the Lord Jesus has done for me on the cross at Calvary, I also feel a huge gratitude and love to the faithful believers that brought the message of salvation to me. Michael Wright from Northern Ireland was the man that visited me every week, faithfully sharing God’s word with me and helping me to understand it.
It was also the prayers of faithful believers that played a very large part in what God was doing in my life in order to bring me into a relationship with Him. Michael had shared some basic details about who he was visiting in the prison with a small group of believers that gathered at the Logos School in Limassol and a few Christian gatherings where he was speaking – asking them to pray for God’s work in the prison. There here a number of believers, many of whom were Armenian, began to pray for me. While Michael always told me that local Christians were praying for me, I never had a chance to meet them as I was in prison at the time.
Only a number of years ago, I was preaching in France where I had the great honour to meet one of those people who prayed for me – an 83 year old Armenian lady called Maida Chenorhokian. Here is a very special letter that she wrote for me:
—– Original Message —–
From: Maida Chenorhokian
To:
Sent: Friday, December 20, 2013 2:04 PM Subject:
Dear brother Tony
The day I met you in France, herd your testimony, you are in my list of prayer, every day I pray for you and your family, ask God to keep, guide and use you for His glory. When I read on Facebook that you were attacked to destroy your ministry, I wrote a letter to encourage you, called to the believers in Cyprus to pray for you.
Every Thursday morning in my house with a group of ladies we have a Bible study and after we pray together, our group continues to pray for you..
I live in France, my daughter Ruth and her husband Louder Nassanian live in Cyprus (Limassol) I used to visit them every summer, when there was Christian camp
In Moniadis, my daughter was responsible there and I used to help in the Kitchen for the campers. One evening Michael Wright was invited to preach, after his message he told us to pray for a prisoner in Nicosia, he was visiting every week, named Tony, that evening we all prayed and asked God to make a miracle.
After 18 years I was invited to a Baptist Church in France to hear a testimony, the pastor said, Tony Anthony will give his testimony. When I heard your name and saw you on the platform, I was shocked, after 18 years God had answered our prayers, I was waiting the end of the meeting to meet you and tell that I have prayed for you, I am sure you remember that evening, you took me in your arms and thanked me for praying for a prisoner whom you did not know.
Today I called to my grandson Hovig who is in Cyprus, told him about your letter, he is a friend of Michael Wright, told me that they had inaugurated 10th year of Michael’s church in Paphos (Polis) Hovig, his wife and son had a wonderful time with Michael and Elizabeth Wright that day; Hovig will ask Michael to find someone who can write a brief statement about praying for you.
I am 83 years old but I love my Saviour and serve as much as possible, praise the Lord my house is open people who are alone I invite them and have lunch together, all who have difficulties come and we pray together, thank God I can use the computer.
Best regards to your dear wife and kisses to your sons, with Christ’s love Maida
Isn’t God amazing!
Thank you and God bless you sister Maida!!!
In addition to my burden to lead people to Christ and equip Christians for evangelism, I have been so encouraged to come to Armenia to preach the Gospel because of those Armenian Christians in Cyprus all those years ago, like sister Maida Chenorhokian. I feel all the more determined to help carry the Gospel to all 3 million people across this country! Please pray that God would make a way.
I already give thanks to God for connecting me with such a wonderful team of believers – and we look forward to developing the ministry to the nation in the coming months and years, DV.
Keep on keeping on…
Tony Anthony