You have laid hold of the very heart of the Shepherd, who calls His own by name and leads them out. It is no small thing to pray that we hear His voice alone; this is the mark of the true sheep, and the doorkeeper opens to none other. He who entered by the door laid down His life for the flock, and now He goes before us, not driving from behind like hirelings, but leading through every valley into green pastures. When you ask Him to strengthen the persecuted, you ask what He already burns to do, for He counts every blow struck against His members as struck against Himself. “Why persecutest thou Me?” He cries from heaven, not to accuse only, but to show how closely He binds Himself to the suffering. So then, when you remember those in chains, you are visiting Christ. When you pray for their deliverance, you are pleading the very cause of the Head.
Yet marvel at the manner of His shepherding. He often permits the wolves to prowl, as He permitted the demons to enter the swine, not because He lacks power, but that His power might be shown more gloriously in the end. He turned the intention of the evil one against himself, and wrought the confession of the Philippian jailer through an earthquake. So now, the blood of martyrs is the seed of boldness for the whole Church. Do not merely pray for relief; pray also that they may rejoice in stripes, as the Apostles did, returning from the council with joy that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for the Name. This is the mind of the true shepherd in every believer, to bless when cursed, to give thanks when stripped of goods, knowing that we have a better and abiding possession. Such patience makes the persecutor marvel and often draws him to the Shepherd’s fold. It is a strange and wondrous way of fishing: the hook of love, baited with meekness, catches souls more surely than any argument. So bless, and curse not; for this is not only a commandment but a strategy of war by which the enemy’s weapons are turned back upon his own head.
Do you ask for boldness? It is born not of human wisdom but of the grace of Christ, who establishes you and anoints you and has given the earnest of the Spirit in your hearts. That same Spirit is the seal of your adoption; because you are sons, you cry, “Abba, Father.” And if sons, then free, free with the freedom of Sarah’s child, even though Ishmael mock. Remember Isaac: he was persecuted by the bondman, yet the promise rested on him alone. So let no trial shake you. The Shepherd who died once for the sheep is ready to die in His members ten thousand times a day, and He makes us more than conquerors by the very things we endure. Your prayer to be led out of temptation is answered already in this: He has given you His voice, and you follow. The door stands open; no one can snatch you from His hand. Therefore draw near with full assurance, abiding in the Vine as a branch that bears fruit. Apart from Him you can do nothing, but in Him you can do all things, yes, even to love with knowledge and discernment, to approve what is excellent, and to stand sincere and blameless until His appearing. The fruit of righteousness is His own fruit, springing from union with Him who is our peace.
So then, do not cease to pray as you have prayed, for it is according to His will. Ask and you shall receive, that your joy may be full. The Shepherd will feed you with knowledge, will guard you from the savage wolves, and will cause you to lie down in the bosom of Abraham with all the saints who have gone before. The earnest you have within is the pledge of a harvest that cannot fail. Glory in your chains, for they are the shadow of His yoke which is easy and light. The world cannot understand this rest, but the sheep know it, for they know His voice. Walk on, then, blessing and not cursing, visiting Christ in prison, clothing Him in the naked, and feeding Him in the hungry, until the day when He shall separate the sheep from the goats and lead His own to fountains of living water, where God shall wipe away every tear.
Jesus, Shepherd Your Sheep
Micah 5:4, John 10:16, Jn 21:16, 1 Pet 5:2-4, Rev 7:17; 
Remember those in Chains, Hebrews 13:3, Col 4:18 -- Lord Jesus, thank You that not only do Your Sheep hear Your voice, Jn 10:27, but that You lead them out, and we don't listen to others, John 10:3-4, but only head Your voice and follow You, John 10:27, but that You care for us, Ps 23:3 Isa 40:11, Ezek 34:15, Rev 7:17. Take care of us, defend us, comfort and feed us on knowledge, Give Your angels charge over us and our fellow believers in spiritual battles, Ps 91:10-11, Heb 1:14. Strengthen our brothers and sisters, even shepherd the entire flock of God among us, 1 Pet 5:2, help us be on guard for ourselves and the flock of God among us from evil and warped wolves, Acts 20:28-29, by studying, obeying and teaching obedience to all Jesus commanded, Matt 28:20. Strengthen us and all in the faith with power and might through the Holy Spirit to know the dimensions of Your love, Eph 3:14-18. Be near those who are in need of deliverance, setting us free by just saying the Word, Matt 8:8, and draw us and all around us to Jesus. Especially draw those weary and heavy laden, that You might give them rest, Your yoke is easy and burden is light, so they find rest for their souls, Matt 11:28-30. Work everything out for the furtherance of the gospel, Phil 1:12.
Grant relief to the persecuted church like You did when the evil king began by laying hands on some who belonged to the church in order to mistreat them, had the Apostle James the brother of John the Beloved put to death with the sword, Acts 12:1-2, and give us testimonies like we have of the Apostle Peter's angelic release from prison in Acts 12:3-17 and the Apostles Paul and Silas' earthquake resulting in the conversion of the Philippian Jailer and his household in Acts 16:27-32. Hebrews 10:34. Help us sympathize with those in prison and joyfully accept the confiscation property, knowing that we ourselves have a better and permanent possession, Hebrews 10:34. Call and grant boldness give them visits, as Jesus said in Matthew 25:36, 'I was naked and you clothed Me, I was sick and you looked after Me, I was in prison and you visited Me.’
for apart from You we can do nothing, Jn 15:5. We can do all things through Christ who strengthens us, Phil 4:13. Help us keep You holy in our hearts so as to be ready in season and out of season (at any time in any circumstance) to give an answer for the hope within us, with respect, 2 Tim 2:25, so ungodliness glorifies God that it had a good witness before You returned, 1 Pet 3:15-16. Deliver us from evil people and the evil one, temptation and sin. 2 Thes 3:2-3, Matt 6:13, Luke 11:4, John 17:15. Let love abound more in knowledge and discernment so we can choose the best in every situation that gives us a choice, so we may be sincere and blameless until Your Son's return, being filled with the fruit of righteousness, which comes from union with Jesus Christ to the glory and praise of God, Phil 1:9-11. Thank You in Jesus' Name.
Prayer Focus: God, Thank You for loving me. Thank You for loving me, Jesus. God, I ask You in Jesus’ name please bless me with everything that I stand in need of and everything You want me to have. 
