From Persecutor to Preacher: Boldness for Spain's Opponents of the Gospel

Few transformations in Scripture are as dramatic as Saul's. He once hunted believers, dragging them from their homes to prison, convinced he was defending the truth. But after his encounter with the risen Christ, this same man walked boldly through Jerusalem, speaking freely and without fear in the name of the Lord he once despised. He did not merely change his mind — he became an advocate, debating openly with those who opposed the Gospel, even at the risk of his own life.Spain has her own Sauls today — people who view the Church with suspicion, who dismiss faith as foolishness or danger, who may even work actively against the spread of the Gospel. It can be easy to see such opposition and lose hope. But the same God who stopped Saul on the road to Damascus is still in the business of turning adversaries into advocates. No heart is too hardened, no opponent too fierce, for the transforming power of Christ.Notice, too, that Saul's boldness did not bring him comfort or ease. The Hellenistic Jews he debated so fearlessly tried to kill him. Following Jesus openly in a resistant culture has never guaranteed safety — but it has always been empowered by the same Spirit who filled Saul in Jerusalem. That Spirit is alive and moving in Spain today, in her universities, her workplaces, her plazas, and her homes.Pray today that God would do in Spain what He did in Jerusalem — transforming opponents of the Gospel into bold advocates for Christ. Ask Him to give new believers courage to speak the name of Jesus freely, without fear of ridicule or threat, and to raise up a community of believers to stand with them when opposition comes. May the Lord turn Spain's adversaries into some of her most passionate evangelists.We pray this in Christ's name. Amen.