Prisoners of Hope
Welcome to Prisoners of Hope, where we bring you powerful stories, urgent updates, and firsthand testimonies from persecuted Christians. Real faith. Real persecution...And a God who does the impossible every day. These voices from the frontlines of faith will revolutionize how you pray and show you what hope in Jesus really means.
Episodes
January 29, 2026 • 30 mins
In this follow-up episode, we sit down with Dr. Sasan Tavassoli again who describes the developments from the past two weeks. He emphasizes the brutality of the Iranian Regime, explains the danger for persecuted Christians, and invites us to participate in a time of prayer and fasting for Iran February 6-8.
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January 15, 2026 • 40 mins
In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Sasan Tavassoli—a former Shi'ite Muslim from Iran, ordained Presbyterian minister, and co-founder of Pars Theological Centre—to talk about current political upheaval shaking the nation and the explosive growth of Christianity in Iran.
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January 13, 2026 • 37 mins
As Syria's regime change continues to send waves of refugees into Lebanon, Field Ministers Pierre and Laila share stories from the frontlines of ministry—Christmas gatherings where Muslim children hear about Jesus for the first time, families fleeing persecution who find refuge in our safe houses, and the quiet miracles that keep hope alive in chaos. This is a conversation about courage and how God continues to mightily move in the...
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December 23, 2025 • 35 mins
In our final episode of 2025, Joshua Youssef interviews our Field Ministers across the Islamic World to hear how they celebrate Christmas and how our Winter Relief Outreach is making a difference in thousands of people's lives as winter sets in.
Aseel shares the dangers associated with celebration in Libya, where she could be arrested any moment. Qasem talks about what it was like celebrating Christmas in his home country of Iran ...
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December 12, 2025 • 54 mins
In this personal episode of Prisoners of Hope, Joshua Youssef sits down with his father, Dr. Michael Youssef—Egyptian-born theologian, founder of global ministry Leading the Way, and author of many books—for a conversation about the faith that has shaped the persecution of Christians for over 1,400 years. Drawing from his PhD research on radical Islamic movements, his own family's survival as Egyptian Christians, and his escape fro...
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November 28, 2025 • 33 mins
The Reverend Pat Allerton joined our team in Lebanon this summer to experience the work of our team firsthand. There, he visited safe houses, preached to Syrian refugees in our Haven, and helped in a vegetable distribution from our Seeds of Hope Farm! Most significantly, he joined our team in a local river to baptize over 40 refugees who have come to faith in Christ. Pat joins Joshua Youssef to talk about the trip and how it impact...
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November 7, 2025 • 13 mins
What does it look like when over 120 Muslim-background believers gather to celebrate Jesus—despite the threat of death? In this episode from the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted, Josh shares stories from his recent trip to Iraq: a descendant of Muhammad who returned to witness to the family that tried to kill him, a former ISIS child soldier who encountered Jesus through a TV film, and a radical Shia mother who saw Ch...
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October 24, 2025 • 40 mins
Leading up to the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted on November 2, Help the Persecuted CEO Joshua Youssef explores prayer's transformative power with Dr. Karen Ellis, director of the Edmiston Center for Christian Endurance Studies at Reformed Theological Seminary.
Dr. Ellis shares how persecution differs from general suffering, the power of the Lord's Prayer to reorient us from self to kingdom, and why prayer unites ...
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October 10, 2025 • 26 mins
When a widow's husband is murdered for his faith, she's left with seven children and a death threat. When explosions strike near Yasmin's home and doctors say her son won't survive, she makes a desperate prayer that changes everything. When Bushra's husband dies, she can't even afford to bury him.
Joshua Youssef and Samar share stories from our Widow's List ministry—a high-risk ministry rescuing widows who face double persecution ...
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September 26, 2025 • 43 mins
A former ISIS child fighter takes his first communion. A man whose father locked him in a burning shop for following Jesus says he "lost everything but gained everything." Iraqi believers risk death traveling 12 hours through militia checkpoints for their only chance all year to worship with other Christians.
Join Josh Youssef and Brother Salam as they share stunning stories from Help the Persecuted's Enduring Faith Conference in ...
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September 12, 2025 • 43 mins
After losing his best friend to Hamas torture, Aaron Abramson—CEO of Jews for Jesus—found Christ in a Jerusalem church led by a converted Druze pastor ministering to former Muslims. In this episode, Josh interviews Aaron about how the tragedy of October 7, 2023 is sparking the most unexpected revival. Secular Jews who never questioned their worldview are suddenly asking: "Why do people hate us so much? Is there any meaning in this ...
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August 29, 2025 • 46 mins
In this week's Prisoners of Hope episode, Joshua Youssef interviews Bassem, who leads Help The Persecuted's work in Morocco, and two other persecuted Christians who have found dignity and independence through our Enduring Livelihood Minsitry. He shares how converts from Islam face complete rejection—losing family, jobs, and safety nets—while secret police maintain constant surveillance and neighbors gossip about their faith.
Desp...
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August 22, 2025 • 38 mins
In this week’s Prisoners of Hope episode, host Joshua Youssef interviews Field Minister Aseel, who serves on the ground in Libya. She shares while militias brutally target minorities through kidnapping, slavery, and violence, Christians endure even more horrors—beatings, mock executions, and forced conversions. Despite constant threats and betrayal by neighbors who might “sell her off,” Aseel shares how God helps her courageously c...
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July 31, 2025 • 40 mins
Joshua Youssef travels to a safe house in a closed country to interview Ibrahim, an Iranian believer who was sentenced to 15 years in prison for his faith. From a life destroyed by addiction to a radical transformation through Christ, Ibrahim shares how he came to faith years ago and boldly served the underground church in Iran despite repeated warnings from Iranian intelligence. After posting bail, he fled to a neighboring country...
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July 25, 2025 • 36 mins
In this compelling episode of Prisoners of Hope, I delve into the urgent situation in Syria following the recent regime change. Join me as I interview our dedicated team members, Jalal and Merrin, who share firsthand accounts of the escalating persecution faced by Christian communities amidst the chaos. We explore the complex history of Syria, examining how the power dynamics have shifted dramatically and the implications for relig...
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July 18, 2025 • 54 mins
Joshua Youssef travels to a safe house in a closed country to meet with two of our on-the-ground Field Ministers in Iran, Mahdi and Farrah, who risk their lives daily to serve persecuted Christians. They share firsthand accounts of interrogations, imprisonment threats, and the Iranian government's intensified crackdown on home churches following recent conflicts and how Help The Persecuted provides tangible hope and a way forward.
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July 4, 2025 • 25 mins
Joshua Youssef sits down with Leila from Help The Persecuted's Lebanon office to explore the unique challenges faced by Christian women in the Islamic world. From inheritance laws to civil rights, Leila shares eye-opening insights about how women are viewed and treated differently in Islamic countries...all the more so if they profess faith in Jesus Christ. Hear incredible stories of transformation, including a former female suicid...
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June 27, 2025 • 28 mins
Join us on Prisoners of Hope as we explore the profound journey of Christian converts striving for dignity and independence. In this episode, Dignity and Independence for the Christian Convert, we, Joshua Youssef and Kadi, delve into the challenges faced by persecuted believers who endure civic death and economic hardships due to their faith. Kadi shares a poignant childhood story that shaped his dedication to helping others reclai...
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June 26, 2025 • 23 mins
Joshua Youssef and the Help The Persecuted team bring an urgent update on the devastating suicide bombing at a Damascus church that killed 23 Christians and injured scores more during a funeral service. Our on-the-ground Field Ministers Farid, Daniel, Jalal, and Maron provide firsthand insights into Syria's first-ever church suicide bombing, the rise of radical Islamic groups following Assad's fall, and how we are meeting the immed...
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June 20, 2025 • 31 mins
Joshua Youssef sits down with Field Minister Qasem and fellow Iranian believers Babak and Elly, who offer an inside perspective on today's headlines about Iran and Israel. They share how authorities are arresting citizens as "Israeli spies" for simply contacting loved ones abroad...and how courageous Christians are quietly serving their communities amid the chaos of food shortages and blackouts. Most powerfully, they explain why t...
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