James Foley and Prayer

Last week, American journalist James Foley was beheaded by the Islamic State Militant Group, ISIS. He was kidnapped in November 2012 while reporting for GlobalPost.

This is not the first time Foley had been abducted. In 2011, he spent 44 days in a Libyan prison. Throughout his incarceration, he remained hopeful and faithful, praying constantly and helping fellow journalist captives through the trying time. After he was safely returned from Libya, Foley wrote a letter to his alma mater, Marquette University. In it, he describes his prison situation and a phone call he was allowed to his mom, as well as how prayer kept him going strong.

Share Foley’s letter with young adults, discuss the power of prayer in painful times, and pray for James Foley, his family, and all the others who were held captive with him.

  • How has prayer gotten you through a difficult time? Describe the situation and how you got through it.
  • When was a time when you felt yourself praying more for others or someone else than yourself? What was it for?
  • Which helps you more: praying for yourself or praying for others? Why?
  • How can you help others to pray through their pain?