Note: This article is inspired by Dr Benny Prasad’s recent sharing at Kajang Assembly of God.
In a nation where Christianity is outlawed and freedom of expression tightly controlled, Benny Prasad, a world-traveling musician and devoted follower of Jesus, found himself standing on a North Korean stage – guitar in hand – playing worship songs during the 100th birth anniversary of Kim Il-Sung. The invitation alone was a miracle. But what followed was even more extraordinary.
Benny had been invited to represent India at this rare state-sanctioned celebration, and despite the regime’s hostility toward religion, he was allowed to perform two songs glorifying God. Yet once the music stopped, his plans quickly unraveled. After his scheduled concerts, North Korean officials approached him, insisting – without really asking – that he stay longer. His return ticket was withheld. Communication was cut off. There was no internet, no mobile access, no way to call for help. Benny was stuck, isolated in a foreign land under surveillance, unsure if or when he would be released.
“Why ask if I could stay longer if I had no choice?” he later joked, comparing it to being offered chicken or fish on a flight – only to be told the chicken had run out. The illusion of freedom in a place without it was painfully clear.
But Benny’s captivity was a crucible of faith. Reading James 5:17–18 – the story of Elijah praying for the rain to stop and come again – he began to pray not theoretically, but in desperation. There was no other option left but to believe God completely. “In Singapore,” Benny joked, “we pray for a parking space. But in North Korea, you pray to survive.”
The next morning, the authorities knocked on his doorstep with a ticket. He could depart. God had stepped into a place where the unthinkable is ordinary and the miraculous unavoidable.
When Prayer Becomes Real
It wasn’t the first time this occurred. It was a sequence of living Benny has become accustomed to: the difference between courteous prayer and fervent prayer.
“Most Christians,” Benny shares, “treat prayer like outsourcing.” They rush to pastors with lists or chase down preachers for prophetic shortcuts – as if they can get access to God faster than they can. But the Bible disagrees. Elijah, the miracle-working prophet, is described in James as “a man like us.” The power never was in the man – it was in the God who hears.
Benny bids us away from theatrics – misplaced emotionalism, long fasts done for glory, or dramatic shouts to move heaven. Instead, he points to something quieter, deeper: true and authentic faith. “God is not deaf, nor is He moved by ritual. He is moved by trust,” he explained.
From Brokenness to Belief
Benny’s discovery of true prayer did not begin in North Korea – it was forged in adversity from an early age. Born with chronic asthma and burdened by a javelin injury that destroyed his sporting dreams at thirteen, Benny’s childhood was a life of rejection and comparison. While his father was a successful aerospace scientist, Benny was expelled from school for asking too many questions. At sixteen, emotionally broken and physically frail, doctors informed him that he had six months to live. With nowhere to turn, Benny made up his mind to commit suicide.
But something held him back; a praying mother.
She didn’t have special words or fancy talk. She just woke up early to beg God for her son. And God listened. Benny heard Jesus at a youth camp tell him: “Even though everybody calls you useless, I want you. I can make you new.”
That experience changed everything. Benny went to Bible college, became a youth pastor, and then, in 2001, received a second divine mandate: “Go to every country by 2010.” To one who had once dreamed of taking only one foreign trip, it was insane. But Benny had learned not to chase after his dreams – but God’s.
A Global Faith Journey – Powered by Trust
Benny’s life, after that period, was a living example of miraculous provision.
With no steady salary, no savings, and no sponsors, he set out on a mission to visit every country in the world. Immigration officers often questioned how he could afford such travel. In Boston, after hours of interrogation, the chief officer simply asked, “How do you do it?” Benny replied, “I trust the Lord.” The officer, stunned, said, “I have debts. Can you pray for me?”
He’s prayed for officers, royalty, prisoners, and pastors alike, never relying on human support, but always trusting God. In 1998, when a missionary gifted him a pair of Nike shoes that were too small, he prayed, “God, shrink my feet or stretch the shoes.” The shoes stretched and he wore them for two years.
Benny has performed at the Olympics and World Cup, but his greatest stage may have been in Somalia, where Christian persecution is rampant. He was flown in on a barely-functioning aircraft, unsure of how he’d even enter the country. Midair, a crew member called a media executive named Abdullah. When Benny landed, he was greeted at the aircraft door by a driver holding a sign with his name. It was his first-ever VIP pickup.
The God Who Still Answers Elijah’s Prayers
From North Korea to Somalia, Benny’s message is simple: prayer works. But not the kind we perform out of habit or obligation, or the formulaic or transactional prayer. The kind of prayer that unlocks heaven – fervent, honest, and faith-filled.
“Don’t let religion define your prayer life,” Benny urges. “Your prayers are powerful – not because you are – but because God is.”
His life stands as a rebuke to complacency and a reminder to the Church: we must stop praying only when convenient. Our freedom to pray, to worship, to carry a Bible – none of it is guaranteed. And none of it should be taken for granted.
“When you pray for God’s will,” Benny says, “things begin to move.”
Christanity Malaysia previously covered Dr Benny Prasad, back in 2012 and 2014. You can read more by following the links to the below articles:
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