Stephen's Final Prayer
As stones rained down upon him and he became the first Christian martyr, Stephen looked up into an open heaven and prayed words that echoed his Savior's own dying prayer.
Stephen, one of the seven deacons in the early Jerusalem church, was seized and tried before the Sanhedrin for proclaiming Jesus as the Messiah, leading to his condemnation and execution by stoning outside the city. As stones struck him, he prayed for God to forgive his attackers, repeating words nearly identical to Jesusโs plea from the cross. Recorded in Acts 7, the account marks the first martyrdom in Christian history and illustrates the immediate spread of persecution following Jesusโs resurrection. The episode reinforces scriptural themes of forgiveness, the cost of faithful witness, and the parallel between Christโs death and that of his followers.
Details
- Category
- Forgiveness
- Prayed by
- Stephen
Key Chapters
Key Passages
The Prayer
Acts 7:59-60
Stephen models dying with faith in Jesus and forgiving his enemies, inspiring us to trust and extend grace amid suffering.
59nd they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.
Did You Know?
As Stephen was being stoned, he prayed, 'Lord Jesus, receive my spirit' and 'Lord, do not hold this sin against them.'
His prayer echoes the words of Jesus from the cross.
The young man Saul (later Paul) was present and would later become the greatest missionary of the early church.