“James Wilson woke up chained to a corpse again. Yet another of his fellow prisoners had perished in the night. As he lay dehydrated on the filthy floor of the Srirangapatna dungeon in southern India, Wilson knew his chances of survival were slim. Yet, no prayer escaped his lips.”

Thus begins my new missions devotional, Daring Dependence: A 31-Day Journey with Those Who Found Their Strength in God. The true story of a future missionary continues…

The Unlikely Survival of Captain James Wilson

“During the early 1780s, the British fought the French along the shores of India. Twenty-two-year-old Wilson joined the fight as an experienced British sailor. When he was just fifteen years old, he had stood with the British at Bunker Hill in the American War for Independence. Then in India, Wilson had risen to captain his own ship. For months, he smuggled weapons and supplies past the French blockade. However, on June 15, 1782, a heavily armed frigate forced him to run up the white flag. When the French sold their British prisoners to a local ally, the sultan Hyder Ali, young Wilson’s fate was sealed.”

“The night before his transfer to Ali’s fort, Wilson plotted his escape. Under the cover of darkness, he slipped away during the changing of the guard. He leaped from the fortress wall, dropping forty feet to the river below, and swam to freedom. Over forty miles, Wilson eluded capture, keeping in the shadows of the Indian jungles and fording alligator-infested rivers. He hoped to discover a British camp or maybe the Danish settlement. Instead, within a few miles of safety, Ali’s men captured him.”

“Twenty-three months later, Wilson still languished in Ali’s prison. Exposed to the tropical elements and fed only a small bowl of dirty rice per day, his body withered to the point that his chains would sometimes slip off. His long hair turned gray and then fell out. Further weakened by dysentery, Wilson cursed his fate. Death visited his prison daily. Only thirty-two of the 112 inmates would survive. Though Wilson scoffed at the very idea of divine providence, God spared him.”

The Inspiring Transformation of Captain James Wilson

With that background, how did James Wilson end up as a missionary? How did God transform this sinner’s life so that he would help to spearhead one of the first major missions efforts in the modern era? To find out, you’ll have to read Daring Dependence. Besides James Wilson, the book highlights many other men and women who learned to depend on God and serve in His strength, including William Carey, Hudson & Maria Taylor, Ann Judson, Hannah Marshman, John & Mary Williams, Lilias Trotter, James Gilmour, Robert & Mary Moffat, James Chalmers, C. T. Studd, Amy Carmichael, Samuel Zwemer, Oswald Chambers, Jesse Overholtzer, Gladys Aylward, Ernie Presswood, Jean Dye Johnson, and Jim Elliot.

I invite you to take a journey with me back in time. For thirty-one days, walk with those who walked with God. Catch a glimpse of what God did through everyday believers like you who followed God in missions across the world. None were superheroes. All found their strength through dependence on God.

Daring Dependence is available on Amazon and through the publisher, Church Works Media.

“Conrad’s first book—Daring Devotion—was a gift to God’s people. Can I suggest that Daring Dependence is an even greater gift? These glimpses into the lives of gospel servants, in a wide range of circumstances, illustrate God’s true faithfulness to those who depend upon Him. Men and women of various nationalities, backgrounds, and ministries show us what it means to depend upon God in weakness. Insightful comments and reflection questions ending each day’s reading effectively guide us to a daring dependence upon Christ. Daring Dependence is a powerful tool of encouragement for all those laboring in God’s harvest.”

—Forrest McPhail, missionary to Cambodia and regional director for Asia, Australia, and Oceania, Gospel Fellowship Association Missions