Pastor Saeed Abedini celebrates son's birthday for the first time since release from Iran prison

Pastor Saeed Abedini has been able to celebrate his son Jacob's birthday for the first time since he was released from a prison in Iran.

Last week, Abedini posted pictures of Jacob's eighth birthday on Facebook. He said the occasion marked an answer to the prayer of millions of people worldwide.

"This moment is the answer to pray (sic) and the work of millions of people all around the world," Pastor Abedini wrote on Facebook. "Today Jacob stands as a witness saying, 'The Lord has answered my prayer.'"

Abedini also told Jacob that he is proud of him for being able to wait patiently until his father came home. The pastor thanked his son for joining him in his walk with God in the three and a half years that he spent imprisoned in Iran.

Last year, Jacob sent his father an invitation for his seventh birthday. The pastor responded in a letter saying he wanted to be there during the celebration, but his situation prevented him from doing so.

When Abedini was jailed in Iran for his Christian faith, millions of people supported the petition for his release. Although he had terrible experiences in prison, he was still able to write about how he missed celebrating his children's birthdays.

In January, Abedini was finally released in a prisoner exchange and was able to return to Boise.

Pastor Abedini may have been able to be with Jacob for his eighth birthday, but his family woes do not end there. His wife Naghmeh recently revealed that they are going through a difficult time in their marriage and her husband does not want to go through counseling, Christian Today reports.

When Pastor Abedini was still in prison, his wife campaigned nonstop for his release and went as far as meeting with U.S. President Barack Obam. Now, she is asking their followers to pray that her husband will finally agree to get counseling for their current problems.