Saeed Abedini tells Americans to vote for Trump who helped his family while he was in prison

Iranian American pastor Saeed Abedini urged Americans to vote for Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump who met with his family and provided them with a gift of $10,000.

Abedini enthusiastically announced on Friday in a Facebook post that he had already voted. The pastor revealed that he voted for Trump because the Republican presidential candidate helped his family. Meanwhile, Abedini said Democrat Hillary Clinton did nothing for him while she was the Secretary of State.

Trump was one of the Americans who urged the U.S. government to secure Abedini's release while he was still in prison. The pastor's wife, Nagmeh, met with the real estate mogul back in December 2013 to thank him personally for his efforts.

Abedini posted another Facebook message on Sunday in which he lamented the attacks directed against Trump and compared the candidate to King Cyrus of Persia.

"In the past few months, we have seen how media is attacking to Donald Trump's past. I have even heard so many people said he is not a Christian," Abedini wrote.

"Of course, only God knows this for sure, but what I see is God is using him and anointed him. It seems to me that he is the Cyrus of our modern day, but like you and me, he is a flawed man, in the process of spiritual growth," he continued.

In the book of Isaiah 45, Cyrus was mentioned as a king who did not know God but he was still anointed to aid the Jews in their return to Jerusalem.

"We don't know Cyrus' spiritual condition, but we know Yahweh used him mightily in history as the king of Persia to save Israel," said Abedini.

The pastor asserted that Trump was a supporter of Israel while Clinton only claimed to support the country to appear politically correct. He reminded Christians who criticized candidates based on their past that the U.S. is a nation of sinners who have been saved by grace.

At the end of his message, Abedini stated that he trusted Trump to lead the nation and encouraged others to vote for the Republican candidate.