In February 1675, Mary Rowlandson was taken captive by several Indians after they had burned and destroyed Lancaster. Before the Indians arrived, she told herself that she would rather die than be taken alive by them. When the Indians did arrive, she changed her mind and decided to go with them. Throughout her captivity, she prayed to God for help along the way. Rowlandson's religious beliefs assisted her in several ways throughout her journey with the hostile Indians.
Almost always during the journey she would feel weak and wanted to die, but God was always there to assist her. Rowlandson and her child were both wounded and very weak. Her child had a fever and both had not eaten for days. Her faith in God is what saved her body and soul. Rowlandson's religious beliefs changed throughout her captivity. Before being captive, she would sometimes forget to celebrate the Sabbath day. She was a sinner and asked God for forgiveness. She felt she had abandoned God at some time during her life and believed that He could have easily taken her life. However, God did not want her to die; he wanted her to live to tell people how He saved her during her captivity. God took away her child; nevertheless, He allowed her to see and communicate with her two other children. Another of God's intentions was for her to realize how powerful He was. God brought along an Indian with a Bible who offered it to Rowlandson. The Bible was what changed her religious beliefs. After receiving the it, she had great faith of eventually uniting with her family and going back home to Lancaster.
Mary Rowlandson occasionally preached to the other nine English captives, eight of them being children. She opened her Bible and read Psalm 27, "Wait on the Lord, Be .
of Good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart, wait I say on the Lord." She advised an English woman to not run away, but to have faith in the Lord for He would .