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“I never knew what was wrong with me. From childhood I suffered with extreme anxiety and rejection. On the outside I had everything; loving parents and family, and great friends in school. I would pray earnestly to God and have encounters and dreams where I would tangibly feel His Presence but I never knew it was Him because I mistakenly believed that God was an angry old man looking for a way to strike me down. I had been abused for a long period in my childhood, but it wasn’t until I was an older teen while reading an article in the newspaper that it suddenly dawned on me....‘that is what had happened to me’. There was never anything discussed about those things back then, so I didn’t even have the language to describe it. But, as I read the paper that day it hit me like a ton of bricks. What followed was years of grief, depression and anxiety that I had no way of expressing because I felt such shame. I was unable to talk to my family because I feared it would destroy them. So I struggled on alone. But I would still pray, even though I couldn’t understand why did God let this happen to me? I felt I had never done anything to anyone and wondered why. In desperation I would occasionally read my little Gideon Bible from school and I noticed that it always made me feel better. Circumstances got worse though before they got better – at a very low point I was invited to a prayer group meeting at Word of Victory. To cut a long story short I found all my questions were answered - that my pain hadn’t come from God but from the devil (John 10:10). I was healed of an autoimmune disease that had manifested in my body because of the psychological damage. I was delivered from the spirit of fear; and joy and peace replaced the depression and anxiety that had previously crippled me. God’s Word tells us that He has good plans for us; good plans - not evil, to give us a future and a hope (Jeremiah 29:11). I can testify to the goodness of God in the name of Jesus His Son! “He restores my soul.” (Psalm 23:3)."
“I grew up in neighbourhoods where violence, crime, and drugs were the norm. I fell in with the wrong crowd and soon was caught up in this bad life from a young age. I ended up hopeless, addicted, and in prison in my early twenties. I didn’t know God, but He knew me. I didn’t believe in myself either, yet Jesus believed in me. I wasn’t expecting anything, but I encountered God’s life changing Hope. After prison however, life went right back to how it had been before: more crime, drugs etc. But the Lord intervened, and when I look back now, I see the thread of His plan of redemption throughout my life. I got accepted on a social care course. I knew nothing about computers or assignments, but somehow God brought people alongside to help me learn. I gained work experience in a homeless charity, and later, when a part-time job came up, I was encouraged to go for it. Someone saw something in me. I got the job, so now, I was studying my course, and working amongst people with multiple problems, and, because of my background, I understood them – ‘been there, done that, and bought the tee-shirt’ as they say! My life experiences gave me compassion for them. In the meantime, I started to seek to know Jesus myself. I realised I couldn’t live without His help after I relapsed, and I experienced the Love of God as He lifted me back up out of the miry clay, ready to walk forward with His hand supporting me now."He lifted me out of the slimy pit of despair, out of the mud and mire; He set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand" (Psalm 40:2). I’m so grateful for how the Lord delivered me and I’m growing to know Him through His Word, more everyday (Colossians 1:9-14). Praise the Lord friend, this Hope is there for you too!"
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Don't underestimate the power of sharing your story. It will give glory to God and encourage many!
'And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony'
Revelation 12:11