From Allah to Jesus
For the last 24 years, Hakim got on his knees to pray to Allah five times a day. Living in a devout Muslim household, he appeared to have unshakable faith. Yet, when he started dating his Christian girlfriend Aadila, his idea of eternity, God, and salvation began to change.
In the early stages of their relationship, Hakim tried to persuade his new girlfriend to join his faith, but her commitment and love for Jesus were confusing and captivating at the same time. After many months of considering and seeking, Hakim was ready to make a life-changing decision: it was time to follow Jesus.
Desperate for help
Hakim was excited about this new journey, but he was left to develop his new faith completely alone when his relationship ended abruptly. With no other Christians living in his hometown, he had no one – not even his own family – to talk with about his conversion. Hakim continued to attend Muslim mosques with his family each day for prayer to avoid suspicion. And while he wanted to read the Bible regularly, he found it very difficult to understand on his own.
“I would browse through this religion (Christianity),” he said, “and I felt some change because I found that the Lord actually forgives me when I offer Him my prayers. I read some of the Bible, but I understood very little.”
Turning to the Internet for help, he created a Facebook account dedicated to his new faith and connected with some fellow secret believers in Turkey. However, three years later, he was still not getting the depth of relationship with other Christians that he craved. He felt like his search for answers was hopeless, and his desire for the Lord was being choked out by the darkness of the world.
Finding a lifeline
Three years into his search, Hakim found a Global Media Outreach site that became his lifeline. There, he connected with Asha, an Online Missionary, and began to develop a discipleship relationship with her. For the first time in his life, he not only knew a devoted Christian, but he knew one that was dedicated to helping him – praying for him, encouraging him, answering his questions, and guiding him in his walk with the Lord.
If it hadn’t been for Asha, Hakim might have lived his entire life without the kind of Christian discipleship relationship that he desperately needed.
Change is coming
Through online discipleship, there is an army of secret believers being raised up in the Middle East and other areas where Christian persecution is running rampant. Though this revolution may not be represented in religious surveys (due to fear of persecution), God is still working in the hearts of hundreds of thousands in these regions to bring light to the world’s darkest places.
Thanks to technology, these secret believers can be safely discipled and encouraged to trust the Lord in dangerous areas of the world. Your support is helping unite the body of Christ, one lonely person at a time. Reach more for Jesus, give your best gift today.
