Testimony
3 minutes 8 second read
Jawed*, a 26-year-old from the Middle East, had a close Christian friend whose character left a profound impact on him. This friend’s kindness and humility stirred something deep within Jawed’s heart, prompting him to search online for answers about the Christian faith.
In September 2024, after watching the testimony of a believer from the Arabian Peninsula, Jawed reached out to the Arab World Media team online. His message was simple yet loaded with curiosity: ‘Is Christ really God?’
Layla*, one of the media responders, replied to him, beginning by explaining the concept of the incarnation. This led to deeper conversations about the Trinity and the authenticity of the Bible. During one of their discussions, Jawed paused and said, ‘If I accept all of this and believe it, do you know what will happen to me?’
Layla gently replied, ’Yes, I do.’
He continued, ’They will surely kill me.’
Despite his fears, Jawed kept asking questions, but his heart was wrestling with the cost of faith. Layla shared her own testimony with him, and Jawed was stunned to discover that she, too, came from a Muslim background. This revelation opened the door to new questions:
‘Were you persecuted? How did you respond? What did you do? How long did it last?’
For a month, their conversations were filled with Jawed’s questions, each one revealing both his hunger for truth and the weight of his fear.
Then, during a phone call at the end of October, Jawed’s heart reached a breaking point. He confessed, with trembling courage, ‘I want to follow Christ with all my heart and mind.’
Despite his many fears, he had found what he’d been searching for – love, acceptance, and salvation in the Lord Jesus Christ. That day he prayed, asking Christ to reign over his life, to conquer his fears, and to give him the strength to stand firm in his faith.
Layla encouraged Jawed to enrol in the Step-by-Step online discipleship programme. He registered and eagerly began to study, using the app. After he’d completed the first lesson, Layla asked him, ’Did you find anything new in the lesson?’
Jawed’s reply was filled with awe, ‘It’s indescribable – like showers of grace.’
As he continued his studies, Jawed acknowledged that he struggled with prayer. He wasn’t used to opening his heart fully to God. But through this journey, he began to discover the depth and beauty of having a personal, direct relationship with the Lord.
Layla encouraged him to read the Bible daily, and Jawed embraced this practice with enthusiasm. When she asked him later where he was reading and how he found the gospel, his answer was full of emotion, ‘It’s beautiful – beyond beautiful. It enters my heart like light. I feel something in my heart with every verse I read. It doesn’t feel old; it’s new, alive. I can live it today and every day.’
In time, Layla connected Jawed with local believers who could meet with him face-to-face. At first, he was hesitant. Fear gripped him, and he avoided meeting them or even studying the Bible with them. But then something shifted. Jawed reached out on his own, showing genuine interest and a desire to connect.
At the beginning of December 2024, Jawed met in person with the believer he had been messaging on WhatsApp. As he gathered with fellow Christians for the first time, his heart overflowed with joy. They even went to a church together, a milestone Jawed never thought he’d reach.
Standing inside the church, he took a photo and sent it to Layla with a simple, powerful message, ‘I’ve finally faced my fear.’
Jawed’s story is one of courage – a journey from fear to faith, from isolation to community, and from searching to finding the light of Christ.
*Names have been changed for security and library images used
