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Stories & Blog
When Do You Know It’s Jesus?
EAST ASIA — Phea once heard God call her “My child” in a dream. Indeed, she’s been His child for some time. She’s watched the lives of Christ-followers around her as they’ve discipled her. But because she is the only believer in her family, she struggled to grasp God’s love for her.
“I’m not sure Jesus hears me,” Phea said to Crossworld worker Avery. As Phea shared her doubts, Avery began to pray that Phea would experience God in a personal way.
A few weeks later at church, Avery noticed Phea deep in prayer. Suddenly Phea opened her eyes and looked around.
“Sister Avery,” Phea said, tugging on her arm. “I was talking to Jesus about my pain, and I felt a gentle touch on my arm! Was it Him?”
Avery urged her to continue speaking to Jesus, so Phea returned to prayer.
A few minutes later, Phea lifted her head to look around again. This time she kept quiet until the service ended.
“Sister Avery, I asked Jesus that if it was Him who touched my arm, that He would do it again. I felt a strong wind come over me from my head to my toes. Sister, I looked around and there were no fans blowing.”
“Do you believe it was Jesus?” Avery asked.
“Yes,” Phea said with eyes wide in awe.
Over the next few days, Phea talked with other believers about how God meets them in intimate ways. Her energy and faith were growing … until she talked to her unbelieving sister.
“I told my sister what happened in church, and she called me crazy!” Phea said to Avery. “Do you think I’m crazy?”
“No. The Bible says that if you search for God…,” Avery paused and reached for her Bible. “Wait a minute, I forget how to say the rest. Let me find the words.”
Phea jumped in. “Sister, last night I heard a voice say, ‘If you search for Me, you will find Me.’”
Avery looked up in shock. “Those are the very words I was looking for!”
The two women opened Avery’s Bible to read the same words Phea had heard, written in the pages of Scripture. Though Avery couldn’t quote the whole verse in the local language, the Holy Spirit had already filled the gap.
Phea has continued to grow in her love for Jesus and in confidence of His love for her. She was recently baptized at church, after which she told Avery, “I felt a strong assurance that I am God’s child.”
But Phea’s transformation is just the beginning of the story. Though her family opposed her faith and did not attend her baptism, they would soon see for themselves just who Phea’s God is. Read Part 2 of Phea’s story told by Crossworld worker Avery.
“I’m not sure Jesus hears me,” Phea said to Crossworld worker Avery. As Phea shared her doubts, Avery began to pray that Phea would experience God in a personal way.
A few weeks later at church, Avery noticed Phea deep in prayer. Suddenly Phea opened her eyes and looked around.
“Sister Avery,” Phea said, tugging on her arm. “I was talking to Jesus about my pain, and I felt a gentle touch on my arm! Was it Him?”
Avery urged her to continue speaking to Jesus, so Phea returned to prayer.
A few minutes later, Phea lifted her head to look around again. This time she kept quiet until the service ended.
“Sister Avery, I asked Jesus that if it was Him who touched my arm, that He would do it again. I felt a strong wind come over me from my head to my toes. Sister, I looked around and there were no fans blowing.”
“Do you believe it was Jesus?” Avery asked.
“Yes,” Phea said with eyes wide in awe.
Over the next few days, Phea talked with other believers about how God meets them in intimate ways. Her energy and faith were growing … until she talked to her unbelieving sister.
“I told my sister what happened in church, and she called me crazy!” Phea said to Avery. “Do you think I’m crazy?”
“No. The Bible says that if you search for God…,” Avery paused and reached for her Bible. “Wait a minute, I forget how to say the rest. Let me find the words.”
Phea jumped in. “Sister, last night I heard a voice say, ‘If you search for Me, you will find Me.’”
Avery looked up in shock. “Those are the very words I was looking for!”
The two women opened Avery’s Bible to read the same words Phea had heard, written in the pages of Scripture. Though Avery couldn’t quote the whole verse in the local language, the Holy Spirit had already filled the gap.
Phea has continued to grow in her love for Jesus and in confidence of His love for her. She was recently baptized at church, after which she told Avery, “I felt a strong assurance that I am God’s child.”
But Phea’s transformation is just the beginning of the story. Though her family opposed her faith and did not attend her baptism, they would soon see for themselves just who Phea’s God is. Read Part 2 of Phea’s story told by Crossworld worker Avery.
Your part in this story...
Avery asks you to pray for these requests.
- Since Phea’s baptism, God has started a good work in her family. Please pray for their hearts to be open to Jesus’ truth and salvation.
- Pray for one mind and one heart within our Crossworld team in East Asia as we seek to bring God’s love to life with others like Phea.
- Pray for God’s help in language learning and cultural adaptation for my husband and me. We need these skills to be effective disciple-makers here.
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