A native Christian worker leading a meeting in Lebanon asked an unbelieving visitor to read Psalm 91, but the man was stunned to find himself blinded to the words.
“I’m a university graduate, and I can’t read a single word,” Nassim* told the group. “Something is preventing me from opening my eyes. What is happening to me?”
Having come to the meeting at the invitation of his Christian brother-in-law, Nassim had arrived intent on criticizing it, from the outset haughtily asking, “So, what exactly happens in this place?”
The leader replied that they focused on prayer, worship and Bible study, according to the ministry director. When Nassim surprised them by asking that the leader pray for him, the visitor became agitated and distressed, finally telling the worker to stop praying because he’d been hit with a severe headache.
“We’ve been married for 12 years, and I’ve kicked her out many times, but I’ve never felt such love and longing for her as I do today.”
It was in response to this apparent spiritual attack that the worker had asked Nassim to read Psalm 91, the ministry director said. After Nassim found himself unable to read it, the worker had prayed for him again – only to see him suffer a more severe headache, along with upset stomach, and leave with Bible in hand.
“Nassim had been severely critical of his brother-in-law, who is a devoted believer,” the director said. “He had been grappling with numerous marital difficulties and issues, often ejecting his wife from their home and engaging in an extramarital affair.”
Upon arriving home, Nassim again tried reading Psalm 91.
“He managed to read four verses before falling into a deep sleep,” the ministry director said. “This was remarkable, because he had been suffering from severe insomnia for several months. When he awoke the next day, he felt an unusual change within himself. He promptly contacted the worker to seek an explanation for the transformation.”
Nassim told the worker that he had woken up feeling better than ever and was missing his wife, whom he had banished from their home for more than a week.
“We’ve been married for 12 years, and I’ve kicked her out many times, but I’ve never felt such love and longing for her as I do today,” he told the worker.
They met and prayed together, and Nassim put his faith in Christ, the ministry leader said.
“Nassim has reconciled with his wife, terminated his extramarital affair and has since been living a God-centered and joyfully renewed married life,” he said. “He has remained faithful to the Lord.”
Brave Disciple
While nearly 33 percent of Lebanon’s population identifies as Christian, less than 1 percent are evangelicals, according to the Joshua Project.
Serving both refugees and Lebanese nationals, native ministry workers are continually sharing the gospel and discipling new Christians, including those who need encouragement in the face of persecution. Relatives of one young Lebanese man reviled him for his new faith and recently kicked him out of their home.
“His family even tossed his belongings out of a window,” the ministry leader said. “Undeterred, he found alternative accommodation and continued to attend the cell group to which he belonged.”
After much prayer, he mustered the courage to call his mother and defend his newfound faith, telling her, “Mom, believe me, life with Christ is incredibly beautiful, and I truly believe that only He can transform your life and grant you eternal salvation. I want you to try and experience it for yourself.”
The ministry director said she replied, “Alright, I will test Him, and if He is real, let Him come and reveal Himself to me.”
That night she had a dream in which she was seated in the middle of her bed with Christ on one side and her son on the other, he said.
“Though Christ did not utter a word in the dream, He raised His hands and smiled warmly at her,” the director said. “From this powerful vision, she grasped the message it conveyed.”
She immediately called her son and recounted the dream to him, affirming that she now believed in Christ as the true and only God.
“She explained that, due to her challenging circumstances, she couldn’t openly declare her faith but expressed her desire to meet with the pastor of the church her son attended one day,” the director said.
Native Christian workers are sharing the love of Christ with people of all walks of life in Lebanon. Please consider a donation today to equip and encourage them.
*Name changed for security reasons