Welcome to Voices of the Middle East, a SAT-7 UK podcast.
SAT-7 is an international Christian media ministry bringing life-changing joy to the people of the Middle East and North Africa. Last year we had over 103,000 one-to-one conversations with viewers, and through these conversations we are hearing constant stories of the ways God is at work in people’s lives.
In this podcast, we’ll share some of their stories with you, and invite you to pray for SAT-7 and the people of the region.
Today we bring you the story of Jamil, a young man from Egypt.
The Bible is full of warnings about how the company we keep can either bring us closer to or lead us further away from God. Our longing to be known and understood by others is a precious part of our humanity, put there by God. But if we look in the wrong places, there’s a very real danger that we can be led astray. The young man in this story suffered disappointment after disappointment in his search for meaningful relationships, but it was a journey that ultimately led him to the truest friend he could have hoped for. The Christian faith is all about a relationship, which is something that Jamil discovered when he contacted SAT-7’s viewer support team.
He said, “My name is Jamil, I’m 38 years old and I am from Egypt. I grew up with a very abusive father and my mother passed away 8 months ago. My heart is broken and I'm looking for a friendship that mends my heart.” The team felt immense compassion for Jamil, and hoped they could point him towards the one friendship that can heal all wounds. But first, they listened to his story.
He told us: “In the past, I got in with some bad company and suffered spiritually and emotionally.” He didn’t know it yet, but Jamil’s assessment of the situation was strikingly biblical. As Proverbs 13:20 says, “Walk with the wise and become wise, for a companion of fools suffers harm.” Jamil had evidently suffered the harm that the proverb warns of.
Jamil’s past relationships had taken a real toll on him, and he was beginning to lose hope. It was clear to the viewer support team that he needed someone to listen as he poured out his heart. He said, “I'm frustrated and feel despair creeping into my soul. Sometimes sadness plagues my heart and painful thoughts from the past invade my mind.”
As they talked, however, it became clear that Jamil already had an idea of what the remedy for his suffering might be. He enthusiastically joined in when the team prayed that the Holy Spirit would reveal God’s comfort to him. When asked if he would like to receive Jesus into his life, Jamil emphatically agreed.
The viewer support team encouraged Jamil to begin reading the Bible. When he reconnected with them, it was clear that a change was already beginning to take place. He told them, “I feel something has changed in my heart. The Bible's words are beautiful. Even though my heart is still distressed, I must trust God and fear no evil, for He is with me.” His echoing of Psalm 23 showed the team that Jamil was really resonating with the words of Scripture and seeing their relevance in his life.
Cheered by this progress, the team encouraged Jamil to set aside time every day to read God’s Word and to pray in order to nurture his new relationship with Christ. He agreed, saying, “I need to feed on His truth daily.”
Jamil reflected on how his new relationship with Christ was repairing the damage done in his youth. He said, “I had not experienced love and empathy because of my harsh upbringing. I wish I had known Christ a long time ago. So much would have changed in me.”
Yet, he was happy to be experiencing this change now. He said, “His Word brings healing to my heart. Life with Jesus is beautiful.”
The difference was clear to him, as he expressed to the viewer support team, “While I kept bad company, my heart was filled with deceit and evil, but now light dwells in me. God's Word brings light and freedom. Thank you again for sharing the truth with me.”
What a wonderful testimony of Jesus’ power to mend people’s hearts. As Jamil, and every follower of Christ can say, “life with Jesus is beautiful.” It’s this truth that SAT-7 seeks to express through all of our programmes and digital media. Let’s pray now that viewers like Jamil would see the beauty of Christ and understand that a relationship with Him can heal a broken heart.
Lord, we thank you for showing your love to Jamil and for bringing the healing he was longing for through a relationship with you.
Father, we thank you for the warnings in your Word about the company we keep, and that choosing to walk closely with You helps us to be transformed ever more closely into the likeness of Christ.
We pray that others watching SAT-7’s programmes would be captivated by the love you have for them, and that more would reach out to the viewer support teams to learn more.
Amen.
Thank you for listening to Voices of the Middle East, a SAT-7 UK podcast. Our teams on the ground are creating powerful, faith-filled television and digital media that is watched by millions of people in 25 countries, and our viewer support teams are always on hand to help people with questions, counselling and prayer requests. Viewers’ names have been changed for security, and actors have been used to represent their voices.
To pray with us every day, visit sat7uk.org/pray and download our latest Prayer Diary.
