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 Hiba, a woman of the Dinka tribe from South Sudan, who was looking for a second chance in life.
Becoming a Christian is about choosing to turn away from the past towards the hope of a better future, with God leading the way. It’s about turning away from our old selves and becoming a new creation in Christ. This was the hope that Hiba was searching for when she contacted SAT-7’s viewer support team.
Hiba relayed a troubled family history. She told us: “My mother passed away. My father is alive, but he doesn't care for me. My brother is the only one left who cares for me, but I feel that he is struggling psychologically due to unemployment. I feel as if I have lived with all the sadness in the world!"
Hiba shared with us that her mother had been a Christian, but her father had raised her and her brother in the Islamic faith. Meanwhile, the majority of the Dinka hold animistic beliefs and believe that ancestral curses are to blame for much of the suffering they encounter. Perhaps due to these conflicting influences, as well as being saturated in the superstitious culture of the tribe, Hiba believed she was living under an old curse from her father and ancestors. She asked for prayer to cast out the demonic spirit inside her.
While the team were more than happy to pray, they were wary of Hiba’s theory of a demonic cause. Instead, they walked alongside her over many months, providing emotional support and telling her how precious she is to God.
As the team continued to pray with Hiba over many conversations, she soon began praying on her own. She told the team: "I talk to God in the middle of the night. I share my burdens with Him, confess my sins, and tell Him how weak I am. I have committed many sins in my life, but I want Him to be my support and to give me assurance that there's a better tomorrow.”
Hiba was drawing closer to God, and beginning to believe that a relationship with Him was all she needed to see a change in her life.
A team member asked Hiba if she would like to have a fresh start. Hiba replied: ”Yes, I would!" After hearing the Gospel, she said excitedly, "Thank you. You assured my heart once more. I am grateful for all the good things you shared with me." The team prayed with Hiba, and she accepted Jesus as the Lord of her life.
Sure enough, Hiba started to experience change in many areas of her life, even with the family conflicts she had confided to the viewer support team at the very beginning of their conversations.
She told us: "I went to my father to try and restore our relationship. I do not want my children to go through the same thing I had to." A few days later, Hiba’s father sent her half-brother to check on her to see if she needed anything, a gesture she said had made her very happy.
In another answer to prayer, Hiba shared that she had found a job, bringing an end to the sense of frustration that was adding to her suffering. It also meant a stable flow of income that would help her to be more self-sufficient.
Like many in South Sudan, Hiba is worried about the conflict that continues to ravage her country. Many are aware of the war in neighbouring Sudan, but South Sudan is dealing with its own conflicts and power struggles. Fighting between the government, opposing factions and their related militias continues to cause havoc for civilians, including Hiba’s children, who live near to the conflict zones. The viewer support team prayed with Hiba for her children’s safety.
The change that God is working and continues to work in Hiba’s life is nothing short of miraculous. From struggling with ‘all the sadness in the world’ to receiving the joy of God’s salvation, Hiba is beginning to see amazing changes in her life. Free from fear and superstition, Hiba has discovered that God’s grace is sufficient for her.
What an encouraging story, and of course, a reminder that God’s grace is sufficient to get us through whatever struggles we face. God is already answering many of Hiba’s prayers, but let’s continue to pray for her spiritual growth. Give thanks that she has become a part of a local church and pray that she will draw closer to Christ through fellowship, daily Bible reading and prayer.
Pray for the safety of Hiba’s children and for all those affected by the conflicts in both Sudan and South Sudan. Pray for peaceful solutions to the fighting and a clear way forward for the country. Pray also that Hiba would be a light to her children as she models Christian hope and resilience.
Give thanks for the SAT-7 viewer response teams, as they patiently talk and pray with viewers in the MENA. Thank God for using these conversations to bring so many seekers to Him, and giving people like Hiba the hope of a better tomorrow.
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.
