A Neighbor’s Prayers Change Hearts
Sarla grew up in a loving and supportive family and lived a happy childhood. Since the age of 10, she had dreamed of becoming a teacher, which fueled her ambition to learn. Her father worked as a daily laborer and her mother was a housewife. They were hard workers and went the extra mile for Sarla’s sake. She was rarely forced to do anything – giving her complete freedom to do or say whatever she wanted.
This eventually caused problems for Sarla. She started taking her parents’ affection for granted. She began playing tricks and pranks on others and would secretly steal fruits and flowers from the neighbors. Upon correction, Sarla would respond with a negative attitude.
Initially, her parents handled her wrongdoings very calmly and only used punishments when her poor behavior escalated. They were confident that their correction would work, but to their shock, it fell short. Meanwhile, those who were affected by Sarla’s misbehavior cursed her and wished ill-luck to her. This was very discouraging to her parents, especially because of their superstitious nature.
Unfortunately, one day their hopes for Sarla’s bright future came crashing down when she began to suffer from chest pain. After some investigation, she was diagnosed with a heart problem. Despite taking medication, her chest pains worsened over the years. Her heart pain became debilitating, and she was unable to move around like before, causing her to lose interest in the world around her.
Sarla’s parents offered chickens and performed rituals in hopes of waving off evil spirits, but the chest pains persisted. To make matters worse, her treatment and medication were abruptly interrupted due to the pandemic.
Feeling extremely discouraged, Sarla’s parents shared their concerns with their neighbor, Chatura. She comforted them by saying, “Jesus has power over life and death. When raising the dead is not a hard thing for Him, He can for sure heal a weak heart and ease her pain.”
She comforted them by saying, “Jesus has power over life and death. When raising the dead is not a hard thing for Him, He can for sure heal a weak heart and ease her pain.”
Wanting to see their daughter’s healing, Sarla’s parents began to seek Jesus alongside Chatura. They prayed for Jesus’ healing and within a few days, Sarla’s pain was improving. She began to feel stronger and more like herself! When she shared this with her parents, they were overwhelmed and began embracing the Gospel.
Unbeknownst to Sarla’s parents, Chatura had started a Year-Long Children’s Bible Club in their community. Knowing that Sarla’s education had been impacted by the lockdown and wanting to help her learn, they enrolled Sarla in the Bible Club.
It didn’t take long for Sarla to start enjoying the Bible Club. The Bible-based curriculum helped Sarla to understand God’s perspective about life and the importance of obeying her parents. She repented of her past actions and instead began acting cheerfully and respectfully toward peers.
Sarla made a habit of seeking Jesus in prayer and has memorized several pieces of Scripture. She has learned many songs about Jesus at the Bible Club that she is often humming as she plays or does schoolwork. She is seeking the help of Chatura to understand topics that challenge her with the hope that someday, she, too, can be an influential teacher. Her parents are overjoyed that Jesus has restored the hope and peace in their lives. As they continue to discover more about Jesus, pray that they will come to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. Also, pray for the future and salvation of Sarla.
