You have to teach me

Since they were young, Emily and Seana* were very close friends. Emily experimented with the occult and led Seana into it as well. Emily invented a whole world for the two of them and taught Seana how to conduct seances and use a ouija board. Both of them did not know how getting involved with witchcraft could damage their lives.

When Emily grew up, she went off the deep end. She described her life as evil as it spiralled out of control. But she was not beyond God’s reach. She came to trust Jesus for her salvation though her understanding of the gospel was shallow. As a result, she continued to struggle in life and her marriage suffered. When she and her husband sought help, they were put in touch with a couple who offered marriage counselling. After some weeks of thinking, Emily and her husband agreed to meet the couple but she was upset when the first phase of the counselling turned out to be a Bible study course using the book, By This Name. Emily was hostile but she did sit through the study. This began a journey where both her and her husband were transformed. The gospel was clear in their minds now and they believed the same truths. Their marital problems paled when compared to God’s greatness.

Fast forward a few years and Emily is so thankful that with God’s help, she has left her dark days behind her and has a healthy marriage. But she wished she had a chance to undo the damage she had done to her good friend Seana. They had lost touch with each other. Then one night, Emily spotted Seana online. She had never chatted with anyone on Facebook before but felt compelled to start a conversation.

Emily was glad to reconnect with Seana but was saddened to see that Seana was suffering, living in a spiritually very dark place. She was an alcoholic who never left the house. Seana was lost and without hope. When Emily shared about her faith in God, Seana was resentful: “How about all that stuff you taught me years ago!” Emily explained how her trust in the Lord was transforming her life. Seana listened but did not comment.

Some weeks later, Emily talked to Seana again and this time, Seana expressed interest in learning about the Bible. “Can you please mail me a Bible?” asked Seana. Emily went one step further and offered to meet with her old friend. Seana went over to Emily’s place and stayed five hours. Emily gave her a Bible which Seana accepted but she added, “You have to teach me. I want you to teach me.”

That was when Emily remembered her desire to reach all the friends she had led astray. Now here was her chance. Emily told Seana she would guide her through a Bible study. Because of their shared background, Emily knew that By This Name would answer many of the questions that Seana would have. And here’s where she could use some prayer support. Emily is about to guide Seana through that book with the help of the visual aids from Worldview Rethink. Please pray that Emily and Seana will have the uninterrupted time over the next few weeks. Pray that Seana’s many questions will find answers and that ultimately, she will come to a crystal clear understanding of the life-saving gospel and will put her trust in Jesus.

(*Names changed as per GoodSeed policy.)

Photo Credit: Pedro Ribeiro Simõe on flickr