Submitted by Reza – Christ International Church Mission Republic of Georgia
I met a young Iranian woman who was visiting in Tbilisi as a tourist during the
Persian New Year last month. We crossed paths by chance on the street while I
was handing out copies of the Gospel of John to fellow Iranians. As I greeted
her, I told her, "Jesus loves you so much that He gave His life for you." She
paused, surprised, and stared at me. Then she said, “That can’t be.”
I gently asked her why she felt that way. She replied, “Jesus is a prophet, and a
prophet wouldn’t love someone unclean.” (reflecting the Islamic perspective she
had been taught). I asked if I could pray for her, and she agreed. But only a few
seconds into the prayer, she stopped me—tears in her eyes—and began to open
up. She told me she had been raped, and every religious person she had
confided in had blamed her, making her feel even more unclean and ashamed.
We began to walk through the stories of the woman at the well, the woman
caught in adultery in John 8, and the beautiful promise of John 3:16–17. In those
moments, the power of the Gospel touched her deeply. She found healing—not
just emotionally, but spiritually. The shame she carried was lifted. She left not
just knowing about Jesus but recognizing Him as more than a prophet. She left
with the revelation that He is her Lord, her Savior, and the one who truly loves
her—completely and unconditionally.
“Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the
woman’s testimony, “He told me everything I ever did.” John 4:39
FOR PRAYER
- Pray that this woman grows in her faith as she reads the gospel of John
that was given to her, that she testifies to others of her new life, and that
she may find other believers to meet with. - Pray for other Gospels of John that were given out during Persian New
Year, that they may bring peace to those seeking truth amidst uncertainty
in a troubled land.
- Pray for the training session being conducted this week for a group of
believers some of whom have traveled out of their county for the first time
to freely fellowship with other believers.
- Pray for continued funding for the printing of the Gospels of John and
other literature for distribution to Farsi speakers.
“How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will
they believe in Him whom they have not heard?” Romans 10:14
