My Testimony - Joyce

Praise the Lord Everyone! 

My name is Joyce Kalyani and I am 25 years old. Today, It is my privilege to share my testimony with you all. I was born and brought up in a Roman Catholic family and was very strong in catholic beliefs and customs. Reading the bible and attending Sunday Church was more or like only a Sunday chore for me. It did not mean anything to me as I was just doing it for the sake of doing it or you can say out of my routine. I continued to do so till something happened that year. I heard that my elder brother who was in Delhi at that time for his Masters started going to a different church and was born again. Now I did not understand any of these terms at that point of my life.He was going to be baptized after he came to Bangalore for his placement. I was very offended and upset by his decision, however went to attend his baptism as I also happened to be in Bangalore that year for my studies.I was amazed that day, because every stranger there in that church was so nice to me and spoke to me so well as if I was someone really close and known. But my headstrong attitude of believing only what I thought I was doing right was still all over my head.That year, every time I met my brother he used to ask me to pray and read the bible regularly by understanding it.Well, I still did not do it ( Head strong attitude 😒 ).

Then One day I got a call from Mom while I was in Bangalore that my brother went to Hyderabad and had taken out all the statues and images that we had at home of "The Saints" ,"Mary","Jesus"  etc which were of great importance to me at that point and just threw them away somewhere. Now I couldn't believe it! My anger was heightened. I did not know why my brother was doing all this and always he kept telling me to read the Bible to know the truth.This time I decided to read the Bible still not to understand it, but to only know what he is talking about so that I can prove him wrong. I started with the New Testament and believe it or not I could not stop reading until that day when I realized that I may be wrong in all my perceptions and beliefs I've been carrying through out the years. That December when I went home I decided to attend a Hebron Fellowship nearby and after my vacations went back to Bangalore.

I completed one year of my Masters and came back to Hyderabad in December 2017, and it was on a December night at Church I had this one verse from the whole message ringing in my ears- Isaiah 44:22-"I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy transgressions, and, as a cloud, thy sins: return unto me; for I have redeemed you".For many nights I could not sleep just thinking about this verse. I went back to Bangalore as I had my semester exams coming up. And I started praying every night before going to bed. It so happened that on the night of January 6th 2018 I forgot to pray and went to bed after having a tiring day. I tried to sleep but kept rolling on my bed for almost an hour or so but couldn't sleep. Then I got down on my knees, closed my eyes and started praying. Now the verse which i had mentioned earlier, Isaiah 44:22 started ringing in my ears once again. All the 23 years of my life I was only believing things that I thought could be possibly right and blindly following the traditions of this world and thinking I was so religious and righteous.But that night I realized and accepted the fact that through idolatry, by following the worldly customs and being strong headed and stubborn for wrong, I was just sinning against my Lord who sent his only Son Jesus Christ on this earth to die and shed every drop of his precious blood for my sake, to save me and redeem me. I cried my heart out that night, confessed my sins and was born again.

Please do remember it is not always a bed of roses once you are born again. You will be tested and tempted by the devil more than ever before. The Satan will try to pull you back to him in all the ways possible. In my case, it was my 3rd semester examinations. The Satan tried making me so sick that all of my friends told me to go back home and attempt it the next time. I had a very high temperature and my body ached so bad that I couldn't even sit straight, however i did not give up. I prayed, attempted all my exams and came back to Hyderabad. As soon as I came I just knew one thing that I needed baptism and on 1st of April 2018 I was baptized. It felt all new. I did not feel so great and refreshing ever in my life before. From that day on wards, till today I have never turned back. I started spending more and more time with my Lord.

Again in October 2018 Satan tried really hard this time. My dad was called to glory and I was the most attached to him. I could allow that situation to break me instead got more closer to God and he gave me the faith that I will surely meet him one day and that faith kept me going.

"The One who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world" - 1 John 4:4.This verse is so true in my life. My Lord has been with me at every step I took and everyplace I went. If you'll remember about my semester exams I had mentioned earlier, Guess what?!! I won the Gold Medal in my whole batch for my Masters that year! Isn't that wonderful and unbelievable? Our God is a Miraculous God and he does wonders in our life when we least expect it! Today whatever I am, wherever I am and even if I am alive it is only because of his unfailing love and abundant grace in my life.

It only takes one moment to accept him and once you surrender yourself completely to him, everything changes and believe me that change will be for your best!

Believe, Confess and Be Saved by his Grace.

Praise the Lord ❤