Gbenga’s Testimony

I was born into a nominal Christian home in Nigeria. We went to church fairly regularly, but I did not have a personal relationship with God. Going to church was more like a social obligation (and because my mother took us along with her when she went) than a spiritual commitment. I was not much different from other children my age except that I took great pleasure in hurting my brothers and sisters. I was an agitated young man, always fighting them and making their lives miserable.

When I was about 14 years old I had a dream. I saw myself in an open field with thousands of other people. It was evening and the sun was just beginning to set like a big yellow globe. Suddenly, a chariot with someone sitting in it passed across the sky. Compared to the chariot the sun was like a small tennis ball! Then I noticed people around me being caught up to meet the chariot as it sped across the sky and I knew with every cell in my body that if I did not go with them, something terrible was going to happen. I tried jumping as high as I could but I kept falling down to the ground, and I woke up sweating with great fear.

I did not know what the dream meant at the time, but somehow I did know that the dream had something to do with God, and that He was the only One who could help me. I’m not exactly sure how I came to it but somehow I found myself saying “God have mercy on me and save me” repeatedly for about two hours until I fell asleep.

I was very quiet for weeks afterwards. My mother and siblings were concerned and kept asking me what was wrong with me. My mother even suggested I take some medical-tests to see if I was indeed okay. But the fact is I was a changed person! Everyone who knew me before could see the difference plainly, I was calm, did not cause any more trouble, hit my siblings, or hurt them in any way … I was even nice to them. In crying out to God, He had answered me, he had indeed saved me. I was hungry to know more of this God who had saved me from destructive habits and I enjoy learning more of Him through prayer and spending time with His people.

Things have never been the same for me since, and I am happy to say that it has been wonderful knowing Jesus, His love and having His peace in my heart. Instead of the sometimes uncontrollable desire to make people’s lives miserable, I found myself loving them almost effortlessly, and knowing a peace in my heart that I cannot describe in words.

I moved to the UK and have discovered that no matter where I am, I have a family where ever God’s people are, and I find that I have peace in my heart in spite of the stresses of life and work.