I was an active youth leader in a church for several years. However, I was strongly driven by wrong beliefs and motivations.

I am thankful for my mom, who pointed me to Jesus at an early age. Wanting to taste more of His love for me, I decided to join a fellowship. I became an assistant care group leader and was later trained to be one of the official leaders of the church.

I did everything I could to win many souls. We were taught to win souls and serve God in exchange for what He had suffered for us at the cross. We were also taught that God’s presence will eventually be lost if we don’t become leaders. I was afraid to lose my salvation. I wanted to serve Him more so that I could be blessed.

In later years, the fire and heart to serve God gradually dissipated. I was tired, frustrated, and depressed, thinking that I was not doing enough and had failed God. My family, studies, and relationships were negatively affected because of this. I was crying out to God and asked Him why He chose me. I was drowning and needed help.

I believe God heard this cry. Our senior pastor mentioned something that hit me and got me pumped up. He said, “When you rest, God works; when you work, God rests,” and he mentioned the name Joseph Prince. Unbeknownst to me, this would lead to the greatest turnaround in my situation.

I believe God was directing me at this time because I had never felt such a strong desire to search for a man of God. I went online, searched for Joseph Prince’s teachings, and watched his free content on YouTube. I was blown away because I had never heard the gospel of grace nor realized it was that good.

I kept watching and eventually asked one of our pastors for some of Joseph Prince’s books. I was blessed to borrow one of his books, 100 Days of Right Believing. After reading it, I began to weep, not because I was exhausted but because I had started to know my loving Savior. I never thought that Jesus was this good, that He never wanted anything from me in return for what He had done at the cross.

As I kept feeding on His love for me, all the wrong beliefs that had taken root in me dropped off and were replaced by security in the finished work of Jesus.

At this time, I was also on the brink of hopelessness because I was failing in my last senior high school year. My mom lost her regular job as a sales lady, and my father, a food vendor, was suffering from a health condition and could not work. We suffered from extreme financial lack that led me to sell street food during my school vacation to support the basic needs of my entire family.

It was a difficult season for us. Nevertheless, one thing I knew: Jesus loves me. I began to meditate on a loving Shepherd who watches over me and tenderly cares for me. Every morning when I woke up, I would mutter Psalm 23:1, “The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not lack.”

One day, I had the opportunity to talk to my teacher, who was supporting me with my Internet connection for online classes in senior high school. She also helped to finance my college and university applications and gadget needs.

I was accepted into a program that helps underprivileged students secure a college education and a scholarship that supports all my college needs. Through these many opportunities, I met someone who connected me to a family willing to support our monthly food supply for the rest of my college journey!

Finally, I was blessed to enter one of the best universities in the Philippines. Wow! What amazing grace! I was jumping for joy and full of tears because of God’s tremendous blessings that super-exceeded my expectations. I know I don’t deserve it, but thankfully, grace is for the undeserving. Indeed, when you rest in what God has accomplished for you at the cross, all the blessings in every area of lack shall be supernaturally provided!

I was once given the privilege to preach the gospel of grace at an encounter session in our church. They were so blessed and later began to incorporate one of Pastor Joseph Prince’s books in our devotional sessions. Thank you, Pastor Prince, for being so radical in preaching the gospel of grace and making Jesus the center of everything!