Many years ago I was witnessing to a Somali young man. We would read the Bible together, he would ask me many questions, and I would pray for him. One day I said to him: You can read all the books you want, but if you really want to know God, then you have to ask Him to show Himself to you.
This changed that young Somali man’s life. On his own, in his room, he prayed and asked God to show Himself to him. God revealed himself to this young Somali man and the man started to believe in Jesus as his own personal Saviour.
You see, you can search for God, ask questions, watch videos, even go to a church and listen to a sermon. But if you want to know God then you have to open your heart and ask Him into your life.
Jesus said: ““Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in….” (Revelation 3:20).
Jesus is not talking about your front door, or you car door. He is talking about the door into your heart. If you want to have a personal relationship with God, then you have to open the door of your heart and invite Him in.
Invite Jesus into your heart and He will save your from your sins. Open the door of your heart and Jesus will enter into your life and you will be born again.
Jesus also said in John 5:39: “You search the Scriptures because you think they give you eternal life. But the Scriptures point to me! Yet you refuse to come to me to receive this life.”
You can read about God in a book, but you cannot put the book into your heart. You can ask many difficult questions about Christianity, but you will not be saved unless you invite Jesus into your heart.
I know many Somalis who have opened up their hearts to drugs and alcohol. I know many Somalis who have opened up their hearts to violence, and guns, and gangs. Many Somalis in Somalia have opened up their hearts to violence because somehow they think money and power will satisfy their souls. But if they live to be old they will see how empty and useless it was to follow the age old traditions of fighting for you clan.
Your clan cannot fill your heart with the love and peace you are looking for. Your community cannot fill that emptiness that you feel when you go to bed at night, when you are all alone with your thoughts, and there is no one else around.
If you want to have peace with God, and have your sins forgiven, then you can ask Jesus to enter your life and forgive you of your sins and give you peace.
I remember a lady who cried when she learned that if she accepted Jesus Christ as her Lord and Saviour she would never be alone. Tears moved down her face as she realized that God loved her and that if she asked Him into her heart He would be with her forever.
I remember when I asked Jesus into my life after years of drug use and wanting to kill myself. I remember asking God to come into my life. I remember the words that I said, I cried out to God in a loud voice: God if you’re there then take me now or I am going to die.
I knew that if God did not take me then I would either end up killing myself, having a overdose, or getting into an accident that would take my life. Jesus saved me. I felt Him enter into my body with His Spirit. God is a Spirit. A good Spirit. A Holy Spirit. And when you feel Him enter your body then you feel incredible peace and joy. And once God is inside of you – He will never leave you or forsake you. He will be with you forever.
I have seen Christians on their death beds. They are singing, they are praying, they are smiling, they tell you that they cannot wait to see Jesus. Death is no longer something that you have to be afraid of if you ask Jesus to enter your heart. Death will not make you afraid because you know that you have God in your heart and that He said He will never leave you.
If what I am saying is ringing true in your heart, then I want you to put down whatever it is that you have been trusting in to try and give you peace. Maybe you have been trusting in violence and power to get you peace. I want you to put it down. Maybe you have been using drugs and alcohol to try to give you peace. I want you to put them down. Put down anger. Put down traditions. Put down worshipping your clan, because worshipping anything else except for God, means that you are worshipping an idol.
Don’t worry about what your family will say, or what your spouse will say. If you receive eternal life and the forgiveness of your sins, you have received what every human heart desperately needs to feel at peace.
If you want to have your sins forgiven and accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour then I would like you to pray this prayer after me:
Lord Jesus. I open my heart and I invite you in. Please enter my life and forgive me of my sins. I ask you God to show yourself to me because I do not want to live my life alone anymore. I would like to have my sins forgiven and I want to feel that I am loved by you. Amen.”
If you prayed this prayer, then God has already started to do a work in your life. His Spirit is already working in you and blessing you. I am looking forward to hearing what God has done in your life.