For more than nine years, I have struggled with pornography and other sexual sins. I carried a lot of baggage with me going into this week, and my heart was hard with pride and guilt. But God found me in my long struggle and showed me my sin. I did not want to see it, because I didn’t feel I could change it all; but God encouraged me to confess some heavy sins in my life, and that obedience has brought me so much freedom and joy. I have been longing for this kind of hope and joy for over nine years, and it has come. I now no longer hate myself but rest in the promise of God, knowing that He who began this good work in me will see it through to completion. Thank you so much for coming. I thank God for you and praise Him for the great things He has done.

God found me angry and unforgiving. The hurt consumed my mind, even when I spent time in the Word of God. I could not find peace. God spoke to me to let go of the hurt I have been nursing ... expecting people to treat me better, thinking that I am entitled to a certain level of respect. I let go of the hurt. I gave it up to God. Though thoughts about the hurt came back, I desire to forgive. I can only forgive because God has forgiven me. To God be the glory!

After the Sunday services, I made up my mind to go back to my family, whom I have abandoned for about five months. I shared the good news of repentance which I had just received and then asked for forgiveness. Since then we’ve all been together and sharing the teachings of revival which I have received. I am glad God spoke to my heart, giving me instructions on what to do to about my hot temper, quick anger, unforgiving spirit, and spirit of revenge. Thank God for His goodness!

God definitely used this event to bring me to terms with what my sin means, and how confession means agreeing with God about my sins. The idea of always running to God instead of to empty substitutes I hope will change my life. Confessing our sins to one another was a wonderful, practical application of what God’s Word instructs us. God found me using substitutes like relationships with other people, including ont TV and entertainment. I was thirsty and not reading the Bible daily or praying. I was running on empty. God has blessed me with a Bible study book that has daily assignments. I confessed my substitutes and wrote them on the cup and then went home and bypassed Facebook, Internet, and food, and went to my Bible. I went home with a renewed sense of, “God, I want to know what it really means to say, ‘To live is Christ’!”

Through some pride and rebellion, I fell into sexual sin. My repentance has been faltering. I have been in torment, physical pain, and idolatrous longing. I confessed to the elders but backslid and have been removed from leadership and teaching the Bible. Worst, I could barely feel God or pray. God showed me His cleansing POWER, His relentless pursuit of me, and that conviction is not death but cleansing and returning and reconciliation and restoration with others. What are the benefits and blessings from obeying the Lord? PEACE; quietness in my thoughts so that I can hear Him. REST; I stopped trying to be God and just enjoyed God. I can serve Him again, beginning with small steps. I hear Him again! I feel His Spirit again! I can pray again. I was compelled to come forward and kneel in prayer. I hadn’t been able to pray for two months. I cried out, “Lord, please take me back. I am Yours, not the enemy’s!” I felt release, and prayer has been restored to me.

God found me harboring unforgiveness toward my parents, who have gone to be with the Lord. At the age of 13/14, I was sexually abused by a family member. My parents took me to have an abortion without ever asking who had done that to me. I felt so ashamed, offended, abandoned, and rejected all of my life. I turned from God, and for 25 years I lived a life of promiscuity, alcoholism, and drug abuse. Now I have received God’s forgiveness and have forgiven my parents and the clinic that performed the abortion, and I am set free!

Before the summit, God found me lonely, giving up on my marriage, and just going through the motions. I have been blaming it on my husband. But this session led me to realize that I needed to honor my husband and to outdo him in loving him. I pray that I will do my part in honoring my husband and showing him God’s grace so that he also may want to honor and love me. I pray that I will bring him closer to God through my deeds and constant prayer for him, for us. Thank you for allowing God to use you.

During these days, God found me in the midst of changing my entertainment choices. The Lord convicted me of being “soft on sin.” I went home and loaded up a garbage bag full of garbage movies. I will also make better choices with cable movies. Thanks, Life Action, for reminding me that God does not want my mind or eyes to be entertained by sin.

The Lord found me hurting, my husband away, and feeling alone, abandoned, uncared for, and unloved. I was sad, depressed, lonely, and empty. I didn’t feel like praying sometimes and neglected my Bible reading. When I learned about temporary substitutes, I realized how I made my marriage a substitute for my God. He is all I need, and He is more than enough for me. That was powerful, and peace flooded me that evening after I went home. We read Romans 12:9-22. Again, I got this powerful message of honoring others. Outdo one another in sharing honor. I am so thankful the Lord allowed me to attend THIRST.

Before the summit, God found me angry, bitter, resentful, and depressed. He has started to open my eyes to how sinful I have been by behaving this way. I have been wallowing in a “victim” role, and consequently my heart has become very hardened. I have become self-centered and bitter and resentful. I see now how my actions are affecting those around me. I have a very long road ahead of me and pray that God will continue to open my eyes.

Before the summit, God found me living in total fear ... afraid of everything but my God! I’ve been a people pleaser for most of my life. It hit me hard to learn that the Bible calls that “fear of man.” I know we should not fear anyone but God, so all the fear and worry that has been in my life up to this point has been sin. I’ve asked forgiveness, and now I feel like I can go on. I know now that my God is all I should fear! He is in control. He knows the future and my needs. He gives me joy. Nothing that man can do or say should affect me. Why? Because I’m a child of God! Praise the Lord for what He has done!

God found me angry and out of fellowship with my husband. Sunday morning on the way to church we had a horrible argument, during which I found myself screaming, “I hate you!” It became clear to me that God had allowed it to happen to show me just how far from Him I am. I was utterly broken, and that continued through the week. I told my husband I had sinned against him and God by allowing anger and bitterness to take over my heart and mind. I know I have so much to work through, and I have to find the courage to further confess some sin that will not only wound him but may negatively impact his ministry. But I look forward to finally feeling clean before God and working through the hurts and offenses that go back decades. Thank you for being part of a change that will save not only my life but hopefully my marriage.

More Stories of Changed Lives
The following are stories of changed lives from a Life Action revival summit.