A glimpse of Heaven at the Royal Albert Hall
SAT-7’s Marianne Awaraji reflects on her recent experience of performing on stage at London’s prestigious Royal Albert Hall for Prom Praise, an event organised by Langham Arts in partnership with SAT-7 UK. The event, ‘To the Ends of the Earth’, was a musical celebration of our global faith featuring vibrant expressions of international worship.
As a little girl, I spent hours sitting at my piano. I would write songs, sing them over and over again and imagine myself one day sharing them with people. Like many young girls, I had dreams. I dreamed of stages, music and using my gifts somehow. Looking back now, I realise that some of those desires were not random dreams at all. God was quietly planting seeds.
At the time, I thought the dream was about singing. Years later, I discovered it was about something much bigger. God inspired me through SAT-7, then led me to be part of this ministry to share the songs he had given me with thousands of children from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). I heard many times how their faith was sustained during hard times through these melodies.
Standing on the stage of the Royal Albert Hall during Prom Praise was one of those moments that felt as though time stood still. It is difficult to put into words what I felt. Thousands of people from different nations were gathered together. Voices were united in worship; hands were raised; the atmosphere was filled with joy, gratitude and awe. For a few moments, it felt like I was catching a glimpse of heaven. The lights were shining so brightly into my eyes that I could barely see the audience. Instead, my eyes were drawn upward. And in that moment, there was only one thought in my heart: Jesus, I want Your name to be known.
As I stood there singing, my thoughts travelled thousands of miles away from London and back home to the MENA. I thought about the viewers who watch SAT-7 alone. The young boy secretly watching Christian programmes from his bedroom; the believer who has no church community; the mother searching for hope, the young woman asking questions about faith; the child learning about Jesus through SAT-7 KIDS. I found myself wishing I could somehow carry all of them onto that stage with me. I wanted the world to know their stories. I wanted the global Church to remember that behind every screen is a real person whom God loves deeply. I wanted to be a voice for those who cannot freely gather and worship with thousands of others.
And suddenly, standing on that famous stage was no longer about a childhood dream coming true. It became about God’s heart for people. One of the most moving moments of the evening was hearing Rita El-Mounayer, SAT-7’s CEO, share her story. She spoke about growing up as a child of war and how she chose to find hope in Jesus despite the pain and uncertainty around her. Listening to her, I was reminded once again why SAT-7 exists.
For 30 years, SAT-7 has been sharing stories like hers. Stories of people finding hope in Christ. Stories of perseverance and of faith. Stories that remind us that God is alive and at work in the MENA. Throughout the evening, we heard viewers’ stories about God’s work in their lives through SAT-7. As I listened, I felt overwhelmed by the realisation that what we were celebrating was not an organisation. We were celebrating the faithfulness of God and His calling on SAT-7.
Again and again, He takes ordinary people and does extraordinary things through them; He uses weak and imperfect vessels to reflect His glory; He proves that the story is not about us. It is about Him.
“I felt we were there”
After the event, messages started pouring in. Many of them brought tears to my eyes. One young woman wrote to me and said, “You may not know me personally, but I grew up watching SAT-7 KIDS and singing along to your songs. Seeing you standing on that stage worshipping before thousands of people made me so proud. Thank you for serving faithfully all these years.”
Another viewer told me, “Seeing you at the Royal Albert Hall felt as though we were there with you. It felt like a breakthrough for all of us.”
Someone else wrote, “I have been watching you since I was a child. Seeing you there gives me hope.”
As I read these messages, I realised that the most beautiful part of the evening was not standing on the stage. It was discovering how God had been quietly working through SAT-7 for years in ways I could never have imagined.
What moved me most was knowing that somewhere across the MENA, young girls were watching. Girls with dreams, prayers and questions about their future. Girls who may feel unseen, limited by their circumstances or unsure whether God has a purpose for their lives.
If my standing on that stage meant anything, I hope it reminded them of this truth: God is still a God of miracles. He is faithful to every promise He makes. He sees the dreams hidden deep within our hearts, and when we place our lives in His hands and walk in His will, He often does far more than we could ever ask or imagine.
As a little girl, I dreamed of singing on a stage. I could never have imagined that God would use that dream as part of a much bigger story: one that would point people to Him, encourage believers across nations and remind others that nothing is impossible with God.
One verse kept coming back to my mind throughout the celebration: “Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine…” (Ephesians 3:20).
You can watch the full Prom Praise: To the Ends of the Earth event here.