Pascale and Najwa, married SAT-7 viewers from Lebanon, shared their story live on the programme Spiritual Evening. Before Pascale encountered Jesus through SAT-7, he was filled with anger and hopelessness and his marriage to Najwa was on the brink. Now, he is transformed – and so is their marriage and family life.
When Pascale first began watching the worship and testimony programme Spiritual Evening, his marriage to his wife Najwa was falling apart. “I felt lost. My son hated me and avoided me at home when I returned from work. All trust between me and my wife was gone,” Pascale says on the programme.
Najwa, sitting beside him, agrees. “I hated my husband and my life because we always fought. Our neighbours ran to my screams when we fought. I wanted a divorce. I even thought of committing suicide,” she says. Deciding to divorce, Najwa and Pascale led separate lives for six months, but could not find any comfort apart.
Learning to forgive
But when Pascale came to know Jesus after watching SAT-7, he and Najwa joined a local Christian group led by Tony Franjieh, the presenter of Spiritual Evening. Since then, their perspectives have changed, and their marriage has been restored through forgiveness, acceptance and respect for one another.
“When we started reading the Bible together we felt peace, love and compassion and learned to forgive each other,” Pascale says. Now, the couple pray as a family and set an example to their seven-year-old son, Hady.
“I read and finished my Bible. Now we have peace in our house, and we pray all the time, before we eat and before we sleep,” Hady says.
FILLED WITH LOVE
The couple appeared on an episode titled “Brotherly Love”, in which presenter Tony Franjieh explained how loving Christ involves accommodating the other.
“When you feel you cannot tolerate a person in your life and want them to change, remember that they aren’t the one who is supposed to change – it is you who must be filled with love for them, through the Holy Spirit,” he says.
Stories such as Pascale and Najwa’s are important to share in the MENA, where the pressures of economic crisis, conflict and the pandemic are pushing more families to their limit. It is crucial to support these families so that children like Hady can find peace and their parents can be strong role models for them at home.
PRAY
- Praise God that Jesus has the power to transform hearts and turn desperation in restoration. Thank Him for the total change He brought about in Pascale and Najwa’s marriage.
- Ask that He will continue to be close to Pascale and Najwa and their son, Hady, and that they will continue to read their Bibles together and enjoy fellowship with other believers.
- Pray that stories like Pascale and Najwa’s will be a powerful witness to SAT-7 viewers, and that through Spiritual Evening even more families will find peace and joy in Jesus.