God’s Relentless Pursuit

God doesn’t always work His purposes out in a day. Sometimes, the story of His pursuit unfolds through a 15-year friendship . . . or seven years of searching.
Adrianne, 34 years old, United States.

“I was raised in a Christian family, but I never felt the closeness with God that everyone talked about. I didn’t understand why. As a teenager, my life took several negative turns. It was then that I felt completely abandoned, and I gave up on the longing to feel that connection [with God] at all.

“This non-believing lifestyle continued into my college years, but one day I made friends with a wonderful woman who called herself a Christian. . . . Fast forward to two years ago, and after a 15-year friendship with my Christian friend, I experienced another challenging circumstance. I truly felt like I was at rock bottom. I called my friend and asked her to please pray for me. . . . I woke up that Sunday morning and felt a tug—a driving force pulling me towards attending The Church of The Apostles.

“I called my friend again and asked her to save me a seat at church. Lo and behold, the first praise song that morning was one I’d been listening to all week long. I was overcome with emotion and cried through the entire sermon. I felt like Dr. Youssef was speaking directly to me! I knew there was nothing at work here other than divine intervention. I felt a peace about me the whole next week that I had never felt before.

“Today, I feel the presence of the Lord. And it has changed me forever!”