There was a season when I could not see a way forward. Depression had settled over every part of my life, and the weight of it was constant. The pain got so dark that there were moments I thought about ending my life. I felt completely trapped, certain nothing would ever change.
During that time, Pastor Premasis prayed with me on several occasions and sat with me in the Word. He told me something I needed to hear: God is not the author of my suffering. He walked me through what Jesus said in John 10:10, that the thief comes to steal, kill, and destroy, but that Jesus came so we could have life, and have it fully. That verse broke something open in me. For the first time, I could see that what I was experiencing had an enemy behind it, and that God's intention for my life was something completely different.
The other truth that changed me was simpler but just as powerful. My past is not my identity. My failures, the hurt, the painful years, none of that defines me. My relationship with Jesus does. Through His finished work on the cross, I am loved, accepted, and made new. As that settled in my heart, the fear and despair lost their grip.
It has now been a year. My life looks different. I read the daily devotionals from Pastor Premasis regularly, and they keep me rooted when old thoughts try to creep back in. I am getting to know God more deeply, and I have found a peace and hope I genuinely did not think were possible for me.
All glory belongs to Jesus.
— Pranita Rani
Bhopal, India