“With Jesus, life had meaning. She (Profira) found peace and joy that no ritual or tradition could give her.”  It is so easy to get caught up in the rituals and traditions of a religion. Many are born into a particular religion and continually check a box every Saturday or Sunday, believing they are earning God’s favor by their practices. But it isn’t until God does a mighty work in one’s heart, leading to true repentance and a personal desire to have an intimate relationship with Jesus Christ, that true salvation has come. 

We can go through all of the motions and look really good on the outside, but it’s the heart that matters. God changes hearts! Not us! During this Christmas season, as we focus on the birth of our Savior, let us also lift up our unsaved family and friends. 

Please pray for many Christmas miracles, and that God would change many hearts and draw more lost people to Himself. Pray that the same peace and joy that Profira found, will be the same peace and joy that settles in the hearts of new believers. 

Today I would like to tell you about a very special woman, Profira. It is the story of a life profoundly transformed by the knowledge of God. I hope it inspires you and brings you hope, as it did me.

Profira was born into a nominally Christian family. Together with her family, she used to go to church, but deep in her heart, God remained unknown. She remembers going to communion once a year, without understanding the deeper meaning of this act. She was told that she needed to know all the saints to get closer to God, or that special prayers could bring her closer to Him. But in her heart, she felt nothing. She prayed mechanically, without understanding its meaning.

As a child, she had seen priests arguing over the alms on the table after services. All this left a bad feeling and a spiritual void in her soul. She tried to follow customs and traditions, but no one directed her to Jesus Christ. Her life seemed to be an endless search, a longing to find a true way to God.

That all began to change the day her brother repented and knew her true relationship with God. He had come to talk to her about eternal life. But to Profira, these words seemed impossible to believe. She was angry and strongly disputed everything her brother said, believing that he had chosen the wrong way.

However, God had a plan for her. One day Profira decided to go to [church] [LB1] with her brother. She didn’t know what she would find there, but she felt a calling. That day, for the first time, the Holy Spirit touched her deeply. She felt a strong sense of conviction, something she had never experienced before. When she left the church, the spiritual battle against her brother stopped. From that moment Profira began to read the Bible. She began to know God through His Word.

Life didn’t get any easier. Problems continued to arise, but one day, as she was walking down the road, Profira said a simple and sincere prayer, “Lord, do what You will with my life.” It was a moment of total surrender to God, of trust that He knows best.

Later, on her aunt’s 60th birthday, the Gospel was preached. Profira, along with six others, chose to follow God. This was another proof that when one speaks the Gospel and prays for loved ones, God can work miracles. In Profira’s life, the Gospel was not just a message, but a power that transformed hearts.

The way she chose to go was not easy. The church was nine miles from her home, but neither the distance nor the absence of transportation was an obstacle. Profira and the other believers walked on foot, and the joy of being in the house of the Lord lightened their steps. “To walk with Christ is to pay a price, but the joy is far greater than any sacrifice,” says Profira. With Jesus, life had meaning. She found peace and joy that no ritual or tradition could give her.

Profira’s story reminds us that each of us has loved ones who don’t yet know God. It is important to talk about the Gospel and pray for them. Our words may plant seeds in their hearts, but it is God who makes them grow. Just as Profira’s brother spoke about eternal life and God worked in her heart, so we can be the tools by which He transforms lives.

Profira’s every step was a testimony of her faith. From walking to church to earnest prayer on the road of life, she shows us that true closeness with God is not about following habits, but about a personal, living, authentic relationship with Him. God changed Profira’s life and uses her today to encourage and show others the way to Christ.

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes (Romans 1:16a).