“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you: and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Matt 28:19-20 (NKJV).

Jesus’ last words to His disciples before ascending to heaven has led me to believe that being discipled is the greatest need of every human being. This realization began to hit home for me in a deep and personal way in May 2019, as I read a book titled, “Born to Reproduce” on the way to a rural community for missions with the Ghana Navigators team from KNUST. During the missions I struggled immensely. I got uncomfortable whenever it was time to go out into the community to share the gospel with the locals. I wondered why there was no zeal or passion to share the gospel with others in me. The experience made me realize that before I could disciple someone, I needed to be discipled. This began my journey of discipleship with John K. Starting with the foundational truths of Christianity, I have gained in-depth understanding about the new birth experience, water and Holy Spirit baptism, deliverance, and freedom among many others. I now have an assurance within myself that I am God’s child, that I am saved and have eternal life, that God loves me and is in the process of sanctifying me to make me like Christ. 

One of the aspects of my discipleship journey that has been particularly life changing has been scripture memorization. For all the truths that we learned during our sessions, we memorized Bible verses to drive those truths deep into our hearts. The benefits have been incredible. I have had major mental health challenges for most of my life because of some personal difficulties I have faced. Depression, addictions, and even suicidal ideation have been a constant part of my existence. I had never known what it meant to have a sound mind. Memorizing Scripture has opened a whole different world to me on the inside. The mental torture and agony have lost their controlling hold over me ever since I started actively filling my mind with verses of scripture. It has been an intense struggle in my heart and mind, but I am now able to identify the lies of satan, quickly reject them and replace those lies with biblical truth that I have memorized. This has been particularly helpful in maintaining sexual purity where the struggle to keep my mind and body in line with God’s way has been very difficult. I have come to realize that what David said in Psalm 119:11 is very true, “Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You.” (NKJV). 

Times of personal prayer have also been different. It has been quite surprising to me how Bible verses come up a lot during times of prayer. I find myself quoting God’s word right back to Him, a pattern I have seen with the many prayers recorded in scripture. This has made prayer times very meaningful. Gradually, there has been a shift in my approach to prayer and Bible study. I no longer see them as things I must do but as things I need to do, and that is a whole world of difference.

Recently, I began meeting with two junior colleagues at my workplace for weekly Bible study. It has not been so easy. I have felt there were so many issues in my life that God was dealing with and that I was “unqualified” to teach others the word of God. But with great encouragement from my discipler, I began to see that God could still use me to help others even as He continued His work in me to change and transform me into the image of Christ.

Discipleship has literally saved my life. I no longer entertain thoughts of self-harm. I still have a long way to go but I can look back and observe with a lot of certainty that I am not where I used to be either. 

Prayer and Praise

• Pray for God to complete the good work he has begun in Fidel and for strength to keep walking in obedience.
• Thank God for the lives of the two junior colleagues Fidel is meeting. 
• Pray that Fidel’s ministry will flourish. 

Fidel is a member of the Ghana Navigators Family. He is committed to living in obedience to Christ, helping others also know Christ and  live in obedience to Him.