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How prayer changed a family forever – Layla Nahavandi

Have you ever felt like your life was in shambles, with no hope for the future? Sometimes, life throws us curveballs that leave us feeling lost and broken. But what if I told you that even in our darkest moments, God is working behind the scenes, orchestrating a beautiful plan for our lives? Let’s dive into the incredible story of Layla Nahavandi and her family, and discover how their encounter with Jesus transformed their lives forever.

1. A Family's Unexpected Journey to Jesus

Layla Nahavandi‘s story is a powerful testament to the transformative power of God’s love. She was raised in a Muslim family, her mother having converted to Islam to marry her father. While her mother had grown up attending church in Ireland, a traumatic experience with her own father left her without a genuine connection to God.

The family relocated to New Zealand, where Layla’s siblings were born, and for a while, life was idyllic. However, their peaceful existence was shattered when Layla’s aunt moved in from Iran, bringing with her the torment of undiagnosed schizophrenia.Their home became a battleground of fear and anxiety, the joy they once shared replaced by a constant state of unease. Layla vividly remembers, at the tender age of five, witnessing her aunt brandishing a knife, threatening her father’s life.

The turmoil reached a breaking point, forcing Layla’s mother to seek refuge for herself and her children in a women’s shelter. Days turned into weeks, filled with her mother’s relentless weeping. The shelter’s strict rules prevented Layla and her siblings from having any contact with friends, arousing concern among their classmates’ parents.
Unbeknownst to Layla and her family, these concerned families were devout Christians who had begun interceding for them, lifting their plight up to God. It is in this season of despair that God’s unseen hand began to move. “Today we believe in the power of prayer, they believed, they prayed for us. I am so grateful because they prayed for us. I am grateful for every prayer they lifted up so that we could meet Jesus, Lord and Savior. Maybe you are here, you do not know Jesus as Lord and Savior. Maybe you are online and you do not know Jesus as Lord and Savior. I would like to tell you that there are people praying so that you can meet Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior tonight.”
“And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him.” (1 John 5:14-15 ESV)

2. The Ripple Effects of a Single Act of Faith

One of the Christian women from the shelter, recognizing the desperation in Layla’s mother’s eyes, shared the Gospel with her. She spoke of a God who cared deeply for her, who loved her unconditionally, and who held a plan for her life—a plan that extended far beyond the confines of their current circumstances. She painted a picture of hope, contrasting the brokenness of trying to control our own lives with the beauty of surrendering to Jesus.
Touched by the woman’s sincerity and sensing a flicker of truth within her own spirit, Layla’s mother made a life-altering decision: she gave her life to Jesus. Layla, her siblings, and her mother were all baptized, marking their transition from darkness to light. Where once despair had reigned, hope now flourished. Instead of witnessing her mother’s tear-stained face, Layla found herself dancing with her family in their living room, their hearts overflowing with the joy of Jesus.
Layla’s mother, driven by a newfound conviction, sought reconciliation with her husband, leading to Layla’s aunt finding a new home and the family reuniting. The transformation extended beyond Layla’s immediate family, eventually reaching her father as well. Initially resistant to the message of Jesus, he clung to his Muslim faith, proclaiming, “I will be the last Muslim on this earth.” But God, in His infinite love and wisdom, had a plan for him too.
Layla’s mother, emboldened by her faith, challenged her husband, suggesting that if she randomly opened the Bible and placed her finger on a passage, it would be a message from God. To his surprise, her finger landed on John 14:1, where Jesus says, “Believe in God; believe also in me.” Her tearful plea, “Listen, you see, it is Jesus speaking to you, He is calling you,” pierced his heart.
Still wrestling with his beliefs, he decided to attend church with his family, determined to prove that it held no relevance for Muslims. During the service, he listened intently as people shared testimonies of freedom from addiction and miraculous healings.He had heard of biblical figures like Abraham and Moses and even recognized Jesus as a prophet, but the concept of the Holy Spirit was foreign to him.

3. An Engineer's Experiment with the Holy Spirit

As people testified to the presence of the Holy Spirit in their lives, Layla’s father found himself wrestling with a newfound curiosity. He returned home, his mind swirling with questions, and decided to conduct an experiment with the Holy Spirit. “Holy Spirit, if you are real, show it to me,” he prayed, a daring request for a devout Muslim.
Suddenly, a powerful wind swept through his body, from head to toe. Skeptical at first, he dismissed it as coincidence. Being an engineer with a scientific mind, he meticulously checked every variable in the room—the windows, the temperature—but found no logical explanation.
He lay back down, still grappling with the experience, when the wind of the Holy Spirit once again surged through him. This time, it was even more intense, carrying with it a clear message: “I want to show you that I am real and that Jesus is Lord.” Overwhelmed by the undeniable presence of the Holy Spirit, Layla’s father surrendered his life to Jesus.
 
 
Layla’s family’s story underscores the relentless pursuit of God and the transformative power of His love. It reminds us that no matter how dire our circumstances, God is at work, weaving together a tapestry of redemption and hope.
“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you.” (Jeremiah 29:11-12 ESV)

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