Stories of Boldness

 

🔥 Story One: A Knock at the Door

It was evening when the knock came. Rahman, a local leader, moved quietly to the door of his house. He peered through the peephole.

His blood ran cold.

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Six men. Bearded. AK-47s drawn. He didn’t have time to speak or run.

They opened fire—the door exploded in splinters.

Rahman turned and bolted out the back, through narrow alleys, across rooftops. Bullets chased him, whizzing like hornets. He should have died. He knows that. But somehow, not one bullet touched him. Further, he was actually, after what seemed like forever, able to escape through a back alley, and they couldn't find him.

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Later, he would say, “It felt like there was an invisible shield between me and the gunfire. I should have been dead ten times over.”

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When the capital collapsed, many fled. Rahman had the opportunity, too. But instead, he looked around and said, "I will return home. If I leave, who will tell them about Jesus?”

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He returned, not with fear, but with the spirit and power of Elijah.

That one act of boldness lit a fire, rippling outward into regions we thought were unreachable. Rahman’s courage became a seed of revival.

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🌍 Story Two: The Roadblock in the Desert

In another continent, in the dry winds of West Africa, a young disciple named Malik wrestled with God. He had felt the call to go north, to the heartland of danger. A region ruled by the radical ISIS branch.
No one went there and came back.

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He argued. Prayed. Fasted. Pleaded. Why, God? Why send me?

Finally, he obeyed.

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He mounted his motorcycle and rode across the Sahara, dust curling behind him like smoke. And then—his fear materialized.
A group of radicals. AKs in hand. A makeshift checkpoint.

Vehicles were being stopped. Inspected. Searched.

He heard the Spirit say, “Tell them you are going to share about Me.”

His heart thundered. “If I say that, I’ll die.”

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His turn came. A guard approached, eyes cold, weapon slung low.

“Why are you traveling this road? Don’t you know there’s a ban? We could kill you.”

A war raged inside. But then—boldness.

He spoke:
“I’m going to tell people about Isa al-Masih and the message of peace.”

The guard narrowed his eyes. “So, you’re a Christian? We kill Christians here.”

Malik breathed.
“The Holy book speaks of Him. And our country desperately needs the peace he gives.”

Silence.

Then the guard said, almost reluctantly:
“Go. Before I change my mind—or my superiors arrive.”

Malik rode away—alive, shaking, victorious.

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✝️ Story Three: The Girl Who Sneezed

In a quiet neighborhood of a coastal city, one of our leaders, Yonas, had just finished a mid-week house fellowship. Tired, he began home, when the sound stopped him cold.

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Wailing. Loud. Raw.

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The unmistakable cry of fresh grief.

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He hesitated. He was spent. But the Spirit whispered, “Turn around.”

He followed the sound into a crowded courtyard. A little girl had drowned. Her body lay on the floor. Family members sobbed uncontrollably.

He pushed through the crowd. Gently, but with purpose.
“Take her into your bedroom,” he said.

The parents looked at him, confused, desperate. But they obeyed.

In the room, he looked them in the eyes.

“If you believe,” he said, “Jesus can raise her.”

They whispered: “We believe.”

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He knelt beside her, laid his hands on her cold body, and began to pray.

One minute.
Five.
Eight-and-a-half.

Then suddenly—

She sneezed.

She sat up.

Sputtered water.
Alive.

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Yonas told the stunned parents, “Feed her. She’ll need strength.”
Then he left for home, never saying another word.

No stage. No camera. Just Jesus.

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🕊️ What Fuels This Fire?

We often talk about strategies and structures. But there is no replacement for boldness born of the Holy Spirit.

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It’s boldness that walks into danger.

Boldness that speaks when silence is safer.

Boldness that lays hands on the dead and expects a resurrection.

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These three stories come from believers who were raised in Muslim communities—where boldness is not just uncomfortable; it is dangerous. And yet, these men did not flinch. They listened to the voice of God. They acted. And through their boldness, others believed.

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And while this newsletter has focused on their stories, we see this same fire—this same Spirit-led courage—emerging in tribal believers, Hindu-background disciples, and even among secular seekers in the West.

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The Spirit of Jesus is moving. He is pouring out boldness on all flesh.
And when fear dies, movements rise.

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“Boldness is the spark. Discipleship is the flame. And revival is the wildfire.”

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💥 Be Part of This Bold Movement

Every month, new disciples are boldly proclaiming Jesus in regions where faith could cost them everything. Your prayers and support help equip and sustain these witnesses.

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🙏 Pray for courage to rise among the hidden heroes of the faith.

“When the Spirit of God takes possession of the heart, there is no limit to the power of the influence.” – EGW

Thank you for believing in this movement.
Thank you for standing with bold believers.
Thank you for helping spread the fire.

With gratitude and conviction,

Marty Phillips
President, nPraxis