Cess Gabuya trusted God to fulfill a promise for her family. Here’s a story of how the Lord works in turning dreams into realities.

In a prayer meeting during the fasting week of 2017, I saw a wall that encouraged people to draw their dream. As I thought about what to draw, I started to dream about the salvation of my family and claimed God’s promise for my situation.

And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.” (Acts 16:31, ESV)

A few weeks after the fast, I found out that my younger brother who studies at Philippine Christian University, was invited to church through his student teacher! He attended a talent development workshop in Victory Malate, which led to him having a relationship with Jesus and becoming a part of a Victory group. On the third quarter of 2017, he experienced Victory Weekend and got baptized! It was an answered prayer!

As all these encouraging milestones happened in my brother’s life, I started to invite my mom to worship services and other activities in church. One day, as my mom and I were having a conversation in our house, I ended up sharing the gospel to her and she accepted Jesus as her Lord and Savior!

I helped my mom grow in her relationship with Him through ONE 2 ONE. We would meet regularly in a cafe to talk about the basics of following Jesus. We finished the material and my mom also had her Victory Weekend experience in the same year! She is now part of a Victory group and joyfully serves in our church community.

In January 2017, I believed God for my family’s salvation. A few months later, my mom and brother received Jesus as Lord and Savior, and they got discipled and baptized. This experience in my life taught me to pray without ceasing and to continue to trust God’s promises. I believe it’s just a matter of time for my dad and other siblings to come to know Christ too.

Ash held onto God’s Words in spite of the gravity of her sister’s situation. Be encouraged by reading her story here!

My younger sister, Ysabelle, was born with a congenital heart disease that required an operation to repair. Since we lacked funds to have her operated on at the time of her birth, we had no choice but to postpone it, taking her instead for monthly check-ups and assessments at the Philippine Heart Center.

All the while, we also tried to get help from different charities and government offices, hoping to receive support for her operation expenses. Around two years ago, I started to pray and fast for her, daring to believe God for her complete healing.

Suddenly, on August 11, 2017, the doctor said that my sister had to be admitted to the hospital immediately; she needed an operation by August 15! My family and I were shocked because our finances were not sufficient enough to cover all the hospital bills.

Despite this, our family chose to act in faith and decided to have Ysabelle admitted. We knew the value of prayer at this critical time in our family, and many of our family and friends prayed with us while the operation was ongoing.

How God came through for us! The results of our prayer and fasting were massive and immediate. After the operation, joy alone couldn’t describe what we felt when the doctor told us that it was a successful operation and that my sister’s vitals were good! We were also told that she wouldn’t have health complications anymore, and there was no maintenance needed as well! What shocked us most was the fact that the hospital bills went down from PHP 200,000 to PHP 20,000! I couldn’t help but cry in awe of how God does miraculous things in His own amazing ways.

After years of praying, fasting, and believing for a breakthrough, God healed my younger sister from a heart condition. He never left. He never let my family down. Now, my younger sister can actively play without us having to fear that she will have a heart attack. Her full recovery proved that nothing is impossible with God. Doctors can cure, but only God can truly heal.

Truly, when God utters a word or two, He is serious about it. It is written in Isaiah 55:11 (CEV),“That’s how it is with my words. They don’t return to me without doing everything I send them to do.” He’s a Man of His own Words. What He says, He does.

On January 16, 2016, I started praying for an opportunity to help my family and be a channel of blessing to our church. I didn’t want to leave my home in the Philippines but during the fast in 2016, I knew that moving to another nation was my act of obedience. It was as if God was telling me, “Go out of your comfort zone and step out in faith!”

I considered working in nations such as the United States of America, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Australia, but a surprising thing happened. An agency sent me a personal message about an opening in a Safari Park in Dubai. I was puzzled. How did they get my contact details? Is this message true and reliable?

I asked God if it was a door He opened for me. I did my research and found out that the message was valid, so I applied. By May 2016, I was scheduled for interview. I also told some friends about the opportunity to work in the same company, so they submitted their applications too. After my friends and I passed the requirements for the vacancies, everyone was hired, except me. I became very disappointed at the turn of events, but I continued to hope.

As we prayed and fast again during the mid-year of 2016, God gave me a command and promise. He strongly impressed to me to believe to go to Dubai and that He would bless me. I continued to pray with my Victory group and and seek counsel from my pastor. After many prayers and discussions, I obeyed God and drafted my resignation letter. I had many worries and fears. Little did I know that God had already provided what I needed to obey Him!

I learned that we really find favor as we pursue God’s will. When I talked about my plans with my best friend, I was surprised as he offered to pay for my flights, accommodation, pocket money, and even food to go to Dubai! God also provided for my needs to transition out of my work. Even the Chief Executive Officer of the company I used to work for supported my decision and showed concern for my welfare.

As I arrived in Dubai in the latter part of 2016 to look for work opportunities, I encountered many hurdles along the way—but I still believed. I continued to claim God’s Word when we fasted at the beginning of 2017. It took a long time of waiting and going back and forth from Dubai, but God pulled through. In May 2017, I received an unexpected call from one of the companies I applied for while I was at the airport. It turned out to be an employment offer! As I opened the e-mail explaining the details of the job opportunity, my heartbeat accelerated and tears fell from my eyes! The employment offer met almost all my faith goals for work. I immediately ran to the nearest washroom and praised God. God really never fails to amaze us as we follow Him!

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. (2 Corinthians 12:9, ESV)

When God transforms lives, He does more than just upgrade us. He makes all things new. Our lives are made new to the point that they are almost unrecognizable from the past. Tim experienced this power of God firsthand. Here is how his life was totally made new.

I used to be addicted to drugs because I found comfort and happiness in them, but the satisfaction was always short-lived and the consequences were destructive. By the grace of God, I was given a new chance to turn away from my past and walk in righteousness. I became serious in pursuing Jesus and turning away from my old ways. I joined a faith-based rehabilitation center for substance abuse named Penuel Home for two months.

By August 2016, I finished the relapse prevention program and decided to relocate to Metro Manila with my wife and one-year old daughter. We needed a fresh start by leaving our laidback life in the province of Aurora.

In our search for a new life, my family and I encountered many challenges. First, we were in lack. I was unemployed, finding a decent job was difficult for me, and my family did not have enough savings to cover our needs and emergencies. Second, we did not have a home. We could not find a house that was affordable and conducive for us to live in, so we stayed in the residence of my wife’s parents for a while. Lastly, I found myself lacking as a father. I want to be a good leader in the family and lead my child to God’s ways, but I had a hard time because I came from a broken family and I did not have a godly father growing up.

When I was left with nothing but family and faith, God showed me in 2017 that He was powerful, merciful, and generous. I remember Him using my wife to show me a verse:

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. (Romans 8:18, ESV)

At the start of 2017, God also impressed a verse in my heart as we prayed and fasted.

Instead of your shame there shall be a double portion; instead of dishonor they shall rejoice in their lot; therefore in their land they shall possess a double portion; they shall have everlasting joy. (Isaiah 61:7, ESV)

This verse assured me that the grace of God is generous enough to provide for me as I faithfully believe in His promises. From then on, I made a commitment to God to give a tenth of everything I have. God also revealed to me that I should swallow my pride and apply to work for my father-in-law’s business. This decision was a blessing in disguise for us. My new job drew our families together and helped me provide for my family.

God did not only bless us with what we need, but also gave us our hearts’ desires. I am still in awe on how we survived our financial challenges last year, which includes my wife’s second pregnancy and my daughter’s hospitalization. He even surpassed our need for a home by giving us a brand new and fully furnished condominium unit! Back then, I asked God, “Lord, I know it is your will for us to leave and cleave as a couple, and have a place we could call our own as our family, but why could we not find it now?” And a year later, He answered my question with a home of our own!

At my job, God provided unexpected clients for the business. We also had the privilege of a family vacation abroad with my in-laws! Just when we thought we received a lot, God also blessed our family with another baby who was born on my birthday. When God gives, He truly gives generously.

God also surrounded us with a loving spiritual family that helped us grow in our relationship with Him. My wife and I are now part of a Victory group. Now, He is also using me to minister to other drug dependents and those who turned back on the faith. As a father, God also gave me wisdom to parent my children. I was able to teach my daughter how to pray recently.

God truly blessed us above and beyond through the unexpected people in my life. In spite of everything, the best blessing is still His presence whether in trials or success. I felt like everyday was a gift and a new beginning.

I used to be a drug dependent who always failed in life, but God is always there not just to forgive me, but also to love and provide with me everything I need.