‘I see God’s hand over my life’

Mona-lisa Mpofu (Prescot) shares how she maintains a committed relationship with God through prayer.

I grew up in a Christian home, so becoming a Christian for me was more of ‘train up a child in the way they should go and when they are old, they will not depart from it’. Nevertheless, I made a conscious decision to become a Christian on 12 December 1998 and gave my life to Christ.

I remember walking up to the altar and thinking: ‘Does this even make sense as I am sure everybody thinks I am saved already? After all, I have been coming to this church for years now.’ However, I knew that being born to Christian parents did not necessarily make me a Christian and I needed to understand what it meant for myself.

I became involved with The Salvation Army through my marriage. My husband comes from a family of soldiers; my mother-in-law is a retired corps sergeant-major and my sister-in-law is a captain. Where I come from in Zimbabwe, when you marry it is expected and encouraged that you join your husband’s church. I must say, I have found a lovely home at Prescot Corps.

I have grown in my Christian walk and my understanding of who God is and who I am as his child. I know that God is my Father, loves me unconditionally and, if necessary, will chastise me to get back into line. I know that a relationship with God, like any other, is reciprocal and I need to put in my bit with him to maintain or grow that relationship. I can’t just disappear on God when I like and only turn up when I need him.

God created me to praise him and I should do that constantly. One verse that I was taught by my pastor back home in Zimbabwe is Isaiah 43:21: ‘The people I formed for myself will declare my praise’ (Christian Standard Bible). Similarly, in Luke 18:1–8, Jesus says his disciples ought to always pray and I know that prayer builds my relationship with God.

I see God’s hand over my life every day. I have testimonies too many to mention, but when God says, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you’ (Joshua 1:5), I understand what that means because I experience it daily. Just being alive every day is a precious gift.

I am grateful to God for my husband and children, my extended family, my church family and my friends. My husband and I had our marriage blessed in church two months ago. Through our corps officers Majors Bryn and Lyn Hargreaves, as well as the whole corps family, we witnessed God and his love in action. Everyone went above and beyond to make sure the day was beautiful and memorable. This brings me to Ephesians 3:20: God is able ‘to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine’.