THE PRODIGAL DAUGHTER RETURNS-My Early Life
My name is Shivon Jackie Biryahwaho and I’m 36 years old. I currently live in Uganda in a place called Namugongo and this is my story of how the prodigal daughter returns. I am the last born with my mum and the second born with my dad because he married another woman. I grew up with my mum and she introduced me to salvation at an early age of 3 or 4 years old. A pastor came home to visit my mum and he led my mum and my siblings into confessing Jesus Christ as our personal savior. At this age I didn’t understand much what this really meant. I was only obeying mum’s instructions. Later when I joined secondary school at the age of 13, I was drawn to the things of God and loved worshiping and praying. I found myself joining scripture union at the age of 16 and seeking God with a group of friends. I always looked forward to Sundays when we would spend long hours in the chapel.
MY TEENAGE LIFE/EXPIERENCE
Though I loved Jesus, I was met with worldly temptations. I got involved with boys and I loved music so much so the school would bring dances and I never missed out on the fun. Because of peer pressure I made the wrong decisions and started drinking and having sex at the age of 19. But through all this I never stopped praying or going to church because everyone in church did the same. I saw no wrong in what I was doing. I loved Jesus because I knew he could give me the good life I wanted, so I sought God not because I loved him genuinely but I loved what he could give me. So when I didn’t get this I looked for it from the men I dated.
MY ADULT LIFE
My dad passed on before I joined campus in 2005. During my first year at campus, my mum couldn’t pay my tuition anymore so I looked for a job to help me pay as I worked. Before I completed my first year, I met the father of my 2 children, I always wanted to settle down in a home so that I wouldn’t be like my mum (a single parent) so I left campus when I became pregnant with my first daughter. All the promises he had made turned out to be lies. He was a serial womanizer and I used to take care of 80% of the bills. He got into so much debt which also became my debt. I borrowed to help him and then I also became indebted. It was terrible. I lost my job because of debts. I cried to God to help me change him or remove him from my life if he wasn’t meant to be my husband. He left me and married another woman while I was pregnant with my second son. I saw this as answered prayer since all he gave me was pain.
When we separated I returned to my mum’s home which was an embarrassment so I encountered severe depression. I wanted to abort the child. But through counseling and prayers, I got deliverance. Got blessed me with another good job and it helped me take care of my children and mum.
MY WALK WITHOUT GOD
Deep down I have always been attracted to the supernatural realm and I liked watching Sid Roth’s television program. So because of my passion, I thought every pastor that prophesied was actually genuine. This landed me in a church of a false prophet. On the outside he worshiped and fasted for days on mountains, at lakes, and in caves. I sowed my brand new car into the ministry to help grow God’s work. I gave so much into this ministry and the false pastor got attracted to me. I accepted and we started dating however along the way, I realized my life and finances were going down. I used to get dreams of walking in dirty water but I was so naïve in these things I had no clue about everything going on. I was seeking God because I wanted him to bless me with a good marriage so I remained very young spiritually. The closer I got to this pastor, I realized he was full of lies and he liked being around many women. Later I discovered he had many girlfriends in church and other women. I was so heartbroken and depressed that I totally backslid and left God in 2015.
This pain pushed me to another wrong decision, I left my mum’s home with my children and rented a home. I started partying and drinking and dating married men. I didn’t want single men in my life. In 2018, I started to miss the fellowship I used to have with the Holy Spirit. I started to hate what I was doing, and hating the man I was dating, but I didn’t have the strength to leave him or the life I led. I knelt down and said a prayer to GOD and asked him to rescue me from the life I was leading.
THE PRODIGAL DAUGHTER RETURNS
Weeks after praying to God, everything started to go wrong. I just found myself resigning a well-paying job. I had acquired many debts at this time worth 200 million ugx (60,000 USD) and many people were looking to arrest me. I was desperate for help but no one could help me at this time. I wanted to commit suicide. I called my pastor who is also my spiritual mother, I told her if she didn’t come to my home I was going to be dead in two hours. I hadn’t spoken to her for two years. She was in shock. She drove hurriedly to my home. Before she came, I vowed to God that if he could save me from prison and help me pay these debts, I would seek him genuinely and give him my life completely.
God heard my cry and he saved me miraculously in a mighty way. The people who came to imprison me the next day, instead a case was opened against them by someone else and they paid my debt by mistake in a rush to save themselves. It was the saving grace of God I encountered that day. Since then he has helped me pay many other debts miraculously yet without a job. The Holy Spirit led me to start a clearing and forwarding business which brings in income that takes care of my children and home and also gives me room to seek God wholeheartedly. I now walk with God daily in my life and I have grown spiritually.
Because of the love the Lord showed me despite my previous evil ways, the Lord saved me from drinking and sleeping around with multiple partners. He saved me from numerous accidents and he also saved me from many people including family members that wanted to kill me through witchcraft.
God’s love and mercy humbled me and made me want to know more about Jesus who forgives and keeps no record of sin. He stretched his loving hands to his prodigal daughter. Since December 2018, I started to pursue a serious relationship with God and to know the purpose for my creation. Many pastors had always told me I have a great call to serve God and that he was going to use me to bring back the lost.
I came across CLI on a Facebook platform and I was drawn to join because it was free. I had tried to join many ministry programs but I couldn’t sustain paying tuition. So after I signed up for CLI, I then began doing evangelism here with my pastor. But the Lord put a great urge to resume studying and this why I’m now here. I desire to learn and grow more in my walk with the Lord.
There are so many false pastors and prophets misguiding many Christians in Uganda, especially on false doctrine. It’s my passion and desire to teach many about Jesus Christ and his saving grace that is free of charge. No need to pay to get a miracle, as it’s preached in Uganda.
Because of the unfailing love and mercy, I want to extend that love to many desperate to know God and seeking his mercy. But I want to do this right with proper training and equipping which I believe I am getting from CLI. Psalms 32:8 NLT (The Lord says, “I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you.”) I have learned to trust the Lord daily for his direction and be patient with him and I know this ministry training is also part of my journey.
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