Hello everyone, I am Qiran. I stand here today to share with you God’s work in my life and to welcome my future baptism.
Before believing in the Lord, I relied on worldly things to sustain my life. Whether it was playing, studying, or working, these things seemed to fill my time, but they couldn’t fill my heart. I often pondered the meaning of life, but the meaning constantly shifted and fluctuated with circumstances and successes and failures.
I admit that I was weak in the past. As a child, I was inherently weak. Growing up, my parents were my support; I needed to rely on my family. However, my family couldn’t solve all my life’s problems. As I grew older, I gradually understood that family members are not omnipotent; they also have their own weaknesses and difficulties. Whenever life presented challenges, I could only rely on my own will to face them, but relying solely on myself wasn’t enough; I didn’t know how to rely on others.
I also admit that I was empty and anxious in the past. My life was filled with trivial matters; I was pushed along by the expectations of others and external information, often numbing myself with fleeting pleasures, but in the quiet of the night, the emptiness would return. Like a small boat adrift on the waves, I didn’t know where to sail. My life was filled with pleasure and selfish desires. The more I tried to control, the less I realized I could; the more I tried to prove myself, the less peace I found within.
In the past, I was arrogant. I thought I understood many principles. I loved to argue, wanting to prove myself right by winning. I believed that hard work could change my destiny, so I attributed glory to myself and failure to others. I thought everything I had was earned by myself. I refused to admit my sins and was unwilling to repent.
Eight years ago, one day, I was eating in the school cafeteria when someone sat next to me and chatted with me. He shared God’s word with me and gave me a copy of the Bible. I didn’t quite understand it at the time, and I didn’t immediately change, but that moment was like a seed planted in my heart. Later, on confused nights, I occasionally opened that Bible, but I still couldn’t understand it. Now I know that the Lord had already paved the way in my heart; I just didn’t know Him then.
Time flies, and under the Lord’s guidance, I arrived in a foreign land. In March 2025, I happened to meet some students sharing the gospel. Their faith, joy, and sincerity touched me. They were willing to spend time listening to me and invited me to their meetings. Over three days, I heard the gospel more clearly for the first time there. I received my first King James Version Bible.
A brother led me in Bible reading and prayer. He told me that he used to think he would definitely go to heaven and be saved, that he needed to serve, have good character, and help others. He thought this would move God. But he later understood that no one can be righteous on their own. Even if we have some obedience and good deeds, without true faith, we still cannot be saved. Conversely, even if we have sinned, as long as we repent and turn to the Lord, the Lord will forgive us, because as long as we return to the Lord’s side, we can be forgiven, and our sins can be forgiven.
After the meeting, he asked me, “Do you now believe that Jesus Christ is your Savior?” I answered that I did. He then asked me, “Do you believe that you will have eternal life?” I answered that I believe, and through the salvation of Jesus Christ, I have the hope of eternal life. At that moment, I knew I had left the path of self-centeredness and truly submitted to and trusted in the Lord.
From that moment on, I knew I had become a true believer. Even after believing, I still experience weakness, but I begin to experience the Lord’s true renewal.
After accepting the Gospel, I felt a peace I had never known before, like a child finally finding their home. I felt joy because I no longer relied on myself, but on the Lord’s grace and upliftment. The Lord could give me strength; I no longer felt weak. I only needed to obey and rely on the Lord. The Lord gave me direction; the path ahead of me was paved by the Lord. My goal was no longer for myself, but to glorify the Lord. I could face the difficulties ahead with equanimity. Confusion and anxiety no longer dominated me. The Lord humbled me; I no longer felt proud. I knew that my life did not appear by chance from the dust; everything in my life was the Lord’s creation and gift. I no longer attributed everything to myself, and I learned to seek harmony rather than competition in relationships. In the past, I tried to bear pressure alone or escape it through various means; now, I am willing to stop and pour out my heart to the Lord, asking Him to illuminate the sin within me and give me a repentant heart.
Today, I stand here to receive baptism, a sign of my public confession and commitment to following the Lord. It is because I am willing to publicly acknowledge that I belong to Jesus Christ and to die and rise again with Him. Baptism is not the end, but the beginning of obedience.
May the Lord help me to frequently read the Bible and pray in my future life, to continually repent, to learn holiness, to be honest in my work, gentle in my relationships, and willing to sacrifice myself and take responsibility in my future family. I also ask brothers and sisters to pray for me, that I may hold fast to the Lord in my weakness until the day I see His face.
Thank you for listening. May all glory be to God.
January 18, 2026