Discipling someone to Jesus includes far more than persuading them to make a decision. It involves relationship—long-term, often messy, always intentional. True discipleship grows out of trust, vulnerability, and willingness to let others into our lives. It’s organic, not a formula. There are no “five easy steps” to sharing the gospel. It requires prayer, perseverance, listening to God, and following His lead.
*Wes, a U.S.—based recruiter with BEYOND, recently shared a story about his friendship with *Sumon, and how God used their relationship to open unexpected doors for friendship and potential discipleship.
Wes and a friend often prayer-walk around nearby apartment complexes in their neighborhood in Arkansas. On several occasions, the Holy Spirit brought them across the path of two young men from Bangladesh—*Rafi, a Muslim, and Sumon, a Hindu. The four began playing pickleball together, and good conversations naturally followed.
A few weeks later, Wes was delivering furniture to a Bangladeshi woman who had just moved to the area for school. As he prayed about the encounter, Wes sensed the Holy Spirit urging him: “Don’t go alone—invite someone with you.” Almost immediately, Sumon came to mind. Wes called him, and to his surprise, Sumon answered right away and agreed to help.
When Wes arrived at Sumon’s apartment to pick him up, he realized the woman they were helping lived in the same complex. It was Wes’s first time visiting Sumon’s home, and as they were catching up, a woman knocked on Sumon’s door, spoke briefly with him in Bangla, and then left. Moments later, when they delivered the furniture, Wes was stunned—the woman answering the door was the very same person who had just been at Sumon’s apartment!
As it turned out, Sumon had already been helping her settle in. The Spirit had woven their stories together, guiding Wes to call the very friend who was already connected to her. Over snacks and drinks after the delivery, Wes told Sumon: “God told me to call you today. I believe He wanted you here with me. Do you have any idea why?”
Sumon replied that he wasn’t sure—but that he would ask God. Wes is eager to meet with him again and hear what God has shown him.
Pray that God would continue drawing Sumon’s heart and reveal Himself to him in a powerful and meaningful way. Pray also for the young woman who received the furniture—that she too would encounter the love of Jesus and come to know Him as Lord.
*pseudonym
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