A Family in gaza encounters Jesus

Day 28: A Family in Gaza Encounters Jesus

The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.  John 1:14

*Reza, his wife *Nafeesa, and their five children were fast asleep in their home in Gaza when the first explosions shattered the night. The sky flashed with fire, and the ground trembled beneath them. Then, without warning, a deafening blast struck their building. In an instant, their home collapsed, burying them beneath a mountain of concrete and twisted metal.

Darkness swallowed them. Dust filled their lungs. The weight of the rubble pressed against their bodies. Somewhere in the blackness, the children cried—terrified, gasping, calling for their parents. Nafeesa, fighting panic, whispered desperate prayers into the suffocating silence, begging God for a miracle.

Minutes stretched into hours. Hours blurred into days. Five days and five nights passed in that darkness—no food, no water, no way out. Only a small pocket of air kept them alive. Hope flickered like a dying flame.

Then, faintly at first, they heard voices. Scraping. Shouting. The clatter of stone being moved. A thin beam of light finally pierced the darkness. Rescuers were digging toward them. One by one, dusty hands reached in and pulled Reza, Nafeesa, and each child from the ruins—bruised, trembling, blinded by daylight… but alive.

Everyone who saw them was stunned. How could a whole family survive five days buried beneath rubble?

With tears streaming down her dust-stained face, Nafeesa explained.  “A man in a shining white robe came to us more than once,” she said. “He brought us water and food. I asked his name. He answered, ‘I am Isa, al-Masih.’”

They were devout Muslims. They had never met a Christian nor read the gospel. Yet under the ruins, they encountered Jesus Himself. Now, after surviving the unthinkable, Reza and Nafeesa say they have found the truth—the One who stayed with them in the darkness and brought them into the light.

*pseudonym

HOW CAN WE PRAY 

• Pray for protection and safety: Ask God to shield families from violence, destruction, and harm, and to provide comfort and peace amid ongoing conflict.
• Pray for spiritual encounters: Lift up Muslims in Gaza to experience God’s presence through dreams, visions, Scripture, or an encounter with Jesus Himself just as Reza’s family did.
• Pray for provision and hope: Many face shortages of food, water, and basic necessities. Pray that God would provide for their physical and emotional needs.
• Pray for peace and reconciliation: Pray for hearts to heal from trauma, for communities to find forgiveness, and for a spirit of reconciliation to replace cycles of fear and revenge.
• Pray for new believers and discipleship: Ask God to strengthen those who come to faith in Jesus, giving them courage, understanding, and supportive communities despite persecution.