Connected in Prayer: A Boy and an Awana Leader

Egypt

She was spread way too thin. She was one person, after all. As much as Jacklin, an Awana club leader at a church in Egypt, loved leading the club every week and felt like she was missing out if she couldn’t be there, this week, she really needed someone to step in and take over for her. But she had exhausted her phone list. Everyone was either unavailable or unreachable.

Leaving the kids unsupervised was not an option. So Jacklin did the only other thing she knew to do: pray. Seeing the opportunity for the kids to learn what it meant to put prayer into action, she looked at a shy young man named Karim and said, “Karim, you pray for me and I’ll pray for you.”

And something extraordinary happened. As a 7th grader in an Awana discipleship program, Karim had always been quiet and unsure of himself. But in that moment, when Jacklin needed him, he overcame his shyness, bowed his head, closed his dark eyes and prayed aloud with moving sincerity.

“That day, I was certain Karim was filled with the Holy Spirit,” Jacklin recalls. “He prayed exactly what was on my heart.”

A spark was lit in Karim that day, and since then, he has grown in ways Jacklin could only have hoped for. While he may still have a shy way about him, he’s become a bold follower of Jesus. He’s someone others look to for guidance and support.

“At church, I’ve made a lot of friends. I listen to their problems, and I want to help,” Karim says. “I want to be a minister one day, to teach people the Word of God.”

Karim’s newfound confidence is a powerful testament to the impact a supportive faith community can have on a young life. Through Awana, children like Karim are engaging with the Bible, growing in faith and stepping into their God-given purposes — and everyone around them is better for it.