Pastor Obed Rauf
“Give thanks to the LORD, call on his name; make known among the Nations what he has done” 1 Chronicles 16:8
My name is Pastor Obed Rauf from Lahore, Pakistan. I was born May 24, 1975 in Lahore. My two brothers, one sister, and I grew up in a Christian home. Very early in life God had given a ministry calling to my father; and, he has been working as a full-time minister since 1968. At home my mother taught us bible stories and principles. As a family we celebrate regularly at church and participate in church activities and service.
When I was born God told my father, “This boy will preach the Gospel and will be My servant. You are to give him the name OBED which means “a servant of God”.
As I grew up God tried to talk to me differently; but, I could not understand His power and authority. When I was in F.A (the 12th grade) I was keen to study books; and, I started reading a book called “Successful Christian Life” by Dr. David Yonggi-Cho from Korea. However, I never experienced personally God’s power and authority in my life. I went church and lived in a spiritual and Christian family; but, I didn’t have any of God’s work into my life. When I read the book, it became my life. All the time I spent thinking about the experiences that Dr. David had shared in the book. Finally, I started experiencing the life that the author had described in the book. I told myself that if this author is really accurate and truthful and if God is really in this universe, then He will respond to me and I will believe in Him.
At that time in my life I was passionate and really crazy about making music and singing. In the beginning of my music days I didn’t have any musical instrument. So, it was really difficult to practice the keyboard, because I didn’t have one. This led me to consider asking in prayer for a keyboard (a musical instrument). Dr. David Yongii-Cho said that if you have any desire you can simply present it before of God; and, you will become pregnant with this request and at a specific time it will appear.
So, I started praying for my keyboard and I prayed daily. Finally after eight months of prayers, my father gave a beautiful keyboard as a gift on my birthday. I knew it was God’s answer because I had not shared anything about this desire to anyone in my family. That was the first miracle in my life and I felt certain that there is really a God who is available and answers when we present any requests to Him.
Gradually my life took a U turn. I was so sick in my early age. I didn’t know why my life was troubled in this way and I was the sickest person in my whole family. Once I was terribly sick and had piles. After suffering for almost a year, I started praying to God since I had experienced God as my only Healer. He is able. I requested to God, and I went to one doctor He gave me medicine for only on week, it was really miracle because I was healed after a week. It was really amazing for me because I visited so many doctors for that issue; but, God told me Obed go to this particular doctor. Praise God that He healed me!
This was the start of my trust in my God. God built my trust … with His experiences.
The day of the Darkness:
I was really sick one summer day in July 1996. My family was not particularly worried and didn’t give much attention thinking that it was just a routine bad throat. I went to the doctor as an outpatient and he gave me just simple medicine. It didn’t work. Gradually time passes but my cough didn’t stop. I tried many doctors and Hakeems (ayurwadiks) but nothing worked. Finally one night was so terrible … it was really difficult to breathe and to sleep. I went to the doctor again and after the examination he told me, “You have very severe asthma. You would be dead maybe after 10 years. Your life will not be so long.” When I was on my way home, I started crying and became so depressed. I was put on continuous medication. The prescription was three doses regularly and it was so clumsy. They gave me steroids; however, all the medications didn’t ever work.
Finally after two year of harsh medication and depression, I remembered God’s promises and His experiences/testimonies that I already had in my past life. December 31.1999, I made a New Year’s resolution: I told myself that I have tried every medicine for asthma, but it didn’t work at all, WHY NOT TRY JESUS THIS TIME. That was the crucial moment. I made a resolution that I would start my prayer life, and I would put my health condition into my prayers. I didn’t have time to pray the entire day because at that time I worked in a school as a teacher. And additional teaching provided funds that I used for home tuition for earning more. So, I decided that I would pray in the night. I was so keen to sleep, I told to God, “I will disturb my sleep life to try to take God’s attention.” I told Holy Sprit if He will get me up in middle of the night, I will pray.
Every night had developed my relationship with God. God spoke with me on different issues of my life, and He also told me that, “Obed, you have to serve me”. I denied many time to serve God, because I never wanted to be a priest ever.
After a long time in prayer, in May 2000 God miraculously healed me through one of His spirit-filled men. It was the first time I saw such a great power of God. It came into me and I felt a great demonic power come out of me. THAT WAS THE DAY OF MY DELIVERANCE! I threw all of my medicine into the toilet and all I broke all of my inhalers with hammer. It was the first time I slept with peace and rest after a very long time.
The Day When The Fight Started:
I was not so strong in faith and scriptures; and, I was not engaged in such a spiritual warfare. Devil started combat with me with fear and depression after my healing. Every night was so full of fear that I could not sleep whole of the night. “TERRIBLE NIGHTS” I prayed every day but God everyday told me, “Trust me. I am with you. TRUST ME.” But, I could not. It was just like God put me in the center of big ocean and told come to the beach by yourself.
I thank God that He was with me even in darkest nights and even when I didn’t sleep. He was with me even when I thought, “GOD, WHERE ARE YOU?”
Then my brother, Javed and I started JCTV in April 2004. God used me as a technical consultant and worker. I am studio Incharge and director marketing of JCTV (Jesus Christ Television) Pakistan.
In October of 2008 God told me that He would use me in preaching the Gospel. And I did start preaching the Gospel of my Lord Jesus in October 2010 on television. I preached in Seminars and Christian Conventions; however, being on television was my first experience. God has blessed thousands of people through my TV program RAH-E-AMAL (a way that we have to follow), now God is leading me into the discipleship training program, because I already have two diplomas of ministries, God told me to create a bible training school for people who want to learn biblical concepts.
I started a college called City College Mission and Ministries in 2009 and I successfully ran courses for a first group of 25 students. Students made a professional approach toward the ministries after the successfully completed the course. Some have started their own ministries and some have been praying for the ministry. October 2011 another batch of almost 25 students started courses and I believe God is helping me in this great work.
I know that I have been still fighting with my enemy (Devil); but, God gave me a key to success this time. It is His word! And He trained me how to fight with devil and acquire the victory. He also trained me how to place my trust in God. I believe that He will move me greatly into ministry for His grace.
I remember the day when my spiritual life started in August 1987 when I got water baptism and the year after God anointed me with His power and I got baptism in Holy Spirit
Now I pray for sick people and they are healed. People come to my meetings and they experience blessings, faith, salvation, healing and the glory of God. Praise God that He has been using me in the hard land of Pakistan.
I love my Savior, Jesus Christ.
Amen
