Satveer’s testimony: Sikhism, spiritual searching, signs and finding Jesus.
Issue 5, September 2025Hi, I’m Satveer! I became a Christian last year and was baptised in February this year. I love the outdoors - the trees, the ocean, the wind and the rain bring me so much joy. Being in nature reminds me of God’s beauty and presence.
I grew up in a Sikh household in India, mostly raised by my very devout grandparents. I followed their lead, waking up at 5am to go to the Gurudwara, and reading the Sikh scriptures every morning, evening, and whenever I could.
But things changed when I moved to New Zealand. I slowly lost touch with my culture as I tried to learn English, make friends, and fit into Kiwi life. Around age 11 or 12, I started noticing hypocrisy in what I had once believed, and I drifted away - not just from Sikhism, but from my sense of identity too. For years, I bounced between being agnostic and an atheist. I tried returning to Sikhism, but I couldn’t connect with it anymore.
In 2024, I started studying at the University of Auckland, having graduated a year early. Most of my friends were still in high school, and I entered university feeling very alone. I missed having a sense of community.
During club sign-ups, I signed up for almost every club I had even a little interest in, just trying to make friends. That’s how I stumbled upon Student Life. Honestly, I signed up just to get the free cup that came with the survey. But a week later, I got a message from someone named Dana, inviting me to catch up. I was desperate for friends, so I said yes.
Dana brought along another person, Charlotte, and that’s how my Christian journey began. At first, I studied the Bible with them thinking, “God doesn’t exist, and Jesus never even claimed to be God—Christianity can’t be true.”
Oh, how wrong I was! Dana and Charlotte welcomed all my questions, answered them with scripture, and were honest when they didn’t know something, which I deeply respected. They weren’t trying to “sell” me the religion but encouraged me to seek Jesus for myself.
Slowly, I became curious about Christianity and began looking forward to those Bible studies. As I got closer to other Christians, the faith started to make sense. I realised I was a sinner in need of a Saviour.
Then came a tough week. Exams, work stress, family stuff - it was all too much. One night, I was so anxious I couldn’t sleep. I tried everything: watching TV, scrolling on Instagram, showering, playing with my cats... nothing helped. Then I thought, “What does the Bible say about this?” I didn’t know how to read the Bible properly yet, so I simply just opened a random page. God knew I needed Him at that moment. The Bible opened to John 20:19. It was a verse where Jesus was telling His disciples “Peace be with you” in red letters.
At that moment, my body just became numb. My shoulders slumped, the tension in my jaw left and my heartbeat calmed. I fell asleep within seconds. It happened again, three different times.
I started to wonder if it was just the way the Bible was creased, and if all of this was just a fluke. So, I tested the theory, and landed on John 4:48: “Will you never believe in me unless you see miraculous signs and wonders?” At that moment I knew God was real.
Even then, I wasn’t sure about Jesus. So, I prayed - really prayed - for the first time. I said, “God, I know You’re real. But I don’t know if Jesus is. If Jesus is the only way to You, and who the Bible says He is, then show me. Give me a flower. I don’t know how, but give me a sign through a flower.”
Weeks passed and I forgot I had even prayed that. One Friday night I was at my part-time job, just doing my thing and preparing to close the store, when two women walked by, then turned back an looked directly at me. I thought it was a bit creepy and continued with what I was doing. They came in and asked, “Can I pray peace over you?” I froze. Peace? That was exactly what God had already done for me in those sleepless nights. So, we prayed. Then I noticed one of the women was wearing... flower earrings. That was it. I couldn’t deny it anymore. God had heard my prayer and answered it.
But I was still overwhelmed. I went home in denial, unable to believe what had just happened. I kept learning about Jesus. Reading the Bible, diving into apologetics, watching testimonies, and praying. I wanted to believe, but I still doubted.
Throughout 2024, God gave me nine supernatural signs, the first being when Jesus gave me peace. One night in December, I was driving home from Pak’nSave praying, “Lord, Jesus is becoming too real to me. I don’t know what to do anymore. Tell me what You want from me.”
I stopped at a red light, and noticed that the car in front of me had John 15:8 written on the back. When I got home, I looked it up: “This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.” That phrase “be my disciple” stuck with me. God had answered me yet again.
A few days later, I gave my life to Christ. Since then, I’ve been trying to live out that calling: Be my disciple. I’m not perfect - not even close. I’m still learning, still being mentored, and still holding fast to Jesus as He leads me.
In these few months of walking with Him, God has begun to heal deep wounds from my past. He has been my strength through the hardest moments of my life. He is my friend. My protector. My wonderful counsellor. My Prince of Peace. My Everlasting Father. He is my God Almighty.
The John 4:48 scripture quotation is taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.