In the Tondiraba Arena in Tallinn, Estonia, swells of the ancient hymn, “Great is Thy Faithfulness,” filled the space during first night of the Time of Hope Festival with Will Graham.
Singer Aaron Shust began to sing the familiar lyrics and a chorus of 5,000 Estonians joined in their own language. As he repeated the refrain, a man stood, wiping away tears. Enoch, who has been a Christian for 55 years, was in awe of God’s faithfulness throughout the decades.
“Old hymns are so powerful,” he said. “I’m so thankful for God’s working among us.”
Enoch is a part of the history of faith in Estonia, a northern European country smaller than the size of West Virginia. In 2009, Franklin Graham preached the Gospel there and Enoch was a member of the prayer team. Before that, Billy Graham preached during the tense Cold War in 1984.
A few days before Saturday’s event, Will Graham entered St. Olaf’s Church, the historic chapel where his grandfather proclaimed the same message he would preach later in the week. Overcome with emotion, he sat in the back pew, taking in the moment: Tallinn is one of a few cities where all three generations of Grahams have spoken.
“Only faith in Jesus Christ and what He did on the cross will save us,” he emphasised Saturday. “It’s Jesus and Him alone.”
“You may be a Christian here tonight,” Graham said, “but there’s times where you tell God, ‘No, I’m not going to do that.’”
Sophia* had been telling God “no” for eight years, going to church but not committing to fully follow Christ. Dasha, a prayer counsellor, spoke with Sophia and her mother, who had been praying for her teenage daughter.
Together, the women prayed as Sophia decided to finally surrender and begin a relationship with Christ.
“It was such a powerful moment,” Dasha said. “She was really grateful.”
Thousands in the arena had the opportunity to have that same life-changing moment as Sophia. Graham told the crowd that they were at a pivotal moment in their relationship with God.
As he shared the story of Pontius Pilate and the trial of Jesus, Graham explained, “Pilate would ask one of the most important questions in human history. It’s a question you will have to answer here tonight: ‘What now shall I do with Jesus?’”
After pausing, he asked the crowd, “Are you going to believe in Him or are you going to reject Him?”
Asya chose belief.
At the front of the arena, she stood arm and arm with her cousin Alexander, smiling widely. Asya just moved to Tallinn and felt lost being away from home. At least she had Alexander, the cousin who continued praying for her. He served as a prayer counsellor at the Festival and was floored when Asya decided to walk down to the front and accept Christ.
Alexander followed behind her, unsure of what was going on in her heart. When she prayed to receive Jesus Christ, he joyfully handed her discipleship materials and a Bible that new believers received at the end of the night.
“I was shocked. I didn’t expect that,” Alexander said with a laugh, telling the story of seeing his cousin respond to the Gospel. Asya corrected him, “You didn’t expect it, but you brought me a Bible?”
They both came away encouraged with a new faith in God’s changing work.
“If you say yes to Jesus, then you’ll experience one of the greatest things in the world,” Graham explained to the crowd. “Your guilt and your burdens will be gone. You’ll have the living God in your heart. He’ll help guide you in this life.”
Estonians desperately need this guidance. When Billy Graham preached here 40 years ago, Soviet opposition to Christianity was fierce. Bibles had to be smuggled into the country, and Christianity was often mocked by propaganda.
When Franklin Graham preached in the city in 2009, the economy was suffering in the recession, with unemployment rising to 14%. Today, Estonians face elections that could rapidly change their city.
Whatever the future holds, Graham assured over 300 Estonians who came forward that they’d just made the most important decision of their lives—one that can bring everlasting joy and peace.
“You’ll never be disappointed with Jesus Christ,” he said.
*Name changed for privacy
Please pray for new believers as they connect with local churches and grow in their faith.
