Faith is a journey, not a destination. It’s a path that winds through life’s ups and downs, shaped by experiences, relationships, and revelations. Recently, I had the privilege of sitting down with a dear friend (Marta Walkowska) who shared her story of faith – a journey marked by questioning, struggle, and ultimately, transformation. From her childhood in a traditional Catholic home to her discovery of a personal relationship with God, her story is one of hope, redemption, and the power of faith. Here’s her story below and I hope it encourages you today and always.
Q: How was growing up like for you?
A: I grew up in a Catholic religious home. It was more about keeping up appearances than being truly spiritual. From what I observed, it felt more like a religious routine than a relationship with God. My dad was both an alcoholic and a workaholic, and my mum was quite emotionally distant. Because of that, I felt close to God from a young age. Since I wasn’t close to my parents, I would talk to Him. I knew He existed—when I was a little girl, I had frequent scary dreams about demons and evil spirits. My grandmother taught me a prayer of protection, and once I started saying it, those dreams completely stopped. That’s how I knew, very early on, that God is real, that He listens to our prayers, and that His hand was on me.
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Q: You said you grew up in a Catholic Church, so what was it like later down in your life, like your teenage years and early adulthood?
A: In the Catholic Church I attended, they didn’t really follow the Bible. There were many unbiblical practices like confessing your sins to a priest—and the priest asking for forgiveness on your behalf, praying to Mary, and praying to saints instead of directly to Jesus. Mary was portrayed as the main link to God, and her pictures and statues were everywhere. It often felt like she was more important than Jesus. Growing up in Poland, it felt like a forced religion. I hadn’t read the Bible in my childhood, but deep down, I knew it was God’s word.
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Q: How did you then find the truth? Did you read the Bible on your own, listen to a sermon, or read a book?
A: Before that, I became quite rebellious in my teenage years. I pulled away from both my parents and God. I felt like God wasn’t listening anymore. In that broken place, I even prayed to the devil for a boyfriend and listed all the traits I wanted—and I got someone who matched everything on that list. That relationship led me down a very dark path. We were together for seven years before breaking up. During that time, I had a dream about Jesus. I didn’t see His face, but I knew it was Him. He had such a calm presence and shone so brightly. He radiated warmth and love, and He said to me, “One day you will come to me.” I didn’t want Him to leave or to wake up because it felt so beautiful. But when I woke up, I didn’t think much about it, as I was still far from God at that time.
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Q: So what happened then?
A: A year later, I met my now ex-husband. Around that time, a friend of mine had found Jesus and began praying for me. One weekend, we visited her, and she couldn’t stop talking about Jesus and the gospel. She spoke about healing, Christian conferences, and so much more. It was overwhelming, and I honestly thought she had gone a bit crazy. There was a Bible in the room, and I even felt a strange evil urge to destroy it. But a seed was planted. I started reflecting on everything she said and began to think of Jesus as real—not just a symbol or story.
She told me she had done her duty by sharing the truth and that the choice was now mine. She said that if she didn’t tell me, my blood would be on her hands. That stuck with me. I began researching—Is Jesus real? Who wrote the Bible? Is it truly from God? The more I discovered, the more I believed Jesus is real and that the Bible is true.
I ordered my first Bible, but I couldn’t understand it at first. She encouraged me to pray for the Holy Spirit’s guidance as I read. I did, and I couldn’t stop reading—the words began to make sense. She told me to start with the New Testament, and that’s where I began. Reading about Jesus opened my eyes. In the Catholic Church I attended, Jesus is sometimes portrayed as weak—still on the cross or in Mary’s arms. That’s not how I saw Him, but the focus on Mary and her intercession made it feel that way. Reading Scripture showed me how powerful and strong Jesus truly is, and it honestly surprised me.
At that time, I still had personal struggles. I was emotionally abusive toward my husband because of fear of abandonment and other issues. I would test his love and loyalty in unhealthy ways. But I changed so drastically within a short time, that he started to believe in God too.
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Q: Did he then become a Christian through that?
A: He followed the steps, yes. But honestly, at this point, I’m not sure. I don’t know if he truly accepted the Holy Spirit.
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Q: When you became a dedicated Christian, did you look for a Bible-believing church?
A: I didn’t know other kinds of churches even existed. I thought it was just me, my friend, and the lady who had shared the gospel with her. In Poland, it was a very homogeneous society—mostly Catholic churches and Jehovah’s Witnesses.
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Q: So was it when you came to England you joined other churches?
A: No, I joined my first evangelical church in Poland, although at first, I didn’t even know they existed. I once attended a conference with my friends and had to collect the ticket from a local church. The love I felt there was overwhelming. The Bible says we’ll recognize true believers by their love, and that’s exactly what I experienced. I decided to stay. Later, I discovered more churches and eventually moved to England.
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Q: How has your walk with God been for you? Obviously, there would be ups and downs. Do you still have doubts?
A: No, I don’t have doubts anymore. In the beginning, Satan tried to make me doubt my salvation and faith. As we grow, the enemy changes his tactics—even trying to deceive us into thinking something is from the Holy Spirit when it’s not. At the beginning of this year, and in past years too, I felt spiritually strong and confident. My friend and I fasted and prayed, but then temptations started coming. It was clear that as we became stronger spiritually, the enemy increased his attacks.
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Q: When we are trying to grow in God, we usually have more oppositions. So, how has the walk with God been? Has the word of God given you hope, joy, and life?
A: Absolutely. We all have ups and downs, and we do mess up because we’re not perfect. But when we come to God and ask for peace, He’s always there. Even though there might be consequences for our actions, God still gives us His divine peace.
“Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,”
Romans 5:1 NIV
Q: Yes, even when we fail, it’s about our heart and also we coming back to God. I mean, see David in the Bible—despite his shortcomings, he was called ‘a man after God’s heart.’ Everyone has their own struggles: for someone, it’s anger; for another, it’s lust; for another, jealousy or pride, and so on.
A: Yes, exactly.
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Q: What’s your advice for someone who doesn’t believe in God or has been brainwashed by something other than the truth of God’s word—or maybe an atheist?
A: For nonbelievers, I’d say—just try to believe. It costs you nothing. If you pray and accept Jesus, asking Him to reveal Himself to you, and nothing happens (though I know something will), you lose nothing. But if God is real and everything in the Bible is true, then you gain everything. You’ll receive the fruit of the Spirit—peace, joy, love, self-control. You’ll feel peace even in the middle of hardship. In today’s world, where so many suffer from mental health struggles, surrendering to God brings wisdom, compassion, kindness, and peace. When you love yourself through God’s love, you’re able to love and be kind to others.
For believers, I’d say: obey the promptings of the Holy Spirit. God speaks to us and knows what’s best. Sometimes He says “no” to something we think we need—but we have to trust that He sees the full picture.
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Interviewer: Thank you so much for your time. God bless you.
Thank you so much for reading this today. If this blessed you, please share with someone.
Would you love to share your story to encourage others? Please click here fill in the form and you would be contacted.
Prayer: Dear God, thank you for the hope found in Christ, amen.
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