— Written at age 20, with an epilogue twelve years later

⚠️ This testimony deals with themes of sexual temptation, pornography addiction, and spiritual struggle. It is shared with honesty and vulnerability, in the hope that it sets others free. [Disclaimer: All the images are downloaded from the internet or AI generated]

Jesus said, “You (Boham) will be my witness,” not “You will be my attorney.” God wants me to share my story with others, and I will. This is absolute truth — perhaps even too raw and revealing — no matter how strange or surprising some of it might be. It might bypass intellectual defences, leave your mouth hanging open wide, and might give you a very different view of who I really was, and who I am now.

As you read, you can decide whether you will accept Jesus or not. “Light exposes darkness.” I wrote this down when I was twenty, and I add a brief epilogue on my life now at the end. Here goes my story:

1. What My Life Was Like Before I Met Jesus

My name is Eric Ebenezer Boham and I was twenty years old when I first wrote this. I was raised in a Christian home; my father is a pastor, and both of my parents love the Lord. As a child we used to have regular family devotions — perhaps three times a week. I believed in God from my early days, yet I could not allow Him into some aspects or areas of my life.

I went to church because I was asked to go, or because my parents would ring to ask if I had gone. I learnt to play the piano and keyboard, and that became another reason for me to attend. My father knew the basics and my brother could play (he still plays really well), so I rather liked it.

Early Experiences with Temptation

I had my first kiss when I was about six or eight. Back then, children used to play “Maame ne Papa” (Mummy and Daddy), where we acted as parents. On one occasion, at a neighbour’s house, this girl — about as old as my older brother — was the “mummy” and I was the “daddy.” She kissed me and we went under the sheets to kiss some more, where she also played with my weenie. I can remember wanting to play with her so I could touch her “weenie” too.

Strangely, that incident did not lead me into a dark spiral of immorality, and I would not have my “first real kiss” until age sixteen.

The day before, I had tried to kiss a family friend of ours but she refused. My neighbour’s girlfriend came around the next day when he was away in Accra (She was jealous or hurt that he was in Accra and perhaps having fun with other girls). I had some innocence about me, and I did not really know how to kiss and all that. She asked me to close my eyes because she had a gift for me — my birthday had been a week earlier.

From that day, I did not quite have that innocence about me any more. Before then, I thought dating or having a girlfriend meant exchanging love letters — and I had written more than a dozen and received as many. This was something new, and it sent my emotions skyrocketing.

The Downward Spiral

One day I was browsing and I decided to search on YouTube for “How to kiss a girl.” This was during Form Two at GSTS, and I had gone to a cyber café. I watched various videos, followed related links, and ended up on a pornographic website. That is how I started watching pornography.

As if by evil design, my classmates began bringing their devices to hide and charge at my cabin — and these were filled with pornographic content. More than the actual sex part, I was drawn by the foreplay, and that actually got me liking the ones that started like an unexpected story scene and even lesbian porn, since those were mostly all foreplay.

As I walked about each morning after my quiet time, you would never have suspected that this pastor’s son watched pornography. I was involved in church activities — the choir, Scripture Union (I was made an assistant executive at some point) — yet in secret I watched and battled an addiction to pornography.

The Playboy Life

What next? I got into company of friends who talked about their exciting encounters with ladies and I got introduced to some of these ladies. I began pursuing girls in a playboy fashion — sweet talk, explicit messages (“sexting”), and making out with more than one.

On one occasion, I had a young lady half-undressed in my bed, but shame came over me, knowing I was merely toying with her, so I dressed her and she left. It seems some mercy held me back each time. Because I thank God that, through all of this, I remained a virgin. (I still am, and I am profoundly grateful for God’s mercies.)

Fast forward: I once had a girlfriend who was at Wesley Girls at the time, and I genuinely believed I was in love. We would meet on the beach, at college events, and have intense make-out sessions. Eventually that relationship ended, and I later realised that we were both — or at least I was — simply trying to satisfy lustful desires.

Responding to altar calls had become a routine. I would not stand up or walk forward — I did not want anyone thinking I was a sinner — but I would sit and repeat the prayer silently in my mind.

2. How I Realised I Needed Jesus

It was during an end-of-school crusade that I had perhaps my first real realisation that I truly needed Jesus. The pastor spoke about having a personal relationship with Jesus and the Holy Spirit (one Prophet Diallo, I believe), making the Holy Spirit your best friend. Before then, I had received the baptism of the Spirit, and I could speak in tongues.

My Failed Attempts

I made efforts on my own to stop sinning: to stop watching pornography, to stop stealing, lying, listening to worldly music, and living the playboy lifestyle. You can guess what happened. Each time I felt I had made progress, I returned to my them. I could go three to six months without pornography — yet I would go back. It was profoundly frustrating. I felt I was genuinely trying, but I kept falling.

During this period, I was having my quiet time because I felt a need to know more about Jesus, and I would pray to ask for guidance.

A Supernatural Encounter

My second realisation came one night after I had prayed for some extended time. I summoned a devil — or a demon (I had earlier read or watched a testimony of a pastor who had done something similar). This is no hearsay, no illusion, and no fabricated story.

The next morning I felt a joy and power in God that I had never known. I deleted the contacts of all those who had drawn me into sin and/or those I had drawn into sin. I cleared all pornographic sites from my browser history. I deleted all the worldly music. I felt like a new person. Over time I drew closer to God — yet I still fell short from time to time, though far less frequently than before.

The Final Realisation

One day (I had now entered the university), I went to church and the pastor, Rev. Simon Ampofo, began teaching on the subject of offences (I believe) and how God desires a Christian to live. That was when I had a final, decisive realisation: I needed God in every area of my life — my academics, my relationships, my hobbies, my future, my emotions, and my choices. There were some other times I got scared: “What if the devil decides to make me his prime target now? What if he tempts me and leads me to destruction?”

3. How I Committed My Life to Jesus

I finally arrived at a settled conviction: I wanted to become a much better person — wholly saved and God’s friend — and I knew that only Jesus could make me that person. So one day I gave my life to Jesus again, and this time, I meant it. I even went forward; to the front.

I was baptised by full immersion (30th March 2013). I made a personal covenant with God to let Him guide my path and my decisions. I promised I would remain pure — a virgin — until marriage. I committed my life to Him, knowing I had made a mess of it on my own, and that I would probably make an even greater mess without Him.

4. The Difference Jesus Made in My Life

A New Heart

The decision to allow Jesus to take charge of my life turned my life around completely. I began to show genuine love and care for others. I gave not because I was wealthy, nor to maintain a “Christian” image, but because I felt the needs of others, saw the example of godly people, and a new love within me moved me to give to help. I developed a fresh hunger and thirst for God and His Word.

Thanks to Jesus — and through teachings in church — I have been able to rid my life of envy, jealousy, and bitterness. I have learnt to forgive and let go. I have learnt to speak truthfully and to seek forgiveness when I am in the wrong. I have been freed from my addictions to pornography, theft, lying, and the playboy lifestyle.

A New Life

Now I read my Bible because I want to. I read books on personal growth as well, all in pursuit of wisdom and understanding on how to live a life of purpose and meaning. These days I recognise my weaknesses and ask God to help turn them into strengths.

I have begun writing devotionals — drawn from sermons and quiet-time reflections — and sharing them with friends daily. I feel a compelling desire to help my friends and young people, especially those still locked in ignorance, denial, and sin. I now want to live my life for the God who gave me life.

5. Epilogue: Twelve Years Later

It has been about twelve years since I first wrote the testimony you just read, and Jesus is still writing new chapters in my life.

Through Alone With God Devotional, He has taken a simple WhatsApp and Facebook devotional into a growing global online ministry: twelve(12) years of consistent sharing; more than eight years on WordPress; over 320 published devotionals; a custom domain; and readers from Ghana — my home country — across Africa, Europe, North America, and beyond.

My “quiet-time notes” have grown into over 250 Daily Meditation podcast episodes on Spotify, with a growing family of listeners and followers; weekly online Bible studies (Bathos) with people across the world; and testimonies of transformed lives, restored purity and purpose, and so on.

Today, with an amazing AWG Wings family, we get to help others who battle the same addictions I once hid; lead quiet-time challenges such as 31 Days of Wisdom, 90 Days in the Gospels, other QuietTime Challenges spanning 50, 60, 120 Days; give out gifts and personalised awards for winners; support people with Bibles, books, and resources; teach young people about God; and, soon — by God’s grace — share some songs as well.

God’s favour has also carried me academically and financially in ways that still astonish me. He opened the door for a fully funded Master’s degree (under life-transforming leadership and training) and then a fellowship award for my PhD beyond the borders of Ghana. I currently study in Rome. I used to be the young boy who wondered where the next meal would come from — but I no longer live in that fear. God has provided, and He keeps on providing.

The story I began telling at twenty is still unfolding, and I am grateful that every new page is being written by the same Jesus who saved me from my secret life.

6. A Call to You

I propose this same God to you — the God who gave me life and gave my life meaning; a God of love, grace, and truth; a God who forgives, accepts, and cleanses all of life’s stains; a God who restores all that has been lost and, by His grace and mercies, adds far more than you could ever dream.

This is my life testimony, and I do have other testimonies besides my salvation story that I could not talk about here. I could make a long list of all the problems, circumstances and crises that God has brought me through in all aspects of my life.

Twelve years ago, I decided to write this after reading Chapter 37 of Rick Warren’s book The Purpose Driven Life, and I am glad that I did. This year, God laid it on my heart to share it and to encourage others to share their own stories of His amazing grace — a conviction confirmed by sermons from my spiritual father, Rev. Simon Ampofo.

The Call

If you have read my story and you know that you are far from God — or that you are living a double life, as I once did — this is your moment. Jesus did not expose my darkness to shame me, but to save me, heal me, and give me a new life. He wants to do the same for you.

You do not have to clean yourself up first. Come to Him as you are — with your shame, your questions, your addictions, your pain, your pride. He already knows it all, and He still loves you. He is ready to forgive, to wash you clean and to give you a brand‑new start.

If you are ready to surrender your life to Jesus, pray this sincerely from your heart:

[We invite fellow Christians to tell their stories also; you can send to us if you’d like it posted on the blog (even if anonymous)]