How God Used Jentezen Franklin’s Experiences to Mold Him for Global Ministry

Introduction

Pastor Jentezen Franklin’s journey to becoming a global minister was not without trials. He is a Pastor, televangelist and author.

In Acres of Diamonds Part 3, he shared how God shaped him through pain and rejection, answering his prayers for ministry in an unexpected way. 

His experiences as a teenager taught him deep lessons about brokenness, compassion, and God’s faithfulness, ultimately molding him into the preacher he is today.

A Defining Moment

Pastor Franklin recalled the pivotal moment when God first called him to ministry. At just 16 years old, he attended a camp meeting in North Carolina, where a sermon by Ronnie Brock deeply moved him. “I walked down the aisle as hundreds of young people did, and I found a part of the building, the beam, and I knelt behind it and I just sobbed… I said, ‘God, I want your will to be done’.” 

However, fear gripped him—he doubted his ability to fulfill such a calling. Yet, in that moment, he surrendered, telling God, “If you want to use me, then I give myself.”

A Season of Suffering

Shortly after his encounter with God, Franklin faced an unexpected trial. His body broke out in severe boils, affecting his face, neck, and entire body. “It was the most horrible thing you can imagine. My eyes would swell. My nose would swell. My lips would swell. And on certain days, I would look like a monster.” 

This condition lasted for over a year, isolating him from friends, affecting his self-esteem, and leaving him feeling like an outcast. Yet, in the darkness, God was working.

The Hidden Blessing

During his time of suffering, Franklin turned to music, practicing the saxophone and piano for hours each day. “I would have never done it before—I was popular, running all around and starting to party and get with the wrong crowd.” 

God used his isolation to refine him, giving him skills that would later become integral to his ministry.

More importantly, this painful season birthed deep compassion in him. “Even through my suffering, even through my pain, even through my rejection of friends… He was giving me everything I asked Him for.”

The loneliness he experienced helped him relate to those who are broken and rejected, shaping his ministry’s core message.

Conclusion

Jentezen Franklin’s testimony is a powerful reminder that God often answers prayers in unexpected ways. 

What seemed like a season of suffering was, in fact, God’s preparation for a greater purpose. “Out of the pain and out of the brokenness… will come the anointing, will come compassion, will come a sensitivity to people who are hurting.” 

Today, his global ministry is marked by these very qualities—empathy, passion, and a heart for the broken. His story encourages us to trust God, even when the answer to our prayers comes in a “strangely wrapped gift.”