Melissa Joan Hart speaks openly about Christianity and her trip to Zambia 

Actress and outspoken Christian Melissa Joan Hart recently spoke about her mission trip to Zambia, Africa, in partnership with humanitarian organization World Vision.

The star of the 90’s sitcom “Sabrina the Teenage Witch” explained that the trip was incredibly encouraging and eye-opening for her.

As part of her visit to Zambia, the actress visited families in need, including one she sponsored in the past. During the trip, Hart recounted a discussion about prayer practices with locals.

“It’s a Christian country, and almost every household we went to they were praying with us. But they couldn’t understand why we pray,” Hart said.

She then explained how the people there couldn’t understand why her family would pray when they already had so much.

“They’re like, ‘It’s weird to see a family pray that already has everything, like what would you pray for, or how would you pray?’“, Hart added.

At times, Melissa ponders about how in the US, we often hear individuals expressing a pessimistic sentiment towards prayer. People may say, “What’s the point of praying? Everything seems to be in chaos, crumbling around me. It’s as if God is indifferent.”

Hart noticed that people in Zambia take acts of prayer very seriously. They will pray for essential things such as better health for their children, better school systems, or even better crops.

Additionally, Hart spoke extensively about her faith. Although she grew up Catholic, Hart eventually became a Presbyterian after marrying her husband, Mark Wilkerson, who was Baptist then.

“Everyone’s always talking about their moment of coming to Jesus or their moment of being born again. I feel like I’ve always walked with God, it’s just gotten deeper and closer and more fulfilling,” she said.

Melissa Joan Hart: “I did have a born-again, Holy Spirit moment”

Hart later stated that she had strong influences that helped her pray better and with more intent.

She shared how she was touched by the poem  “The Footprints In The Sand” and the incredible story of Katherine Wolf.

“While I was in a mom’s group [at the church], Katherine Wolf fell into a coma because of an aneurysm. And we, the mom’s group, wanted to pray for her,” Hart explained.   

“They wanted to surround her with 24 hours of prayer. Everyone had to take an hour. I just had my second son, so I was breastfeeding at night, so I took something in the middle of the night,” Hart recalled.

“I get my son out of the crib, and I’m feeding him, and I start to pray, and I did my Our Father and my Hail Mary, and My Glory Be, and then I didn’t know what to do, and I had 55 more minutes.”

That is when the actress sensed that it was a pivotal moment that significantly expanded their prayer life. A transformative experience had occurred for her, leading to a deeper understanding of prayer and its nuances. Additionally, her husband played a role in this prayer journey.

“My husband taught me to pray for mercy,” Hart recalled.

Hart is currently involved with the Community Bible program in Connecticut, which she’s been involved with for 13 years. She also shared the moment she realized she was a born-again Christian.

“I did have a born-again, Holy Spirit moment,” Hart shared.

“Like a lightning bolt just hit me, and I was like, ‘The Holy Spirit! I don’t know why it just hit me, and I got it.’ Then I better understood the Trinity and all that.”

She then explained that her father-in-law shared insights about the Trinity, recognizing their struggle to comprehend it. He drew a parallel, saying, “Consider me – I’m a father, a son, a brother, and an uncle all at once.”

This analogy resonated with Hart, helping her grasp the concept of how God can embody multiple aspects simultaneously.