Nick Shakoour, best known for his role as Zebedee in the hit series “The Chosen,” has experienced a remarkable journey that he describes as a transformation from darkness into light. Before becoming known for portraying a biblical figure on screen, Nick went through a deeply difficult season in his personal life—a period filled with confusion, emotional exhaustion, and a desperate search for meaning. What he encountered during that time would become one of the most frightening and life-changing moments he had ever experienced.
In a recent interview with CBN News, Nick opened up about a terrifying spiritual encounter that he believes became the turning point that ultimately led him closer to God. The actor and author of Transformer: Awakening from a Spiritual Coma revealed that, before attending a church conference in Texas, he found himself in a vulnerable state, struggling with profound questions about life, faith, and purpose.
Nick explained that he had reached a point where he felt spiritually empty and unable to understand the deeper meaning behind his existence. Although he clarified that he was not suicidal, he admitted that he was experiencing a painful inner struggle and a powerful longing to discover the truth about God.
“It was a scary place where I was at,” Nick shared, describing the emotional state he was in before the conference. He said he had reached a moment of deep uncertainty, where he was searching for answers and longing for a genuine connection with God. “I was thirsty to know who God really was,” he explained.
However, before he even arrived at the conference, Nick experienced something that he described as one of the most frightening encounters of his life. While traveling to Texas, he said he suddenly felt overwhelmed by what he believed was a spiritual attack—an experience that affected him not only emotionally but physically.
Nick described the moment as a powerful and disturbing sensation that left him feeling as though he was being consumed by something beyond his understanding. He said his body became frozen, and he felt completely powerless in the middle of the terrifying experience.
“I actually had a physically tangible—I guess you could call it—a low energy demonic attack,” Nick revealed. “My body was—I talked about it—it was that kind of a spiritual attack where I felt like I was being swallowed alive and my body froze.”
The encounter left him frightened and shaken. By the time he arrived at the church conference, Nick said he was no longer the same person who had started the journey. He arrived feeling broken, exhausted, and completely vulnerable, unsure of what would happen next.
“I showed up to the conference completely frightened,” he recalled. He explained that he had heard stories from people who described encounters with what they believed were spiritual entities, dark forces, or lost souls. Regardless of how others interpreted such experiences, Nick said the moment was deeply disturbing and far from something amusing or easy to dismiss.
“It was frightening and it wasn’t fun or funny at the time,” he said.
Yet, what began as one of the darkest moments of his life eventually became the beginning of a profound spiritual transformation. Arriving at the conference feeling desperate and defeated, Nick found himself surrounded by believers who prayed with him. In that moment of prayer, he said he experienced something completely different from the fear and darkness he had felt before.
Nick described feeling the overwhelming presence of God—a moment that brought him peace, hope, and a renewed understanding of faith. The same journey that began with fear and confusion became the path that led him toward spiritual awakening and a deeper relationship with God.
His story, which he shares through his testimony and his writing, reflects a dramatic shift from despair to redemption. For Nick, the terrifying encounter was not the end of his story but rather a catalyst that pushed him toward discovering a greater purpose.
Today, as an actor on “The Chosen” and as someone who openly shares his faith journey, Nick Shakoour continues to speak about the powerful change he experienced. His testimony highlights the struggles many people face when searching for meaning and the possibility of finding hope even in the most frightening seasons of life.
From a moment of overwhelming fear to an experience he describes as a divine breakthrough, Nick’s journey represents what he sees as the power of God to bring transformation, healing, and light into even the darkest circumstances. His story serves as a reminder that moments of brokenness can sometimes become the beginning of a completely new chapter.
