This blog is based on a collective experience battling demonic strongholds in Swaziland.
Co-authored by Imelda Perez & Teresa Schellhause
The story we are about to share is the true account of two women on the mission field. Our goal is to weave together our perspectives into one summary of the events that have been happening.
We encourage you to read the two part series titled “Demons & Deliverance” on Imelda’s blog so you can better understand the following story. It all began with one encounter – Imelda’s experiences are told here.
This is the continuation of everything that has happened since then and involving more witnesses. Many people tend to think that Christianity is boring – we’re here to tell you that it’s not.
Teresa: As I heard Imelda share what happened at church I knew that this was something God wanted me to join. There was a tug on my heart and a feeling that God wanted to teach me something new. Since the time at the hospital in Pretoria, when I was exposed to a boy with demons, I hadn’t experienced much of the demonic.
I want to learn more about God, I want to see Him work in ways I have never seen, I want to see people free and know that God that has changed my life. So after Imelda shared I went to her to tell her that I wanted to join. Once I got to talking with Imelda and we looked at what the bible says regarding demons, and how God can work in these situations, got me more excited.
Imelda: During a gathering of all three of the teams here at El Shaddai, one of my team mates asked me to share my experience with Phyllis at large. I hesitated momentarily, only because I realize not all people are comfortable openly discussing this subject matter.
Moreso, I realized that fear can easily spread and that is not ever my intention or goal. I put this aside however, in a desperate plea to encourage prayer for Phyllis and have the whole group support me. I was opening up the forum to allow God to speak and move and lead and bring light to the situation through the people around me. I had openly shared that I felt God leading me into fasting and prayer; additionally, I prayed that I was completely expecting Jesus to deliver Phyllis from any demons.
Inspired by the story in the book of Matthew of a demon-possessed boy who was healed, our story continues with fasting and prayer.
And when they had come to the multitude, a man came to Him, kneeling down to Him and saying, “Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is an epileptic and suffers severely; for he often falls into the fire and often into the water. So I brought him to Your disciples, but they could not cure him.” The Jesus answered and said, “O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him here to me.” And Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of him; and the child was cured from that very hour.
Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why could we not cast it out?”
So Jesus said to them, “Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and you will move; and nothing will be impossible for you. However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.” [Matthew 17:14-21]
We had considered the cost of pursuing the prospect of a deliverance with the Lord leading us. Imelda began to fast at Friday at sundown. The hopes were to fast from all food until after Sunday. Saturday, as everyone else would eat, we’d gather together in prayer instead. Our efforts were completely united all day, drinking only water and praying without ceasing.
This is what our prayer life looked like as pressed into seeing Phyllis set free. Imelda awoke that morning earlier than usual, and set herself out on a big rock. Jesus was being praised, because we believe that God inhabits the praises of His people. She studied and leafed through the scriptures that would arm her with the necessary courage and knowledge and peace of mind to continue in the calling God was putting on her for now. Through prayer, Imelda began to feel steadfast in answering the call to take part in delivering Phyllis from demons in the name of Jesus.
Teresa came out a little later to join her. Sitting side-by-side, Imelda asked Teresa a few more questions to make sure she wasn’t afraid and also feeling called by God to see this through. Teresa was calm and more than willing. Imelda handed her a little book called “Spiritual Warfare.” Teresa read through the first chapter, as Imelda continued to search scripture.
We prayed. We prayed out loud. We made our requests known to our all powerful Lord Jesus.
We prayed for: wisdom, protection, the full armor of God upon us, clarity, confirmation, and for Phyllis that God would be presently with her, and starting to move providently in her life to bring deliverance and salvation in the name of Jesus.
As the hours of the day passed, challenges arose. First, we ran out of water – as in the whole compound was dry. Here we were fasting from food, relying on staying well-hydrated to keep us going through the day. Plus, we had ministry all day, with kids no less. Nevertheless, God was so good in providing all that we needed. We never lacked stamina or strength when we stopped to pray through it all.
The physical challenges were dwarfed by God’s faithfulness and greatness! Hunger pangs gave way to more prayer, and the more we prayed, the more Jesus was our complete sustenance.
When it got really tough was when discouragement and lies would set in. More disheartening than any physical fatigue that can be experienced with fasting, lie after lie after lie was beginning to cloud our thoughts and challenge our faith.
Will this fasting and prayer really do anything?
What if this doesn’t work?
Are we sure this has an impact?
How can we know this will work out?
Maybe this isn’t really worth the effort?
But Jesus! These “but Jesus” moments were precisely the solution.
- But Jesus reminded us that He loves Phyllis.
- But Jesus reminded us of how important every soul is to Him!
- But Jesus lifted us up as we prayed over each other and sang Him praises.
- But Jesus shut the mouth of accusation and all the lies that laced those discouraging questions.
- But Jesus would not allow us to stumble and fall into temptation.
Were it not for Jesus showing up in our prayers, we surely would have thrown in our towels.
It wasn’t the physical hunger that was going to stop us from praying through the fast, it was going to be the doubts, the disbelief and the discouragement – but Jesus wasn’t going to stand by and let that happen.
