Being in Africa, I’ve had more opportunities to pray over people than I ever have in my entire life. Through the work God has called us to here in the Navrongo Villages in Northern Ghana, we’ve witnessed several people choosing to believe and follow Jesus for the first time! PRAISE GOD!
Specifically, praying over people for healing and deliverance has been a really new experience for me. Every night during the ‘Jesus movies’ evangelism outreaches, people have come forward asking for healing prayer for everything from headaches, general body pain, nightmares, being crippled, to blindness.
Praying and having faith in the Lord to do His Work has been a whole new opportunity for me to trust in the power of the Holy Spirit. It’s easy to recognize when the Spirit is moving and doing things inside of me, but this has been a HUGE opportunity for Him to move outward through me!
Most of the time, I have no idea if there has been an instant answer to the prayers. The language barrier is part of the issue, and the other is there is always someone else right there in line to get prayer next! I also know God will sometimes wait for specific times to bring healing, particularly when He will get the glory for it.
Trusting God with results of prayers and having faith His Will is being done has been a stretch in my walk with Him this month.
Our team had to explain several times just because we’re “white missionaries” doesn’t mean we have extra powers, and that if they know and believe in Christ, they can pray for the same things, too.
I think we taught on prayer as much as we prayed over people. Pray God will bring wisdom and learning materials to this region! Pray the Holy Spirit will continue to guide them in all things, and that the truth of the Word of the Lord will be a light unto their paths.
Brad was praying for a little girl when the Holy Spirit came on her and she fell over into his arms. He said it was the most peaceful and beautiful thing to see the Holy Spirit upon her and healing her during those minutes!
Another boy, who came to know Christ at one of the first film nights, came to us the second night for prayer against his nightmares. We explained to Him how perfect love casts out fear, and how now that He has the light of Christ in him, darkness has to go! Brad and I prayed with him and gave him some other simple truths to pray out loud, and the next night he came to us and said that He didn’t have the nightmares anymore! The joy in his eyes was the most precious thing in the world! I can’t even imagine what it must have been like for him, being terrified to sleep most of his childhood. Praise God He doesn’t have to live with those demons anymore!
This past Saturday we did door to door evangelism (AKA ‘hut to hut’ evangelism). Even though this isn’t the most received form of sharing the gospel in America, it is VERY well received here in Northern Ghana. People are completely thrilled you would come and take the time to see them and talk with them.
We all split up with different members of the local church there, so we would have a translator. Will led someone to Christ for the first time, and it was a very special day for him!
Being here in Africa, the Lord has awakened me to the reality of Satan’s schemes.
There are cults in this community that practice satanic worship. Even at night, we’ve heard the drumming of some of the music from the satanic worshippers. It’s creepy to say the least, but I know I have nothing to fear.
In this area of the world, fear tactics are Satan’s main form of attack, since he doesn’t have many other ways to distract the people from the love of God. The coolest part is we’ve heard such amazing testimonies of how the Lord has protected His people against the darts of the enemy.
The family we are staying with has many stories of God’s protection. Some have seen an angel at the gate of their property pacing at night. When they first moved here, people tried to break into their shed. The thieves were able to break the lock, but the door itself would never open! Eventually people gave up trying, because no one was ever successful at getting in! God protects His own!
The family we are staying with has been such a beautiful example of a faithful family. They are always singing God’s praises and thanking Him for everything they have. It’s constant! They KNOW the Lord they serve, and they trust in Him with such a strong faith! It’s SO beautiful!
I think it’s been a huge wake up call to our team to remember our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. (Ephesians 6:12)
Satan seems to have a stronghold in this area over sleep; so join with us and pray for God’s light to shine and be spoken into the darkness here, so that Satan has to flee! Pray for peaceful, protected sleep in the name of Jesus!
Thank you for remembering our team and this ministry in your prayers!
