Incense burned slowly in a corner of the room. Its sweet, distinct aroma wafted throughout the house, twisting and turning around every corner. To the side of the living room, there was another room. A room set apart for altars, incense, and offering. Pictures of strange and foreign gods covered the walls. A table adorned with colorful lace was on top, along with candles, incense sticks, and various food and drink offerings to the gods upon the wall.
In the middle of the living room we all stood. A mother and four children stood with us, each one of them coming forward one by one as we prayed over them. We prayed freedom, deliverance, healing, peace. The Holy Spirit was moving. Jesus was invited into the room.
As much as I would love to say that all of the incense sticks and candles were snuffed out, and the idols fell from the wall, and the altars toppled over, they did not. But we brought life to a small Tamil Indian family that night. We brought the good news of Christ to them. We brought encouragement, we brought life.
We prayed for the mother last. She stepped slowly to the center of our circle, and I placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. She breathed in deeply. We prayed over her and her house, and her precious family. After a few moments, our prayers quieted. Pastor asked her a simple question.
“How do you feel?”
“My heart is satisfied.” The simple answer escapes her lips through a smile. She breaths deeply again, her hands folded in front of her. She smiles her thanks to all of us, and our circle breaks.
Her heart was satisfied. In the midst of her home full of gods, she experienced the peace of the one true God. She experienced the life and love of a God that truly cares for her, and can act on her behalf. That longs to be invited into her life.
That is why we came. To continue to plant seeds. To bring hope and life through relationship.
This month our team has had the opportunity to visit many Tamil Indian homes around the state of Kelantan, and other states in Malaysia. We bring a simple plan, to share a word from the Lord with each family, sing a few songs maybe, and pray over them. Pastor Yesu has been building relationships with these families in his many years of ministry in Kelantan, and has invited us into his work this month.
Home visits are draining, exhausting even. The spiritual forces that we face when we go into homes that do not belong to Christ is difficult to explain. We face a very real battle. We battle against the forces of idol worship. We battle against the oppression that these people are tightly bound in. But we fight with the armor of Christ, and the reward is sweet.
To plant a seed, to help Pastor Yesu continue in these relationships that he has begun is a blessing. And that day the mother told us her heart felt satisfied, shows how it is worth it all.
“My heart is satisfied.”
Please continue to pray for these Tamil Indian families in Malaysia. Pray for freedom from the spiritual oppression. Pray against the idol worship. Pray for chains to be broken. Pray for more experiences like the one we had. That God continues to move in a mighty way in Malaysia. Because He is moving, and it is magnificent.
House visits!
Idol room
Another idol room
Sweet kids at a house visit!
Megan praying over a teen girl we met at the house
God is moving in Malaysia!
