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Reality Revealed

The Monday before Easter a few men from a village arrived for some intensive teaching from our team leaders. One of the men made a confession of faith that evening. The next night this same man was rather quiet, and by the third evening he'd started talking to himself. We learned that his brother had previously started reading the NT and then went mad. This man was then taken to a Muslim witch doctor and regained some of his senses, but has never been quite the same. We started to seriously pray for our new brother, Freeman.

By Thursday, as things got worse, a Christian doctor found nothing medically wrong and decided it could well be a case of demonisation. That evening Freeman became quite violent and needed sedation. Over the next few days he stopped sleeping, eating, and then drinking.

We stepped up the prayer and fasting at this time. During brief moments, his face would clear, the redness would leave his eyes and he seemed more coherent – just to then again "leave". When asked where he was, he would say, "in the house of Cek" and when asked what his name was, he would also reply, "Cek." Cek is a powerful Muslim witch doctor/teacher from Freeman's region.

On Good Friday he entered the local hospital since his condition was only worsening. He was given more drugs for sedation. The next day, he left the hospital since they could do little for him. We took him to our team's guest house and cared for him there. By this time we had involved people with experience in praying against demonic powers. We all prayed and expected that he would be himself by Easter.

Easter morning came and went and Freeman's condition remained the same. We prayed all day and nothing changed. Monday morning we were tired, discouraged and disillusioned. It looked like the wrong side was winning. We took him to a mental hospital because we could no longer be responsible for his deteriorating medical condition.

Two days later we realized that his charms, though removed from his body, had never been destroyed (in case Jesus wasn't enough.) So a believing member of the family decided they needed to go. That night, for the first time in 8 days, he drank a ½ liter of water. He told us later that at the time the charms were being burned there was an intense burning in his stomach, where the charms were normally worn, and then it felt as though something left him. The next day we took him back into our care. His condition continued to improve and by the weekend he was eating and drinking normally… rejoicing at what God had done. The next Wednesday he was baptized. Questions: What principles does this story illustrate?

What are the most critical principles in a ministry of deliverance?