Written by: Andrea Price, Director of Education at myLIFEspeaks
Audio version of this story is available, here.
“If you are so battered down and worn out from the storm and all you have is a whisper - you have everything you need.”
The first thing I do in the morning is start the coffee pot and grab my journals and Bibles. This is when I delightfully have my Jesus time. It’s a great start to my day and fills me up and prepares me for the day ahead of me.
What happened on that day in August of 2016 was nothing I ever thought I would be prepared for.
It was 8 a.m. and at that time I was sitting in the commUNITY center of myLIFEspeaks. Suddenly someone walked in and asked me, “Have you heard about Susie? (named changed for privacy purposes) She is possessed by an evil spirit.”
I look into my cup of coffee and try to compute what I just heard. I flip through all the files of scripture, stories, and books in my mind trying to remember the D.P. E.A.P (demonic possession emergency activation plan). Still looking at my coffee, I told the Holy Spirit “I'm not sure what you want me to do but...” and the next thing I hear is Missy’s voice saying “Andrea! Let's go!” Off we went.
We walked 40 yards to the woman’s house. There she was, sitting on the porch, forcefully flicking playing cards one at a time. By this time, I am shaking like a chihuahua in a snowstorm. When I look back and think of this moment, I knew I was shaking because of the Spirit of God that was about to be unleashed and not out of fear.
Missy and Breanna, another myLIFEspeaks staff member, said a few words to her, and all of a sudden the woman's head turned toward me in a very distorted way and we locked eyes. At this point, I wasn't in control of my body but it was the Spirit of God. I WHISPERED “Jesus.”
I simply whispered the name of Jesus and the demon-possessed woman started screaming, JUMPED to her feet, and ran into the house. We ran in pursuit declaring the Name of Jesus over her. This time we were not whispering ;)! I'm so glad that the Holy Spirit was in control of the situation as well as my body. If it were just me, there would be absolutely NO WAY I would have known what to say or do in that moment.
We continued to declare that she was a blood-bought Child of God and that the spirit must submit and LEAVE her body in the Name of Jesus. There was lots of shaking and screaming and then - a moment of peace. The lady came to and this time it was just her. She was confused and didn’t understand how she got there. I asked her if she knew what happened. She said no.
I told her that the most important thing she could do in that moment was accept Jesus as her Savior and she would be saved. She said she was ready to do that. I told her to just say the name of Jesus, just get His all-powerful name out of your mouth. She tried to say the name Jesus but when she got the “J” sound out of her mouth I KID YOU NOT THAT SPIRIT CAME RIGHT BACK AND POSSESSED HER BEFORE SHE COULD ACTUALLY SAY JESUS. The spirit then said to us “It’s ok. We don’t need to say the name of Jesus. We are ok. You can go now.” NOT TODAY SATAN! We pleaded the Blood of Jesus over her again. There was more shaking and screaming. By this time three of our Haitian kitchen staff employees were by our side helping swing the sword of the Spirit and saving this woman's soul. The spirit eventually left for good and a few months later, the woman came to understand Our Father and she accepted Him into her heart.
Read Mark 9:14-29. It is the story of the father who brought his son, who was possessed by an evil spirit, to Jesus. Stories like this seem appropriate in the Bible but why do they seem so foreign to us today? As you read about the woman in the village, do you recognize the goal of the enemy is to draw our attention away from the Call of God so the enemy will be left alone? How does your spirit react to a modern-day story like this one?
There are some big takeaways from this encounter.
1. We don’t have to be these well-seasoned leaders in the biggest churches for God to use us. He wants our hearts and that’s it.
For the eyes of the LORD range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him. - 2 Chronicles 16:9
2. Never in my life did I ever imagine I would witness this kind of moment play out before me. Never in my life did I imagine that the God of the Universe would use my lips to bear the “Name above all other names” to MAKE A DEMON FLEE.
Behold, I have given you authority to tread on snakes and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy. Nothing will harm you. - Luke 10:19
3. When you hear the song “Break every chain” and sing the lyrics “there is power in the name of Jesus,” Y’ALL, THERE REALLY IS!
IN THE SIMPLE WHISPER OF HIS NAME DARKNESS WILL FLEE. If that is all you have inside of you is a whisper, if you are so battered down and worn out from the storm and all you have is a whisper, you have everything you need.
We have authority over every situation. We just have to remember that He has given us authority and all its takes is a whisper.
If this story encouraged you, please share it with a friend or family member. The podcast version of this story, told by Andrea, is also available here.
1 John 1:3
We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ.