Real-Life Example
This article was written as part of an earlier blog post.
Spiritual Attack
Earlier this year, one of our learners had been having spiritual attacks. Sive* lives with her granny. Sive would hear footsteps and a whispering voice in the middle of the night. This disturbed Sive, who started to dread going home for the weekend. Sive was scared of these things and wanted to leave home to live elsewhere with relatives.
Sive’s family refused, so Sive started making threats. She left little notes suggesting that one day they would find a dead body overdosed on granny’s medication. One weekend Sive’s granny and aunt took Sive to a traditional healer. The healer said that there was turmoil in their family. Things like unresolved squabbles (between adult siblings) and marital problems (between Sive’s parents). The healer deduced that these things were happening because Sive was being called by the ancestors to become a traditional healer.
Godly Intervention
This experience troubled Sive, who rejected the calling that was proposed by the healer. Our school chaplain helped Sive understand three things: that Sive was a child of God, born again by the Holy Spirit through the blood of Jesus Christ; that the Bible instructs children of God not to have other gods but Him; and that it was the Holy Spirit in Sive that was rejecting the calling of the other god (ancestors).
Next, they spoke about what was happening at home at night. The footsteps and whispering that had been scaring Sive were evil spirits (demons) sent by the enemy of God our Father to steal Sive away from what Sive had chosen—a life of walking with God as His child. They spoke about how Sive should never be afraid of these spirits. God is always there and He is always protecting. Finally, the chaplain assured Sive that he would visit her granny and explain these things.
Our chaplain did so, adding that Intlantsi is founded upon the word of God and that at the school there is only room for one spirit—that spirit is GOD the Father, GOD the Son, and GOD the Holy Spirit. In her reply, the granny said that she welcomes everything that the chaplain said. Granny explained that she resorted to such measures because she didn’t understand what was happening with Sive. She added that this calling did not sit well in her heart and she was happy to hear that Sive had rejected it. Granny said that she understands God has already called Sive and that a person cannot be called by two spirits. Granny assured the chaplain that she would not pressure Sive to accept the ancestral calling.
Continued Prayers
Please pray for Sive and her granny because this matter is not over. As family members gather from around South Africa for December holidays, there will be immense pressure on both Sive and her granny to respond to the “ancestors call”.
Pray for other students, such as A whose mother is a traditional healer, B whose father is a “Christian pastor” yet practices “ancestral customs,” and C an incoming student who had been wearing a cord around his waist for protection until very recently. Pray also for all our students as they answer God’s call, including the thirteen students we currently have and the seventeen students that will join us when the new school year opens in January. May they grow in their knowledge (head) and understanding (heart) of God, and stand firm to HIS call.
*Name has been changed to protect child’s identity
April 2020 Update: All students have been sent home during the mandatory COVID-19 lockdown in South Africa. Pray for the protection of our students and their families during this time. Pray that God would continue to provide protection from spiritual attack.
Teresita Ndibongo, our ministry partner and head of Intlantsi Christian School wrote this article. It was first featured in our 2019 Annual Report.