Today’s story comes from GRNUK. Many people in Benin are trapped by witchcraft and voodoo, and today’s story shares how that entrapment can be broken by the Lord Jesus Christ.
At a gathering, a team spent a night sharing the story of Jesus. Sixty-two people expressed their interest in knowing the Lord personally and, among them, a man named Amidou caught their attention. He lived some distance away but was visiting friends. He came to the outdoor evangelism event out of curiosity. Praise God that he confessed Jesus as his Saviour and Lord.
Amidou is a trader by profession. The night he turned to the Lord, Amidou told the team that his business was down and he was having great difficulties in his life. For him everything was over and he had lost hope. During the gospel preaching, they told Amidou that Jesus is the Light of the world, the one who shines on all people. Therefore, all that is hidden will be revealed by His light.
There is a strong belief in the area that someone is behind Amidou’s misfortunes, using witchcraft to impoverish or even to try to kill him. In many instances, this belief is proven to be true. The team prayed for Amidou before he left.
Two days after returning home, Amidou called a team member to say that he felt the presence of something in his room. Four days later he went out to buy food. Upon re-entering his room, he again felt the presence of a ‘force’ that frightened him. When he sat on his bed, the Holy Spirit directed him to look under his bed. When he did, he saw a calabash (bottle gourd) tied by a black rope and there was a big needle tied to the gourd. It is used in witchcraft. Very surprised and frightened, he took the calabash and brought it to the team’s office where it was burned. Later, after some investigation, one of his relatives confessed, ‘When I went to the village, my mum gave it to me to place under your bed because you are having all sorts of problems. Your wife and child are dead, you are in debt, always worrying, and never in peace.’ It turned out that the calabash was used so the witchcraft could cause him misfortunes and destruction.
After the calabash was burnt, Amidou got a call from the village where it was reported that his grandmother and stepmother confessed that they were the ones who killed his wife and child. They had planned to kill him too. The two women’s plan backfired: they suffered torment continuously. They confessed, day and night, all the harm they caused Amidou and could no longer keep quiet. Now Amidou is released from the evil plans against him. He regrets not having received Jesus Christ early in his life. He knows the Lord protected and saved his life. He lost all of his savings, his business, his wife and child, and it would have taken very little for him to be killed. In the end he found life and happiness in Jesus.
In the end he found life and happiness in Jesus.
He promptly invited the team to preach the gospel in his village. He is ready to give his testimony. We thank the Lord for the salvation of Amidou. Please pray for him so that his faith, which will be tested, can hold. Let us pray for other people in his village so that they too will acknowledge Jesus as their Saviour and Lord.
Pray for Benin:
- for young believers like Amidou to receive training and discipleship as they grow in their faith
- for those trapped in bondage by witchcraft, to be set free and find the Light of the world
- for the people in Benin affected by poverty and corruption, and for wisdom for the leaders of this country.
