The Power of Words And Faith

It was a Saturday afternoon. At that time, I was thirteen and my brother was ten. After lunch, our father asked us to help him in cleaning the cowshed. We did not only clean the shed but its surrounding areas also. We collect all the cow dungs, dirt for use as manure in our small farm.

The whole evening, we enjoyed the work. The work was more interesting because our father always had the ability to make any work interesting. In the process of doing our works, we also dirtied ourselves. When evening came, the cowshed and its surrounding areas were clean but we were dirty.

Since our house is small, the bathroom is small. With our conditions and dirtiness, it was difficult to take bath inside the small bathroom. Therefore, father suggested that we go to wash in the river, which runs through the village.

The moment we reach the river, we took off our clothes and took to the water like ducks. As the river was clean and not too deep, we enjoyed swimming and playing in the clear river water.

After bathing and swimming to our hearts' content, we washed our clothes and came back home before dusk. We had our dinner as usual. Our parents never allowed us to sleep without prayer. So, before we went to sleep, father prayed.

While my father was praying, my little brother (I call him Hep, an endearing nickname) started having a fit of epileptic seizures. He made a strange shrieking voice and screamed. By the time our father said, Amen, Hep was no longer conscious.

I had never seen anything like this before. Hep groaned and growled. His body twisted and coiled which was impossible to do consciously. His mouth was full of saliva while he tried to stick out his tongue. Father tried with all his might to hold the mouth so that Hep would not be able to bite his own tongue. All three of us, my parents and me could not help but cried. It was impossible to describe the scene.

We tried with all our abilities to bring him back to his senses. We put shoes and socks in his mouth to breathe believing that this would drive away from the evil spirit. Father and mother prayed with tears in their eyes. This problem lasted for almost one hour before Hep regains his consciousness.

After this, he was so weak that he could barely speak. After some time, we asked him to tell us what happened to him at that time when he was unconscious.

He told us that while father was praying, suddenly a fierce tiger with terrible-looking horns came and started attacking and wrestled with him. While wrestling like this, the tiger changed to a fierce-looking bull, a lion with wings, and many other forms. However, whatever form it took, it was terrible to look at. Moreover, he told that this happened in the field near the river we went swimming.

This problem remained with him for many years. Whenever he had his epileptic fit, he would later tell us that he fought with fierce-looking animals or demons. These animals or demons kept on changing their bodies and forms.

As time went by, this disease became more serious. Whenever Hep asked for anything, we have to give him. If we did not give, he would have this epileptic seizure. Initially, we tried to make him happy but how long can you make an epileptic person happy? This fit of seizure would come when he was angry, afraid, tense, or at any time. Nobody knows when he would have this epileptic seizure.

Due to this problem, ultimately, we have to stop sending him to school. It was impossible to send him to school with this demoniac epileptic problem. Even my father had to resign from his teaching job at a remote village and came back home to look after him.

My parents tried all ways and means to cure this dreaded disease. We consulted many allopathy doctors but the problem continued. We tried all possible ways and means to treat and cure him but could not.

In desperation, our parents even tried to consult quacks, diviners, or any persons whom people told that they have the ability to cure this type of problem. Almost all quacks and diviners would tell that the evil spirits or demons entered Hep's body and soul. They told us that somehow, we had disturbed the evil spirits or demons, probably in that place we went swimming. These evil spirits and demons were not happy with us. That was why they entered Hep's body and soul to trouble him and the whole family.

These quacks and diviners told us that the only way to cure Hep of this dreaded demoniac disease was to please these evil spirits or demons by giving them money and animal sacrifices. They told our parents, do this as we told you and your son would be cured. To make the evil spirits or demons happy, you have to appease them and give them whatever they demanded, so they told us.

Our parents, being devout Christians, never agree to this. Many diviners and quacks and even some relatives scolded our parents that they did not love their son. If they love him, they would surely obey by giving money and using animal sacrifices.

At home, during discussion and suggestions, our parents decided not to give in to animal sacrifices on blind faith without solid reasons. First, as Christians, they firmly believed in God. God will cure Hep in His own time. Second, if we give money and animal sacrifices, the evil spirits or demons would keep on asking for more and more. Those people who were asking for money and make the sacrifices would have to keep on asking and there would be no limit to their greed. Finally and most importantly, our father as a schoolteacher, firmly believed that there was no scientific evidence or proof that giving money and animal sacrifices would cure his son. Therefore, we decided to continue treating him with allopathic medicines. However, most important, we decided that come what may, we would keep the faith and continue to pray.

We were middle class by the standard of the place we lived in. However, due to this problem, we were sliding down and down, mentally and economically. As my father had resigned from his job, we have no more regular income. Whatever savings we had, we have exhausted for Hep's treatment and medications. We have lost almost everything.

We were almost reaching the breaking point of no return and the bottomless pit of hopelessness when a miracle happened.

A distant cousin came to visit our house. Mother was at home at the time. When they discussed Hep's problem, my mother cried. When mother cried, this cousin also cried. During their crying together, something miraculous happened. Out of nowhere, this cousin heard a voice inside his heart to tell our mother to do this. He instructed and told our mother to do exactly as he told her and Hep would be cured.

The next day, out of desperation, mother did exactly just as the cousin told her.

Mother went to that river where we took bath and swam. She went there with an empty bucket. On reaching the river, she dipped the bucket into the river, deep enough to be able to take along the water, pebbles, sands, and mud. She brought all these things home.

She poured out that water, pebbles, sands, and mud to another big pot on reaching home. Then she boiled that water along with everything in it. That water was kept boiling for more time than usual. After the water boiled, she added enough water, left it to cool down, and fit to take bath.

As instructed by the cousin, our mother carefully washed and bathed Hep. She did not use all the water but left it along with all those pebbles, sand, and mud.

After completion of bath, that same day, mother went back to the river. She took with her in the bucket, the remaining water, pebbles, sands, and mud. Standing on the bank of the river, on the same place we took bath years before, with strong and firm faith, she said these words:

"God created the heavens and the earth. This river and the water is God's creation. Therefore, the river, its water, and everything belong to God. Nobody can claim ownership over this water. No devils or demons can claim that this river and its water belong to them.

Therefore, God makes this river and its water for use by human beings. My husband and my children came here to use this river as intended by God. They used its water for bathing, swimming and cleaning their clothes as that is the way it should be. As God created this river for our use, so we use it.

You may be the evil spirits, devils, or demons, or whatever you are, you have no exclusive right over this water. You do not have the right to envy or block human beings from using it. Therefore, you have no right to enter the body of a human being. You have no right to trouble, disturb or torture my son. You as devils or demons have to live far below the earth, far away from human beings, which God had created and blessed.

Because God created the heavens and the earth, God only has dominion over everything. He has dominion over my husband, my children, and me. Demons have no right or dominion over human beings. Therefore, from today, in the name of Jesus Christ, all demons or evil spirits get out from the body and soul of my son, Arnus (his real name).

With these words, she threw away all that there were in the bucket,

"I am throwing away this water and all its contents therein to this river. From this very moment, in the name of my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, my son is cured and free from the bondage of evil spirits. Amen."

She walked home without turning back.

She did all these and said those words with faith. And it became a reality.

It is almost forty-five years now and my brother was fully cured of this dreaded demoniac disease