This is the story of Ruth Kunguma, from Zimbabwe. I enjoyed 3 months in Italy with this dear sister, watching God perform miracles in her life, learning so much. Here's Part 1 of her Incarnate story: Ruth was terrified of water and avoided it all costs. Marine spirits lived there, a watery underworld of Satan, and they preyed on the living. These spirits would drag people into the river and if those poor souls ever reappeared--days or years later--they were altered, possessed now by the marine spirits.
I believed Ruth, but had no category for what she was sharing. I did know that God's Spirit ruled over all spirits. So I listened carefully as Ruth explained her culture--listening also to the Holy Spirit for wisdom, insight, and understanding. What was the way in to this situation?
Ruth listened equally carefully as I explained the authority we have in Christ over spirits. But sometimes talk is easy! Would God's power and our faith be enough to cover my ignorance? Certainly, but I have to admit to feeling nervous! And Ruth had her doubts about this Western white woman, but plenty of faith!
Ruth, from the Shona tribe in Zimbabwe, lives in its capital, Harare, ranked as the world's sixth least liveable city. Her grandfather and uncle were witch doctors. Her father died when she was an infant. In Ruth's culture, when a father dies, the child must not leave the father's house, so Ruth was given to her father's brother to be raised.
Her grandfather had already passed on his witchcraft practices to her uncle. It is probable that a curse was put on her, committing her to Satan. Ruth told us she had visions and dreams of her grandfather telling her he was sorry--he “had to do this”—and of being placed in a cage of some kind. She fell deathly ill at an early age. Although Ruth survived, she lived with intense fears, including fear of water and the marine spirits.
The more I learned, the more I felt in over my head. I asked Ruth what Christians do in her country who need to get free from curses and witchcraft. Was there a pastor we could connect her with, who would be better able to help her? It was Ruth's turn to look at me in astonishment--"No! There is no one!" In Ruth’s culture, witchcraft and the Gospel mix. As she explains it,
"Though some pastors do mix God and consulting wicked spirits, the main challenge I have observed all these years is that even the pastors (majority) themselves need deliverance. Many are still in chains rooted from generational curses and witchcraft. A person's life in Africa is mostly tampered with at birth and not many have strong Christian backgrounds. Most lives have been tampered with. Evil spells and witchcraft in Africa is mainly done when a child is born. This is the devil's strategy in many parts of Africa. Most people struggle because of these curses without knowing why."
"I guess we're it," I thought, and recruited my team for prayer and one partner to join me in leading Ruth through deliverance prayers. I pulled out my trusty, well-worn copy of Neil Anderson's 7-Steps to Freedom, and started praying. A few days later, we began to lead Ruth through prayers, renunciations, confessions, and more prayer, step by step. The Holy Spirit was our Wonderful Counselor. Ruth was a determined warrior.
You can imagine our utter surprise when my partner and I got to the section on idolatry, and read this from Exodus 20:4: “You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below." My partner and I looked at each other, dumbfounded. Why had we never noticed this before?! Ruth nodded, smilingly knowingly at these dense white Westerners as they got a lesson on the 10 Commandments!
Bolstered by that gem, we prayed on. Occasionally Ruth would suddenly close her eyes, look to heaven, and say quietly: "This is what I've needed. This is truth."
We weren't quite finished with the last step when Ruth jumped up and began pounding her fist towards the ground, raining imaginary blows on a fallen enemy: "The truth is killing Satan! We are burying him with truth!"
Gleeful is not an adjective you might associate with deliverance ministry, but I do! I've felt it routinely as people learn the truth and are set free from terrible darkness. I thought a Shona dance might be in order, but we were all too much in awe. After a time of prayer, washing with water, and anointing with oil, we closed our time together, but not our hearts. I have not forgotten that day and don't expect I ever will.
Ruth "tested the waters"--literally--while we were still in Italy. I'll tell you that story next time!
