One early afternoon on my YWAM DTS outreach, our team of eight left the house to evangelize in the nearby Indian villages. We set out to strike up conversations with strangers about Jesus. We also wanted them to see the power of God through healing of the many infirmities with which they were inflicted. Seeing this happen is a common occurrence, especially in India; I believe it’s because the gospel hasn’t been preached much– if at all. So we prayed for the people in the village with boldness, believing for God to reveal Himself in a tangible way.
Through our prayer time, I was given the opportunity to share the gospel with ten or so Hindu women. I was nominated on the spot, and I felt very unprepared. Yet God spoke through me, and I somehow seamlessly summed up the Bible, from Genesis to the gospels. After they sat me in a chair, I went on to explain who Jesus was in 15 minutes, as everyone stood around me.
Following this, the woman who originally approached our team for prayer invited us back to her house. She wanted us to share the same message to her mother, who was lying sick and immobile in bed.
At the beginning of our conversation with the woman’s mother, she spoke so proudly of the Hindu gods she worshipped. She then started to open up about many problems she had in her life. While telling her about the love of Jesus, we would stop and together pray about each problem. They didn’t know how to simply pray and talk with God, because they only knew the rituals and process required before praying to their Hindu gods. We were able to teach them how to pray and ask for forgiveness through Jesus, so that we could all pray together.
We didn’t see her fully recover on spot, but she started feeling much better than she had in a long time. After all of this, she said, “I’m in bed all day and I haven’t even been praying to these other gods. But, if you bring me a Bible, I can read it all the time. Then, when I’m completely healed, I will go tell all of my friends about Jesus and what He has done for me!” This woman now has a Bible and connections with the local church.
All in the same day, I saw God speak through me, helping me summarize the Bible, teach Hindu women how to pray and ask God for forgiveness, and see people get miraculously healed. This day was proof that while sharing the gospel can be challenging, it is also exciting and eternally rewarding.
Written by Caleb Houvener
