Aminah blinked against the darkness as the groaning beside her pulled her from sleep. She rolled onto her side and laid a gentle hand on her daughter’s shoulder as the poor girl thrashed and cried out.
Her daughter had begun suffering from nightmares as soon as they’d arrived at the refugee camp. Aminah had assumed they would improve once the little girl felt safe in this temporary community. Instead, the dreams were getting worse.
“Shh, dear one. The Lord Jesus watches over you.” Aminah glanced upward, her words transforming into a prayer. She’d begun following Jesus a few years before and knew He loved her family. With hope, she prayed, “Please, take care of her.”
“Jesus is more powerful than anything.”
The next day, Aminah brought her daughter to a tent where several American women helped refugees create art as a way of processing trauma. As her daughter painted, Aminah talked with a new Frontiers worker named Josie, who said, “Your daughter told me about the violence she witnessed as you were fleeing your country. I understand why she’s struggling with nightmares.”
“I wish that were the reason. At least then it would be behind us.” Aminah shook her head. “The problem is Ruksana.”
Josie’s brows pinched together. “Who?”
Aminah stepped outside and motioned for Josie to follow. She spotted Ruksana, her clothes soiled and shoulders stooped. She mumbled to herself and then suddenly screamed, which caused the boys trying to play soccer around her to scatter.
“There she is.” Aminah pointed. “I’m surprised you haven’t heard about her yet. She frightens the children and causes trouble. She’s the one my daughter dreams about.”
“Has anyone prayed for Ruksana?” Josie asked.
“Many of her people have tried. Instead of listening, she yawns and turns her back.” Aminah sighed, fighting for empathy and compassion for the woman, even though she was the source of many nightmares.
“Something is strange about her. A few weeks ago, an American approached her, and Ruksana asked in perfect English, ‘What do you want?’”
Josie nodded, encouraging her to continue.
Aminah could only go on in a low whisper. “But Ruksana doesn’t speak English.”
The memory alone gave Aminah goosebumps. Who had spoken for Ruksana? What was inside her?
Josie encouraged her not to be scared. “Jesus is more powerful than anything. We don’t need to fear any dark spirits.”
Her story has spread throughout the camp, bringing the Good News of the Gospel with it.
Several weeks later after much prayer, Josie proved she believed that statement. With a group of Frontiers workers and a few local believers in the camp, she carefully approached Ruksana. Aminah held her breath and watched from a nearby tent.
One of the men in the group stepped forward and spoke powerfully. “Evil spirit, in the name of Jesus, I command you to leave this woman alone!” Josie and several others quickly joined him, speaking the Lord’s authority over the situation.
Ruksana shouted curses and shook violently for several minutes, but the believers didn’t stop. When she stilled, silence replaced chaos.
A moment later, Ruksana’s face was filled with peace. Aminah felt it too. Jesus was more powerful than anything, and He had proved it again.
Aminah could hardly believe how abruptly her daughter’s nightmares ended or how quickly Ruksana changed.
When Aminah saw her the very next day, she almost didn’t recognize Ruksana. Beyond the clean clothes she had received, she wore a wide smile. She stopped disrupting the children’s play time and no longer cursed violently. Soon after, she joined Aminah and several others in the camp to study God’s Word.
A few months later, Ruksana shared about a recent spiritual attack. “I can feel the demons pressing close, but it’s different than before. They are on the outside. Only Jesus dwells within me now.”
Tears shone in her eyes but so did hope. “When I say ‘Jesus the Messiah is Lord’ they leave me alone. Christ is keeping me safe.”
After she shared, Ruksana talked with a few people who had come to hear her story. As well-known as she had been before, she is even more famous now. Her story has spread throughout the camp, bringing the Good News of the Gospel with it.
Jesus has transformed the cause of many nightmares, and He continues to drive out the darkness with His great light.
Pray:
- Praise the Lord for rescuing Ruksana and for using her transformation to show others Christ’s power and authority.
- Pray for refugees struggling with trauma to find healing in the hope of the Gospel.
- Ask God to bless Frontiers field workers with the faith and boldness needed to stand against the spiritual forces of darkness at work in the Muslim world.
