A distraught mother of a seven-year old boy, asked if she could come and share something personal with me.

Our talk revealed that Steven (not his real name) was having problems. She told me that the boy had strange behavior and that his teacher had called her to ask her if everything was all right at home. Steven had started to become withdrawn, wanting to sit by himself at break time and was not concentrating in class.

The boy also had a problem with eating. At meal times, he always said that he was not hungry. Joyce (not her real name) told me that she had tried everything to make the boy eat to no avail. He would go to the bathroom to wash his hands before every meal and would keep washing his hands until someone went to the bathroom to check on him. After he came to the table and sat down, he would look at his hands and go to the bathroom to wash them again.

As Joyce and her husband were both Christians, she told me that they would pray with the children every evening before they went to bed. At prayer time Steven would have weird behavior. He would jump around and try to stand on his head or hum tuneless songs. He would basically be a distraction the whole time they were praying. As a result the prayer times became tense, as mum and dad spent half the time correcting misbehavior from Steven.

She told me that she also found a note in StevenÕs room, which said, ÒIn StevenÕs kingdom there is lots of food.Ó She found this note curious only because it concerned food. Steven did not like to eat and she wondered why he wrote that note.

When Joyce brought Steven to our home one day after school, I was shocked! He looked like a child that was suffering from acute malnutrition! His head looked too big for his emaciated body and there was a vein protruding on the side of his head. When he walked, he would stagger around like someone being blown about by the wind. He also seemed to have trouble concentrating. His eyes just kind of roamed around the room.

StevenÕs mother and I had prayed a lot about this meeting and had asked God to take total control and give us wisdom.

I donÕt think that I was adequately prepared for what the seven year old told us. I asked him why he did not eat and he told us what there was always sand on his hands. Whenever he would wash them the sand would appear again. When he came to the table and tried to eat, the sand would drip onto his food! It would have been easy to blow this information away as the fantasy of a seven year old, but through past experience God had taught me to always take children seriouslyÐSatan does!

He went on to tell us that there was someone who came to his room every night as soon as the lights were turned off. I asked him to describe this person and he told us. That it came as two red eyes. He said that as soon as he closed his eyes he would see the red eyes in front of him. Ò Does it talk to you?Ó I queried. ÒYes. It comes and tells me that it will enter me through my head.Ó

Steven said that after it entered his head they would leave the room and fly outside to the home of a lady who had hundreds of children and who gives them a lot of food. They would go to many places. He said that where they go, he is a commander. I asked him whether the being ever came to school and he said that is was always sitting next to him in class and would talk to him all the time. He said that at break time it would also follow him everywhere.

Steven had shared enough for us to know that Satan was messing around with this child. I asked him whether he liked this person or being and he said ÔYesÕ. I explained to this little boy about the fact that if this were his friend, he would not put dirt on his hands when he tried to eat.

He eventually admitted that this was a Òbad friendÓ. We asked him if he would allow us to get rid of this being that would disturb him every night and he said ÔYes.Õ We prayed for Steven and cast out the evil spirits that had entered him, in the name of Jesus Christ.

Later on he told his father that, ÒWhen mummy and aunty were praying, I saw my friends turning into ugly creatures and running away.Ó With the kind of training that Satan was giving him, he would have started worshiping this being very early in life.

Steven started to eat normally and his behavior at school changed. Today Steven is Eighteen years old and his ÔfriendÕ has never visited him again. He has since accepted Jesus as his Lord and Savior. His parents have continued to disciple him so that the Òvacated rooms in his life are not left emptyÓ (Matthew 12:43-45). I am in touch with his mother, and Samba is doing fine Ð praise the Lord!

Nellie Shani is a Counselor, Conference speaker and writer. Her first book, “Stand Your Ground,” is now available on amazon.com, Barnes and Nobles and on her author’s website. http://www.strategicpublishinggroup.com/title/StandYourGround.htm

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A woman’s view of her Heavenly Father is often tainted by her view of her earthly father. A cold and distant father? A cold and distant God. Likewise, a generous, loving father renders her view of God as generous and loving as well.

How about you? What was your father like? A stern disciplinarian? Strict but loving? Gentle and quiet? Fun-loving and playful? Now, how do you view God as He relates to you on a daily basis? Faithful, but far removed from the details of your life? A stern judge who demands punishment for every infraction? Or a loving God Who guides you through all of life’s valleys and mountains?

It is a heavy burden to place on a human father, that of portraying the Heavenly Father to his children. No matter how loving or wise a father may be, he could never adequately demonstrate the truth of Who our Heavenly Father is and what He is like. Of course, the truth is found in God’s Word He often refers to Himself as our father (Galatians 4:6), and tells us in great detail exactly what He is like and how He feels about us, His children. If you ever find yourself projecting your father’s qualities onto your perception of God, turn to these passages for the truth:

Our Father in Heaven

1. cares for even the smallest of His children.

Take heed that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that in heaven their angels always see the face of My Father who is in heaven. Matthew 18:10

2. protects and cares for those who have no earthly father.

A father of the fatherless, a defender of widows, Is God in His holy habitation. Psalms 68:5

You [God] are the helper of the fatherless. Psalms 10:14b

3. gives good gifts to His children.

If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him! Matthew 7:11

4. is perfect and holy; He never sins.

Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect. Matthew 5:48

Because it is written, “Be holy, for I am holy.” I Peter 1:16

5. meets the needs of His children.

Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? Matthew 6:27

For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Matthew 6:32,33

6. is both merciful and just.

For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. Matthew 6:14, 15

7. in His mercy gives us salvation and the hope of eternal life by the sacrifice of His Only Begotten Son.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. I Peter 1-3-5

Who gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father. Galatians 1:4

8. teaches us about Himself.

That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him. Ephesians 1:17

9. gives grace and peace.

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. II Thessalonians 1:2

10. must discipline His children.

It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? Hebrews 12:7

11. deserves glory.

Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven. Matthew 5:16

That you may with one mind and one mouth glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Romans 15:6

Anne Simpson, stay-at-home-mom to one toddler and one on the way, loving wife to a loving husband, faithful member of a local church, prone-to-wander child of God

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Little Lilly’s Sunday school teacher had his five-year-old students bow their heads and say a one-sentence prayer at the end of every class. For several weeks, he would hear Lilly pray the same thing: “Lord, please make my mommy feel better.”

The teacher wondered what could be afflicting Lilly’s mother. Then, one Sunday, when it was time for Lilly to pray, she was silent.

“Are you okay, Lilly?” asked the teacher.

Lilly mumbled, “Yes.”

“Is there some reason you don’t want to pray?”

“Well, I want to say more.”

“That would be fine. And the reason why?”

Lilly raised her head and said with the biggest grin, “Because Jesus made my mommy feel better.”

“Oh? How so?”

“He took her away to be with Him in heaven.”

The teacher gasped and was astonished at Lilly’s perspective about her mother’s death. Not wanting to dampen Lilly’s happiness that her mother was no longer suffering, the teacher said, “In that case, take as much time as you need, Lilly, and use as many words as you want to say.”

That day, the teacher learned a valuable lesson from sweet little Lilly: It matters not what happens in life that affects us. It is how we see things that determines our joy or sadness.

Copyright 2010 by Bob Valleau. Bob has over 25 years of writing experience for the Christian market. He was once named Christian Writer of the Year by the American Christian Writers Association. Currently, he freelances and lives in Texas.

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Hawkins, the pastor of Love Center Church, leaves two children to celebrate him– Walter Hawkins, Jr. (aka Jamie Hawkins) and Trystan Hawkins.  His older brother, Edwin Hawkins, shared: “I lost my brother, my pastor, and my best friend. Bishop Hawkins suffered bravely but now he will suffer no more, and he will be greatly missed.”