Vodou

Andre flew from Benin to join our First Cause team in Kenya.  He is wonderful man who served for many years as a pastor before obeying God’s call to venture out in evangelism and a more open-ended ministry. Andre serves as the spiritual advisor to his nation’s president, a God-fearing leader.  As such, God is using him to influence many important officials in his country.  We were very blessed by Andre’s humility, contagious love for God, and the enthusiasm with which he embraced our disciple maker training.  

One morning as we finished our team devotions Andre looked very troubled and asked if he could share.  Through great tears he communicated to us that his parents were Vodou priests and that he felt particularly responsible that his mother had left Christ to return to Vodou (he had the privilege of leading her to the Lord during a period when she was very ill).   We deeply felt Andre’s pain and agreed to fast and pray with him for his parent’s deliverance.
 
Meditation
1 John 4:1-3a—Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to determine if they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.  This is how you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit who confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God.  But every spirit who dos not confess Jesus is not from God. 
 
Vodoun became the official religion of Benin in 1996. This ancient religion began in this French-speaking nation.  Today over 30 million people follow it in West Africa to include about 80% of Benin’s population.  Slaves exported this religion to Haiti and other Caribbean islands and variations of it are practiced in southeastern United States.  

West African Vodou is steeped with spirit worship. Each family of spirits has priest- and priestesshood that are often hereditary.  In many African clans, deities might include Mami Wata, who are gods and goddesses of the waters; Legba, who in some clans is virile and young . . . Gu, ruling iron and smithcraft; Sakpata, who rules diseases; and many other spirits distinct in their own way to West Africa.  Vodou deities are linked to each African clan-group. Its clergy is central to maintaining the moral, social, and political order and ancestral foundation of its villagers.  Therefore, it has a fierce hold upon the population.[1]
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Andre shared with us the powerful demonic hold Vodou has on his parents.  People who practice this religion live in fear of offending spirits and are under the rule of witch doctors that wield tremendous power. Satan oppresses people for soul control but God extends His grace for soul redemption. Will you join us in praying for the salvation of Lekobinou and Ayedoun Allomadin Tinkpon (Andre’s parents).  We pray for that they will renounce Vodou and place their trust in Jesus and in doing so be used mightily by God to bring those they influence to Christ!   “Now this is the confidence we have before Him: whenever we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.  And if we know that He hears whatever we ask, we know that we have what we have asked Him for.” (1 John 5:14,15).
 
©2007 Daniel York  ARR. Reveration is the weekly devotional ministry of First Cause.  If you would like to receive these devotionals go to www.firstcause.org and click on the “Click here to receive weekly devotionals” box.  Unlimited permission to copy this devotional without altering text or profiteering is allowed subject to inclusion of this copyright notice.      
 
Ecclesiastes 12:10-The Teacher sought to find delightful sayings and to accurately write words of truth.  (Holman CSB)
 
[1]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voodoo#African_origins