Steve Hines, who authored “Salt, Light, Children: Parenting Well in Today’s Culture,” recently appeared on Rick Burgess’ podcast “Strange Encounters,” which delves into spiritual warfare.
In this latest episode, Hines recounts moments in his life when he was given intimidating tasks by God, notably confronting demonic influences.
Growing up, Steve was part of a church that emphasized rules over spiritual understanding. However, in his mid-30s, he found himself questioning the role of the Holy Spirit in his life, wondering about its gifts and manifestations.
With a small group of friends who shared similar questions, they began meeting weekly for four years. The time together was not just about prayer but represented a significant change in their spiritual journeys.
During one of these gatherings, Steve felt a strong urge to pray for God to reveal His will through a dream. That night, he had a vivid dream where he was driving demons out of people.
A few weeks later, this dream materialized. Steve’s group welcomed a newcomer who became visibly upset during their meeting.
Suddenly, he began making unsettling noises, and the group realized they were witnessing a demonic presence but were unsure of how to respond.
They laid hands on him, prayed, and continued for over 30 minutes, during which the situation turned increasingly chaotic. They physically had to restrain him as their prayers intensified.
Eventually, he went limp, and that’s when they felt confident that they had expelled the demon through divine power.
This was just the beginning, as they faced similar incidents with other newcomers regularly.
Steve noted that the phenomenon was consistently intense, describing how those affected displayed abnormal strength, requiring several people to restrain them.
He drew parallels with the film “Nefarious,” which explores similar themes and was co-written by Steve Dees, highlighting how the portrayals resonated with his experiences.
Recognizing their mission as God-given, the group began reaching out to those they believed were under demonic oppression.
This included a man struggling with addiction and others with deep-seated issues. Hines described these encounters as profoundly challenging and beyond what many might fathom.
For a deeper insight into his experiences, you can check out the podcast episode.
