During my recent ministry trip to Thailand, I was privileged to travel to a village where I spent time interviewing people about testimonies of the dead being raised through prayer in Jesus’ name.
I believe these stories, which both happened in the fall of 2012, to be both accurate and true.
This is one of two stories.
Tired of Waiting
A village woman named Mae Noi had been recovering for the past eight months from open heart surgery. The time of the harvest had come and she was tired of resting so she decided to join her husband in the fields that day.
At around 5pm, she came in to eat and wash up. She had chest pains and fell down unable to call for help. She eventually lost consciouness and died.
Her husband found her lifeless body when he returned home at around 11pm. He ran frantically to the neighbors looking for help until he found it at the house of a new believer named “Judah.” Judah had taken this new name after being born again about four years ago.
Could I Have The Elijah Kind Of Faith?
Two days before his neighbor came for him, Judah had been reading the story of Elijah raising the widow’s son from the dead (I Kings 17:17-22). During his reading, an announcement came over the village loudspeaker that an old man had died in the village.
Judah, a pig farmer by occupation, asked God,
“Could I have the faith to pray like Elijah did one day? Could I see the dead raised?”
Two days later, God answered his prayer.
A “Ghost” Killed Her
Judah and his father made their way to their neighbors house and found the other villagers preparing the body on the “sala”, an outdoor sitting area made of bamboo. The villagers were careful not to leave the body near the house because they were afraid that her ghost would haunt the place. They were saying that a “Pii Phop” had killed the lady. This spirit is infamous in Northeast Thailand for causing tragedy.
Jesus, Name Above All Names
Judah and his father insisted that the body be brought back into the house where they would pray to Jesus for her life to be restored. They began to pray and cry out to God for her. Judah and his father prayed earnestly for about 20 minutes when suddenly the woman’s pulse and breath returned. She began to regain color but she was paralyzed and couldn’t speak.
They brought her to the local hospital where the doctor said that she would most probably die anyway or be paralyzed for life. Judah and his father continued to pray while the villagers observed silently.
Fully Recovered And Amazed
Despite the Doctor’s dire predictions, this Mae Noi eventually regained all motion and function and is fully alive and healthy today. One day after being released out of the hospital she went back into the fields to help her husband with the rice harvest!
She has suffered no lasting effects from her death. She and her husband are joining Judah and his family as a part of a new village house church fellowship.
Judah gives God all of the glory for what He did. He is thankful that God has revealed Himself to his fellow villagers and displayed the mighty power of the name of His Son, the Savior, Jesus Christ.
Later that day, I was even more amazed as God led me to ask Judah about his testimony. I learned many things about the reality of the Thai world view and how a Gospel of power would be needed to set the Thai free from spiritual darkness and bondage.
