We have a 6 year-old boy in our program named Steven who is a ball of energy. He is a good kid, but sometimes a bit rowdy. Lately he has been drawing pictures of people getting hurt, shot, run over, and bleeding. While our staff has been discouraging this for some time, about a month ago I felt that Steven and I needed to take time to sit alone and discuss the pictures. He started crying and told me the devil told him to draw the pictures. I have never in my life had a child say such a thing. I told Steven I was going to pray for him. We both bowed, held hands and I prayed in the name of Jesus that Satan would leave this child alone and that he would know that when the devil wants us to do things we can say no. I prayed that Jesus would give him the strength to say no to Satan and that GOD will fill him with His love.

A week after this, it was Mama Graham day and two days before St. Valentine’s Day. I was really disappointed when Mama Graham told me that she would not be telling the story of St. Valentine (a story many of the kids and I look forward to every year), but the Holy Spirit was telling her to share something different. After her story about a group of kids who were able to stop doing bad things and give their life to Jesus, it was time to go to classrooms for homework. That’s when I saw Steven on his knees with his hands on his face. I walked over and asked him what he was doing. He said he was praying. I asked if I could pray with him. He smiled with excitement in his eyes and said yes. We knelt together and waited for the other children to walk to their classes. Steven prayed first. His words were, 

“Jesus, I want to feel you in my heart. I don’t want to do bad things anymore. I want you to change me.” 

I was blown away! I finished his prayer asking Jesus to be with him and to come into his heart to help him to live in the way that pleases GOD. After we prayed, he hugged me and went to class. Later before the kids left for home, he came up to me grinning and said, “Ms. Hannah, I really do believe in Jesus.” And the last few weeks have been proof that this is true. Steven has been caught reminding other children to be obedient and do what is right, he brings in pictures to give the staff of Jesus in heaven, and the joy that overflows through his smile is evidence that this child now has the Holy Spirit within him. GOD is good.

Hannah G., Site Director