Haiti (MNN) — Haiti has been on numerous emotional roller coasters in the past 18 months. What some may not realize, though, is that Haiti has been on this rickety ride for centuries.
But now, the tables may be turning. Pastor Robert Ulysse, a minister in the northwest region of Haiti, confirms that a great awakening has been taking place in that region over the past several months. He expects the area is about to stumble upon an even greater revival.
For the last six years, Ulysse has been involved with a development project in Haiti. Out of this project was birthed a Spiritual Warfare Campaign, which has been in effect over the last eight months.
"[The campaign] has the objective of reclaiming this area for God and publicly renouncing the practices that are happening," explains Ulysse. "We want people to turn away from voodoo and the practices thereof, and turn to God. This has been happening, by the way, during the last eight months."
Haiti has a long history with voodoo, which Ulysse believes is keeping God's blessing out of the country. On August 14, 1791, there was an inaugural voodoo ceremony by the slaves of the then-French colony. The objective was to dedicate Haiti to the voodoo spirits of Africa if ever those spirits helped the slaves free themselves from the French.
Not long after, the slaves indeed gained independence through war. Haiti became its own nation in 1804 after miraculously defeating the French. Ulysse calls it a miracle that those slaves–who had nothing–have defeated Napoleon's army. The ex-slaves concluded that the only way they possibly could have claimed this victory was with the help of the spirits to whom they had promised their nation.
From then on, Haiti was dedicated to spirits, gods and voodoo practices. Ulysse says every leader that has led Haiti has believed that spirits rule the country, and therefore the country has indeed been taken over.
Ulysse attributes this demonic takeover to one chapter in the Bible: Deuteronomy 28.
Deuteronomy 28 describes the blessings God will give His people who obey Him and the curses He'll send on those who disobey Him. The curses include various diseases, failing crops, madness, idol worship, hunger, thirst and a great deal of destruction.
UIysse says everyone who hears his message about this passage agrees the disturbing description paints almost a perfect picture of modern-day Haiti.
As a result of all this, the Spiritual Warfare Campaign is about reclaiming Haiti–or at least the northwest region of it–for God by turning hearts away from spirit worship and toward the Living God.
Ulysse and his ministry partners are praying–and expecting–that God will respond as He responded with Elijah on Mount Carmel, as he pleaded with God to manifest His power on an altar over the power of local gods. God manifested His power in a great way then, and Ulysse and others are praying He will do so now.
They are also praying that God would pour out His blessings on those who do renounce voodoo and turn to Him, to show that God has heard the prayers of others and has the power to transform.
Above all, their main prayer is "for God to manifest clearly His power through this Spiritual Warfare campaign, that people in the region–especially voodoo priests and people who are deeply involved in voodoo–will know there is a greater power," says Ulysse.
Hundreds have accepted Christ across the nation since the January 2010 earthquake, and now could be a time for even greater revival. Pray for this campaign, especially as many pray and fast from July 24 (this Sunday) to July 30.
