The miracles of God are endless, and many times, they put to shame every hopeless human forecast of how a particular situation will turn out. But once again, the Lord demonstrated His abundant care in the life of sister Agnès Mounkoro on September 17, 2024.
In the November 2024 Adventist Frontiers article “The Power of Prayer,” I wrote about sister Agnès and her husband Solo. Sister Agnès had been struggling to conceive even after several years of attempts. This was due to peculiar spiritual hindrances, recurrent demonic oppressions and other malevolent harassments leveled against her by the devil. The sister was freed from the grasp of the satanic embargo in September 2023 through our humble supplications to the Lord, and her pediatrician subsequently confirmed that she had conceived her first child, with a due date between September 1-15, 2024.
Her pregnancy continued quite uneventfully until July of this year when the doctor informed her that she needed to undergo a cesarean section for the baby’s and her own survival; the natural childbirth she desired would not be an option.
“What?” many asked in shock. Neither sister Agnès and her husband nor any member of their respective families could afford the cost of the procedure, which is very expensive in Mali. Everyone wondered what they should do next.
The answer from the brethren was an emphatic, “Entreat God.” From there on, every prayer group from Kangaba to Bancoumana and on to Maninkoura started praying for her.
As director of the Malinke Project, I gathered our field evangelists to visit the couple and see how they were doing. After talking and praying for a while, I encouraged Agnès and Solo and reassured them of the power and promises of God by reading and expounding on Jeremiah 33:3.
I also offered for our project to support the costs of the delivery, including if the operation became a necessity. Nevertheless, I insisted: “God will see you through in this situation. With faith, you will deliver naturally, Agnès, without any cesarean whatsoever.” It was a declaration that would sound too bold to some evangelists, even though they also believed in God’s power.
Before departing, I handed them the keys to one of the motorbikes we used to visit them that day. It was a gift from God to Solo and a sign of the blessings the Lord would pour on them. For years, they had kept their commitment to God, walking long distances to join the brethren in the Bancoumana community for worship every blessed Sabbath day. Afterward, we had a final prayer, and our team departed, understanding the situation as an intense spiritual challenge that we must urgently address.
Once I arrived home in Kangaba, I set aside time for intercession and prayers of supplication. I would wake up at midnight and seek the face of the Lord on her behalf. I then consecrated olive oil to the cause, fasting and praying over it for several days, asking God to provide anointing through the oil.
When I went to revisit sister Agnès, I handed her some of the oil, instructing her to drink some and rub some on her forehead. As the date for her delivery drew near, sister Agnès, at the recommendation of her doctor and accompanied by her mother-in-law, traveled to an advanced hospital in Bamako, the capital of Mali.
I continued to visit them and cover their expenses as they arose. September 15 passed, and still the baby had not been born.
After further examinations, the specialists concluded that she still stood a great chance of being able to give birth naturally. Her emotions shifted from fear to sudden hope.
However, the specialists sounded a note of caution to her, “But if you don’t deliver naturally by September 21, we will have no choice but to perform a c-section.” Her fears flared up once again.
I returned to visit Agnès on September 16, bringing with me another small container of olive oil, encouraging her to continue as I had instructed her. I then prayed for her in the presence of her Muslim host family and left for Kangaba. Her contractions started later that day.
On September 17, her husband’s boss called me and said that, at long last, Agnès had delivered a bouncy baby boy naturally and safely and that both were in good condition. Upon hearing this good news, shouts of “Alleluia” and “Praise be to the Lord” shook Bancoumana, Kangaba and Maninkoura. What a deliverance! What a resounding victory of God over the kingdom of darkness! Glory be to His name. God’s mercies have galvanized the faith of many.
Brothers and sisters in Christ, our God is indeed mighty to save, even today, in a world that goes by the slogan, “Seeing is believing.” He can solve our most profound problems through sincere prayers of faith, even issues we cannot share with others, all because He is a faithful Friend who will never abandon us in times of trouble. Let us come to Him with confidence. Hebrews 4:15-16 says, “For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses; but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us, therefore, come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”
Please pray for sister Agnès and her newborn baby that they both may continue to be in good health and be protected from the subtle attacks of the wicked one. Please also pray for them as a family, that they grow strong in the Lord.
