A PERSONAL INTRODUCTION TO DELIVERANCE
Personal Account by Steve Bell

I was startled when I first heard and saw spirits coming out of humans. My paradigm formed by years of education and religious training was confronted and shaken. I could no longer relegate the idea of demons in people to mere superstition and ignorance.

I first heard demons leaving people while listening to a cassette tape. Derek Prince was teaching a large group of teen-agers how evil spirits can enter people through their disobedience and rebellion. As he began to pray for the group, strange and unworldly sounds began to come forth from the audience. Just listening, I felt cold chills .

Later I experienced personally the reality of demons in people while reading the book “Pigs in the Parlor” by Frank and Ida Hammond. I stopped to pray for myself. I became intensely frightened when I began to choke and my voice lowered to a raspy growl. I ran to the bathroom to look in the mirror. I saw something in my eyes that was definitely not me — at least, not the me I knew. I decided to stop and wait until I could find someone who knew about deliverance and could pray with me.

My First Encounter with Personal Deliverance

A friend told me about a Bible Camp in Arkansas which had speakers who taught on casting out demons — “deliverance” they call it. I wanted to go to learn more. A few weeks later, another friend and I drove to a meeting at Lake Hamilton Deliverance Camp in Hot Springs. Frank Hammond and Win Worley (another author of a deliverance book) were ministering. My friend and I walked into the meeting room just as Frank Hammond was ministering deliverance to a group of about one hundred people.

I was taken aback by people coughing and gagging throughout the room. There was a foul odor in the air. I had never seen a church service like this! We were handed paper towels and directed to a seat. As strange as it was to my traditional background, deep down inside I just knew God was in it.

I was afraid to ask someone to pray for me, and perhaps, cast out any demons. I knew I wasn’t free, though, and I wanted complete freedom in Christ more than I wanted anything. I was hungry for everything God had for me. My hunger conquered my lack of understanding and fear.

Although both Frank Hammond and Win Worley were busy ministering, I eventually was able to talk with Win Worley and asked if he would pray for me. When I told him I was in the ministry, he was especially enthused to respond to my request. He motioned to another brother from his church to assist in my ministry. They sat down one on each side of me, and put their mouths up close to my ears. They began to pray softly. Immediately, I was very irritated. “This is ridiculous,” I thought, “I don’t like this, and I certainly don’t like these men. What do they think they are doing?” In just a few minutes I lost total control! I lunged forward wanting with all my life to get away from these men and their voices in my ears! Down I went groaning like some animal, knocking down chairs and making a big scene! The two brothers followed me down to the floor and continued to pray in my ears. They were telling spirits to leave. They kept on saying they loved me and that God loved me. I felt I had lost my mind and had gone totally insane!