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Jul 07, 2019 1897 Jeannie Ewing
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Living the Truth

I do not know exactly, what has been happening in my life lately, except this: spiritual darkness has been lifted from my heart and mind, and I am able to rebuke the enemy when I start feeling discouraged or anxious. I have learned so much these past several months about spiritual warfare and deliverance. But I think the most beautiful aspect of God’s mercy is that Our Lady has been so instrumental in my healing.

What I learned pertained specifically to the way I had been living for decades: in fear, shackled by some invisible force I never could identify. Because this had been oppressing me for so long, I accepted it as part of my own personality. It had become so familiar to me.

Then I began praying daily to Our Lady of Sorrows. I asked her to help me see what my primary defect was and how to root it out in my life. Then I asked her to help me see truth and live in it, dispelling the lies and darkness from my life. Shortly thereafter, she answered my prayer. I saw who I was—a beloved daughter of God— and noticed the lies creeping in my psyche were coming from the enemy.

I began praying the ‘Prayer against Oppression’ and ‘Prayer against Generational Spirits’ every day. About three weeks after I incorporated this into my daily devotions, I literally felt something lift. It was as if this burden I had been carrying, this heaviness, was just gone. It broke, and it was palpable.

I looked at patterns in my life, and I noticed for the first time that I had always lived under this black cloud of fear. Fear had been the guiding force in my life. It dictated to me from a young age what I would not do, could not do, and was unworthy of doing. It held me back from experiencing true inner freedom and peace in the Lord.

Not only that, but nearly all of my relationships, both personal and professional, had been severely affected by misunderstanding, betrayal, slander, and lies. I began writing down every person in my life, from childhood to the present day, on a sheet of paper and prayed to forgive each one of them by name. Once again, it was as if the floodgates of God’s mercy opened up, and I saw more and more areas of my life that needed healing.

Much of this was what prompted me to study the virtue of fortitude. In order to combat our primary defect (and mine is fear), we have to also foster its opposite virtue (in my case, fortitude). There is so much deep work involved in this, but it is worth every intense moment. I say this as a woman who is able to tackle the ordinary obstacles of family life, as well as the truly troubling times, with greater hope and strength.

In the past, I would always buckle under fear. I would succumb to discouragement and fall into a dark depressive state for a brief period of time. Now, the discouragement is not as intense, and I know how to do battle with it in the mind. As a result, I am better equipped to cooperate with God’s grace in getting through the struggles and trials with greater hope and trust in Him.

I share this with you, because I want you to know that you are not alone. Your particular struggles can be fought with the spiritual weapons available: Holy Mass, the Rosary, Eucharistic Adoration, Confession, and— yet—deliverance prayers. Do not be afraid to begin your journey of spiritual healing of wounds by way of praying specific prayers approved by the Church for the laity. There is so much more that God wants to give you.

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Jeannie Ewing

Jeannie Ewing is a spiritual writer and inspirational speaker. She writes about the hidden value of suffering and even discovering joy in the midst of grief. Jeannie shares her heart as a mom of two girls with special needs in “Navigating Deep Waters: Meditations for Caregivers” and is the author of “From Grief to Grace: The Journey from Tragedy to Triumph.” Jeannie was featured on National Public Radio’s Weekend Edition and dozens of other radio shows and podcasts. To know more about her, visit lovealonecreates.com or fromgrief2grace.com . Originally published at www.catholicexchange.com. Reprinted with permission.

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