United States (MNN) — One women’s descent into the occult began with a health problem. This story comes to us from our friends at Set Free Ministries.
Spirit guide for healing
Annie* had high blood pressure. After a colleague visited a health seminar and saw a result in her own blood pressure, Annie decided to check it out.
The class centered on the topics of 
health, power, and love, while giving people the impression they could get the life they wanted with what they learned there.
Part of the class talked about connecting with your “spirit guide” in order to find these things.
Let’s stop here…
Remember our story from a couple of months ago from Emily who came out of the occult?
When we spoke to her, she said a lot of the same key words that Annie said during our interview: healing, love, and power.
From a certain standpoint, pursuing healing and love is not a bad thing. But sometimes these pursuits are a trap door. In Emily’s case, she thought she was finding healing from her pain through meditation circles. In Annie’s case, she believed that speaking with her “spirit guide” was going to improve her health.
She says, “I had absolutely no idea who they were. I just thought they were someone I went to in a room and talked to. And they listened to me, but they didn’t usually say things back, but I would get impressions.”
Annie thought it was a positive thing. On top of that, her blood pressure really did go down.
You see, while the occult in popular conversation evokes images of witches and curses, it initially draws people in with a positive image. To Annie, the seminars seemed totally normal at first.
“I was getting knowledge, I could even tell people things that we’re not supposed to know — like what their dream was the night before or something they’re worried about. And it made me feel like I was powerful.”
She started to get more involved with the group than she wanted to be.
And so, she left: “Ok, my blood pressure’s good. I think I’ve had enough, and I think I’m done. So I was done, except in my mind and of course spiritually, I was not done.”
Spiritual freedom
Annie still didn’t realize that during this time, she had been seeking contact with a demon — aka spirit guide. This was because she was missing two bits of information: Who Jesus is, and who the enemy is.
Like Emily, and perhaps some of you, Annie grew up in a Christian environment.
“I was raised in a Christian Church but absolutely had no idea about the enemy and what he was capable of,” she says.
A few years after she stopped going to the seminar, Annie was overseas and encountered a missionary who explained to her that she had been working with demons and needed to confess and repent. So, Annie did. But even after this process, she didn’t know Jesus.
“I still had not found the Lord. In other words, He found me before the foundation of the world, but I had no clue that I was going to come to Him,” she says.
Another missionary encouraged her to read her Bible.
“A missionary encouraged her to read her Bible.”
“I had nothing else, I had no TV, no magazines, no newspaper, basically no friends who spoke English at this point, so I read the Bible — every single day.”
After several months of this intense study, Annie says, “I realized he was real.”
Her husband noticed something had changed in her that day. Several months after she became a Christian, he did as well.
“Since then, both of us being now with the Lord, it’s entirely different. Everything changes in your life, obviously, because we change now. We’re the new us.”
Annie recently went through a Freedom Appointment. She says it has helped bring her to a whole new level of faith. One thing they talk about at Set Free is how the enemy uses deception to sway you.
Annie knows she was deceived into thinking that the healing seminars were good for her, and that by communicating with spirits, she was taking on thoughts that weren’t her own.
But now she knows the truth that is only found in Jesus Christ.
She says, “When you’re in his forever family you’re alive, really alive. And I was dead and didn’t even know it!”
Life-giving words
From the time she went to that first healing seminar to the day she gave her life to Jesus, six years passed. Annie shared a verse that has been helpful to her since she became a Christian. It’s Deuteronomy 31:8: “It is the LORD who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.” (ESV)
It is in Scripture that we can learn undeniable truths about God. That is why Annie encourages believers to be reading their Bibles faithfully so they are not overwhelmed by the deception of the enemy.
If you are someone who has dealt with elements of the occult, are currently caught in it, or are dabbling, Set Free Ministries would love to help you be free from this.
But not all deception from the enemy is as palpable as it was in Annie’s life. Sometimes it comes in thoughts of self-depreciation and harmful thought patterns. Contact Set Free today if you would like some assistance with these.
*Name changed for privacy
I have several friends who are all sisters, who are into this sort of thing involving angels, crystals, energies, healing, etc. They believe in Jesus and at least one of them accepted Him as her savior about 8 years ago, but shortly after that is when she got into this new age doctrine.
How can I help them see the right way? Thanks so much.
Lynda, it is especially difficult to talk about this with people who believe in Jesus and yet are not convicted about areas of their life where they’re serving Satan. I would recommend contacting Set Free Ministries– they no doubt would be able to point you to some good Scripture passages. However, the most important thing you can do is pray for them– they won’t change until they want to and that will be when the Holy Spirit convicts them. Here is the contact information for Set Free: http://www.setfreeministries.com/ContactUs.aspx Also, I encourage you to seek guidance from your pastor on how to lovingly approach friends. Bless you!
It is strange I hear this language from Christians allot:
–“…I would get impressions”
–“I was getting knowledge, I could even tell people things that we’re not supposed to know — like what their dream was the night before or something they’re worried about.”
It sounds similar to the listening prayer.
A question that I have is if people who aren’t Christians can have this experience in the absence of God then how do you know you are legitimately talking to God or how to you explain to a person like this that their experience is false and yours is true?
One thing that I don’t hear lots from Christians is “‘… I read the Bible — every single day.’
After several months of this intense study, Annie says, ‘I realized he was real.'”
The point being that God revealed Himself through the Bible.
Maybe I am just sounding off but I would like to hear other peoples perspective on this.
I read the bible every single day and am growing in my prayer life. Since faith comes by hearing the Word of God I believe God blessed this lady as she eagerly sought Him. It is a spiritual battle to get with God daily, same with prayer life, sharing the gospel, memorizing the Bible, being in fellowship, to name a few things satan hates. This testimony encouraged me! With Tylers question about her seeking God, I believe there were Christians praying for her when she was intensly seeking God in reading the bible. I could be wrong but it appears that even short conversations will help people understand their bondage. Yesterday I had a short conversation with a stranger where I asked him about his thoughts. He had no idea that not every thought that comes to his mind was his. I believe sharing truth like 2 Cor 10:5. “Taking every thought captive…” Along with a practical challenge like I did through questions will help move people to understand what is from God. Just my 2 cents on Tyler’s question