By Ashlee V. Grant (2019)
Last week I published a Facebook post about the trending topic “Jesus and therapist”, you can read my sentiments below.
“I usually wouldn't use this platform for this, but maybe someone will understand and get free from years of torment. (ISSA LONG ONE)
Watching and being apart of demons get evicted will never, ever get old. Can Christians have demons...YES, YES, YES! It is not an indictment against who your God is or who He is in you, it is an indication that the devil hates you and your purpose. He wants to torment you and since we reject the truth he usually has free range. Demons have also been assigned to our bloodline by many paths and agreements. You may very well have let them in on your own. Before we were of Christ, we were HEATHENS. The good thing is, Whom the Son sets free is FREE INDEED. Let Him set you free!!!!!!
I am looking forward to the day where the SHAME OF DELIVERANCE IS REMOVED from every church. It really is a beautiful thing. I see so much demonic presence in Christians and usually when I'm asked to pray there is a time to address those specific issues. If we can learn how to separate the person from the music (#MuteRKelly), can we learn how to separate the person from the demonic spirit? Just because you have a demon doesn't mean you are a demon. YOU'RE NOT!!!
People ask me about my life and how I am able to live so free. The answer is JESUS, Yeshua...Deliverer! HE DELIVERED ME and still does! I've had PLENTY of demons cast out of me and I am free today because of it. I still walk through personal deliverance often. WHEN THE LIGHT SHINES, THE DARKNESS IS EXPELLED.
It is ok to have Jesus and a therapist, YES! BUUUUTTTTTTT so many of the saints want to leave Jesus out. YOU CANNOT and I REPEAT YOU CANNOT counsel out a demon unless it's some form of deliverance counseling. You can, however, get delivered and then get healed from all the trauma, walk through your journey with a professional because it's needed.
Counseling is very biblical!!! If you get a counselor that will close that door, call them devils out and start you on a journey to wholeness...2 for 1 (and let me know their name and number, thanks!) Just don't skip the important part!
I love the mind and knowing how it works. I have a Bachelors degree in Psychology and I plan to get further educated in the next decade If I'm still on this earth. I am for counseling and I am for Jesus.” (End Post)
The responses after this post were minimal, which is fine, because I’m not posting for likes or comments, but to share my heart on a matter in hopes to help someone. This post was simply that.
Even though the post ended there, my thoughts on this topic did not. I am struck by the silence around deliverance since it is a biblical command. Jesus told his disciples to heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, and cast out devils (Matthew 10:8). Yet, deliverance is not a vital and thriving part of most church services. In fact, throughout the Bible we see accounts of demons being cast out, and all manner of sickness and disease is healed. No one is rejected, not even the mentally ill. Matter of fact, Jesus made it very clear, before going to the cross that He didn’t come for the sinner or outcast, He came for the Jew, those who were of the covenant. When the woman approached Jesus about her daughter who was severely possessed by a demon He turned her down by saying “it is not (appropriate, fair) to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs”. Matthew 15:26. Two things are revealed here. First, Jesus was making a distinction between those who are His covenant and those who are not. Also, he called the act of delivering the child from the demon “the children’s bread”. Under the new covenant, Christians... Believers are the children of God. Forever sons and daughters. Deliverance is our portion, it is our bread. I am a witness!
If it wasn’t for the ministry of deliverance that was introduced to me, I would be full of devils and demons. You see, as a child, I unknowingly opened the door to a lot of demonic activity in my life. Sadly, those demons stayed with me until I received deliverance ministry as an adult. In my life, I’ve noticed it wasn’t a once and for all deliverance, but a step by step endeavor. The Lord has walked me through many stages of deliverance and has identified certain spirits along the journey. Honestly, as situations and behaviors come to the surface even today, I seek deliverance.
I can recall a few pivotal moments in my life that have impacted me greatly and caused me to see the faithfulness of God in my journey. When I was younger, I let a spirit of murder in because I became bitter with a relative that rejected me when I wanted to hold their newborn baby. You’re wondering how this led to demonic oppression? Well, not knowing how to process the pain I was feeling at such a young age allowed the enemy to creep in and plant seeds of hatred towards babies. Since I had no idea, those seeds grew with me as I got older. I was tormented for over 15 years with thoughts of murdering babies. It was horrible. I remember the thoughts being so bad that I couldn’t trust myself around babies. I lived with high levels of anxiety. Even though a part of me LOVED them {babies}, there was a very dark side that I battled. I was in a women’s small group one Saturday and I’m not sure how it came up, but I confessed with tears what I had been battling for years. I was so ashamed and embarrassed to release it, but at that moment, I felt like I needed to say something. That day was the first step of my deliverance. I exposed what the devil was doing and gained support from women who believed in the power of prayer. The thoughts eventually stopped as I learned how to speak truth and life over my mind.
It wasn’t until years after that confession that the Lord revealed to me when the devil gained access and how it came in. I was over a friends house, she had recently given birth to her baby. I was nervous for some reason, not because of the past torment, but I asked if could I hold the baby. I realized that was the first time I had asked to hold a baby since I asked my relative over 20 years ago! I have held plenty of babies prior to that moment, but I had NEVER asked. They were either given to me to hold or the mother would ask me if I wanted to hold them. It was such a surreal moment. I could’ve cried because the Lord was delivering me at that moment. I didn’t shake, rattle, or roll on the floor, although that does happen. I just simply accepted the love of God in my heart and allowed Him to redeem me in that very moment. His words to me were so kind and gentle. I remember hearing Him say “There is nothing wrong with you, you are not dirty, you are worthy of love”.
The enemy will seek to oppress children because they are vulnerable and ignorant of his ways. As a child, I didn’t realize that my relative was simply protecting her newborn from a germy kid who hadn’t washed up after playing outside. All I felt was rejection. Although she never explained her actions to me, the Lord allowed me to forgive her. As a mother, today, I understand her sentiments. Now, I am careful to explain to young children who just want to love on infants that there is a process of cleansing before we can touch. Contrary to popular belief, children deserve explanations. It’s best to take time to explain why the answer is no rather than leaving the child to figure out why in their emotions or even with the enemies influence.
If the Lord had not delivered me, I don’t know what my life would’ve been. Maybe I would never have acted on those thoughts, or maybe I would have. I don’t know. All I know is God was faithful to answer my prayer to deliver me from the thoughts, but He went further to show me how it happened as a means to provide clarity and to prevent it from happening again. God is so perfect. I should add, that during my time of deliverance, I was saved and walking with the Lord. I believe that is actually what put me in the best position to be delivered because I was already yielded to His will and I wanted everything that was not like Him to get out.
I have plenty of stories and testimonies of deliverance. All of them are different with various outcomes, but they all end in freedom and peace. I believe doctors could have easily diagnosed me with a mental illness if I shared my story, but that’s not what the Lord had for me. He gave me a chance to be healed and delivered by Him. Today he extends the same invitation to you (even if you do have a mental health diagnosis). If you or someone you know is being tormented, seek professional help, let someone in. I highly recommend that you seek deliverance from those who are trained in deliverance ministry. Demons are real and they’ve been on assignment for thousands of years. There is nothing new under the sun, you are not a special case. Freedom belongs to the believer…it is our portion.
Even though the post ended there, my thoughts on this topic did not. I am struck by the silence around deliverance since it is a biblical command. Jesus told his disciples to heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, and cast out devils (Matthew 10:8). Yet, deliverance is not a vital and thriving part of most church services. In fact, throughout the Bible we see accounts of demons being cast out, and all manner of sickness and disease is healed. No one is rejected, not even the mentally ill. Matter of fact, Jesus made it very clear, before going to the cross that He didn’t come for the sinner or outcast, He came for the Jew, those who were of the covenant. When the woman approached Jesus about her daughter who was severely possessed by a demon He turned her down by saying “it is not (appropriate, fair) to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs”. Matthew 15:26. Two things are revealed here. First, Jesus was making a distinction between those who are His covenant and those who are not. Also, he called the act of delivering the child from the demon “the children’s bread”. Under the new covenant, Christians... Believers are the children of God. Forever sons and daughters. Deliverance is our portion, it is our bread. I am a witness!
If it wasn’t for the ministry of deliverance that was introduced to me, I would be full of devils and demons. You see, as a child, I unknowingly opened the door to a lot of demonic activity in my life. Sadly, those demons stayed with me until I received deliverance ministry as an adult. In my life, I’ve noticed it wasn’t a once and for all deliverance, but a step by step endeavor. The Lord has walked me through many stages of deliverance and has identified certain spirits along the journey. Honestly, as situations and behaviors come to the surface even today, I seek deliverance.
I can recall a few pivotal moments in my life that have impacted me greatly and caused me to see the faithfulness of God in my journey. When I was younger, I let a spirit of murder in because I became bitter with a relative that rejected me when I wanted to hold their newborn baby. You’re wondering how this led to demonic oppression? Well, not knowing how to process the pain I was feeling at such a young age allowed the enemy to creep in and plant seeds of hatred towards babies. Since I had no idea, those seeds grew with me as I got older. I was tormented for over 15 years with thoughts of murdering babies. It was horrible. I remember the thoughts being so bad that I couldn’t trust myself around babies. I lived with high levels of anxiety. Even though a part of me LOVED them {babies}, there was a very dark side that I battled. I was in a women’s small group one Saturday and I’m not sure how it came up, but I confessed with tears what I had been battling for years. I was so ashamed and embarrassed to release it, but at that moment, I felt like I needed to say something. That day was the first step of my deliverance. I exposed what the devil was doing and gained support from women who believed in the power of prayer. The thoughts eventually stopped as I learned how to speak truth and life over my mind.
It wasn’t until years after that confession that the Lord revealed to me when the devil gained access and how it came in. I was over a friends house, she had recently given birth to her baby. I was nervous for some reason, not because of the past torment, but I asked if could I hold the baby. I realized that was the first time I had asked to hold a baby since I asked my relative over 20 years ago! I have held plenty of babies prior to that moment, but I had NEVER asked. They were either given to me to hold or the mother would ask me if I wanted to hold them. It was such a surreal moment. I could’ve cried because the Lord was delivering me at that moment. I didn’t shake, rattle, or roll on the floor, although that does happen. I just simply accepted the love of God in my heart and allowed Him to redeem me in that very moment. His words to me were so kind and gentle. I remember hearing Him say “There is nothing wrong with you, you are not dirty, you are worthy of love”.
The enemy will seek to oppress children because they are vulnerable and ignorant of his ways. As a child, I didn’t realize that my relative was simply protecting her newborn from a germy kid who hadn’t washed up after playing outside. All I felt was rejection. Although she never explained her actions to me, the Lord allowed me to forgive her. As a mother, today, I understand her sentiments. Now, I am careful to explain to young children who just want to love on infants that there is a process of cleansing before we can touch. Contrary to popular belief, children deserve explanations. It’s best to take time to explain why the answer is no rather than leaving the child to figure out why in their emotions or even with the enemies influence.
If the Lord had not delivered me, I don’t know what my life would’ve been. Maybe I would never have acted on those thoughts, or maybe I would have. I don’t know. All I know is God was faithful to answer my prayer to deliver me from the thoughts, but He went further to show me how it happened as a means to provide clarity and to prevent it from happening again. God is so perfect. I should add, that during my time of deliverance, I was saved and walking with the Lord. I believe that is actually what put me in the best position to be delivered because I was already yielded to His will and I wanted everything that was not like Him to get out.
I have plenty of stories and testimonies of deliverance. All of them are different with various outcomes, but they all end in freedom and peace. I believe doctors could have easily diagnosed me with a mental illness if I shared my story, but that’s not what the Lord had for me. He gave me a chance to be healed and delivered by Him. Today he extends the same invitation to you (even if you do have a mental health diagnosis). If you or someone you know is being tormented, seek professional help, let someone in. I highly recommend that you seek deliverance from those who are trained in deliverance ministry. Demons are real and they’ve been on assignment for thousands of years. There is nothing new under the sun, you are not a special case. Freedom belongs to the believer…it is our portion.
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Ashlee is a wife, mother, entrepreneur, and most importantly, daughter of the Most High God. Ashlee is committed to leading a life that reflects her gratitude for the redeeming grace extended to her through Yeshua and continually seeks to assist those around her with doing the same. Ashlee has a BA in psychology and a MPA from Kentucky State University. She and her husband Jerod, have one small child and reside in Central, Ohio.
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