Thank you for this, Matt. The prayer you shared is powerful, and praying it brings me back to what I felt when I wrote this poem a few Easters ago, so I offer it to you in exchange.
This brings to mind a passage from St. Ambrose in which he’s instructing the newly initiated on the meaning of their baptism: “You entered, then, that you might discern your adversary, whom you were to renounce as it were to his face, then you turned to the east; for he who renounces the devil turns to Christ, and beholds Him face to face.”
I think you echo Ambrose beautifully; it’s more than mere mental ascent, but a full-bodied, directional act of the will. We are meant to look our adversary in the eye, renounce him, and then physically, spiritually, wholly turn ourselves toward the East, the Light of the World.
Very good timing, my wife and I were just talking about how it feels like our year and half old daughter (she’s our 5th child, so we’re not new to this parenting thing) is possessed with a demon. She screams more that any of our other kids ever did, and it’s a terrible cycle she’s in. It’s affecting us, we’re scared to go to bed because she might wake us screaming - so we stay up late, we don’t sleep well because she does wake up and screams at night, we end up sleeping later than we want because we’re so tired, we end up cranky during the day, and when she screams at us, we have a hard time being patient… now, she is in fact getting better, and we’ve decided to wean her this last week, so I (the husband) am now putting her to bed, and it’s working well… but then she gives us her love and doting affection and all goes away.
Anyway, I told my wife, if there is in fact some sort of demonic working right now, it’s not our sweet daughter- it’s meant for us, to frustrate our entire family.
I’ll be calling this as it is. Thanks for the prayers.
We had this experience with our second daughter. Using very similar spiritual warfare as above, she was freed from her oppression. Even from a very young age, she would have fits that were clearly demonic, not like regular bad behavior and would scream when we prayed with her. It was a couple years 😭 before we were equipped to do battle for her, but she was free and a totally different girl. We, of course, made sure that we confessed any unrepentant sin, taking extra time for examination of conscience. Then using the same format above, we prayed against lies that relatives had spoken over her as well has other things we felt led to. (When your toddler says, ‘I hate me, I don’t want to live,’ you have some pretty clear direction.) Praying you see a difference and peacefulness in your daughter soon!
Thanks for the insight, I probably make it sound worse on here than it is, but then I realize in thinking and saying that, I’m not truly acknowledging what is clearly happening in our lives right now! Thanks for the prayers. I see you’re a farmer as well - I’m new on Substack, but my wife and I just sold our home in town last fall and are starting a farm/homestead. I’m a horticulturist and we truly do feel called to this lifestyle. Will see you around these pages…
Thank you for this, Matt. The prayer you shared is powerful, and praying it brings me back to what I felt when I wrote this poem a few Easters ago, so I offer it to you in exchange.
*
One tree outside the narthex
in one night erupted into huge white
and pink flowers in bunches big
as clasped fists, or some wider
than hands splayed upward
into spilling brooks of light.
“I love to hear the bells,” you told me.
A wind caught blossoms from the wild
arms that rose and fell and threw
the parted kisses of their blooms
against my neck like breaking surf
the morning of the Resurrection.
If you want to supercharge this, I've been a big fan of a formulation I got from some friends: "I renounce, reject, and rebuke the..."
This would frustrate Screwtape and his dear nephew to no end!!
Thank you so much
Great post! Thanks for sharing!
This brings to mind a passage from St. Ambrose in which he’s instructing the newly initiated on the meaning of their baptism: “You entered, then, that you might discern your adversary, whom you were to renounce as it were to his face, then you turned to the east; for he who renounces the devil turns to Christ, and beholds Him face to face.”
I think you echo Ambrose beautifully; it’s more than mere mental ascent, but a full-bodied, directional act of the will. We are meant to look our adversary in the eye, renounce him, and then physically, spiritually, wholly turn ourselves toward the East, the Light of the World.
Amen.
Needed this. Thank you
Very good timing, my wife and I were just talking about how it feels like our year and half old daughter (she’s our 5th child, so we’re not new to this parenting thing) is possessed with a demon. She screams more that any of our other kids ever did, and it’s a terrible cycle she’s in. It’s affecting us, we’re scared to go to bed because she might wake us screaming - so we stay up late, we don’t sleep well because she does wake up and screams at night, we end up sleeping later than we want because we’re so tired, we end up cranky during the day, and when she screams at us, we have a hard time being patient… now, she is in fact getting better, and we’ve decided to wean her this last week, so I (the husband) am now putting her to bed, and it’s working well… but then she gives us her love and doting affection and all goes away.
Anyway, I told my wife, if there is in fact some sort of demonic working right now, it’s not our sweet daughter- it’s meant for us, to frustrate our entire family.
I’ll be calling this as it is. Thanks for the prayers.
We had this experience with our second daughter. Using very similar spiritual warfare as above, she was freed from her oppression. Even from a very young age, she would have fits that were clearly demonic, not like regular bad behavior and would scream when we prayed with her. It was a couple years 😭 before we were equipped to do battle for her, but she was free and a totally different girl. We, of course, made sure that we confessed any unrepentant sin, taking extra time for examination of conscience. Then using the same format above, we prayed against lies that relatives had spoken over her as well has other things we felt led to. (When your toddler says, ‘I hate me, I don’t want to live,’ you have some pretty clear direction.) Praying you see a difference and peacefulness in your daughter soon!
Thanks for the insight, I probably make it sound worse on here than it is, but then I realize in thinking and saying that, I’m not truly acknowledging what is clearly happening in our lives right now! Thanks for the prayers. I see you’re a farmer as well - I’m new on Substack, but my wife and I just sold our home in town last fall and are starting a farm/homestead. I’m a horticulturist and we truly do feel called to this lifestyle. Will see you around these pages…