Christian Deliverance Ministry Articles

September 8 -10, 2022 You will receive personal deliverance ministry from our anointed prayer team and powerful, practical teaching on entry points for demonic strongholds and how to close them in preparation for ministry. Topics covered: Generational and word curses How do past traumas and sins we have committed affect us Soul ties—godly and ungodly “Nuts and […]

There is an art to the deception that is fundamental to the demonic kingdom. Deception is the “process” that Satan uses to cause you to disagree with the promises of God and obsess over a lie. Let that sink in for a minute. Allowing the enemy’s lies to become your narrative makes you a food […]

“You won’t believe what happened to me since I was in here last!” Our counselors often hear that refrain from clients who come in again after the initial interview session. Many are amazed at how events have conspired to dissuade them from coming in for the help they need. There are no coincidences in the […]

As Christian counselors and deliverance ministers, our ministry sees many cases of “generational curses” being passed down through family lines. How significant is this? We contend that this element alone is responsible for between one half and two thirds of the issues people deal with!

Ungodly soul ties are one of the most overlooked sources of demonic torment. In recent deliverances, I have discovered something shocking. You can have a soul-tie based on a fascination with a movie star or their role in your favorite movie. Soul ties based on influence get you to do something or feel something you would […]

“I am bored.” “I’ll just scroll online to do some product research.” “Wow! Look at this sale; I’ve never seen it priced this low, and I have a coupon for another 20% off!” Welcome to the snare of addiction to online shopping!

What have you missed that is feeding spirits of anxiety, depression, misery, and anger? Do you allow people to control, manipulate, and wreak havoc in your life? Are there unresolved issues with people from your past? When you cry out, “Lord, why have you not delivered me?” Is it because you have allowed an ungodly […]

This article is based on my observation, experience, and fresh revelation from God during a specific deliverance session with a female client we will call Sasha. With her encouragement, I share her deliverance to expose the demons of hopelessness, dread, and death that sought to kill, steal, and destroy her destiny.

Have you ever said: “Pornography is a friend I can escape with.” “I like being seen as sexy; it gives me power.” “Lust is my thrill, and I enjoy it.” You have invited in a spirit of lust to squat in your soul! Lust is the Master Manipulator Lust creates a “rush” of adrenalin that […]

When we minister to children, understanding traumatic events that happened during the mothers’ pregnancy or during the actual birth is essential for effective deliverance. A mother concerned about her four-year-old son’s fearful behavior came into the office looking for answers.  Everything seemed to frighten him. When I asked her about traumatic events in her life, she stated, […]

The terms “addict”, “my addiction” and “addictive personality” are tossed around liberally today. Are they accurate descriptions or do they misrepresent the root cause of a person’s struggles? Is addiction primarily an emotional issue, medical, genetic, spiritual – or can it be a combination? I’m going to share my perspective as a Christian Counselor/Deliverance Minister […]

This article was originally published on April 24, 2012. It has been edited and re-released in 2020. In modern American lore, the terms “mafia” and “death” are frequently used together in the same sentence. From a spiritual standpoint, we have seen that even “uninvolved” family members can have spirits of death (and more) operating in […]

Do you experience hurt and pain that gets triggered regardless of how you try to retain gain control of your emotions? Are there people you Have you tried to forgive those who have hurt you, but the pain lingers? Does this hurt steal your joy no matter how hard you try to “get over it”? […]

In my experience as a Christian Counselor offering deliverance ministry services, I have observed patterns and common themes among those who struggle to walk in freedom following our sessions. I want to cover four of the major ones: Unforgiveness. One common roadblock to a successful deliverance is an unwillingness to forgive. This is a significant […]

Lisa (not her real name) came to us, hoping to improve her relationship with her father. During our first meeting, it became apparent she had work to do first on herself. She had an expectation that the wrong would be set right as her father would have to answer to her accusations.  But her emotions […]

The root of a stronghold may often be found in five words or less that we confess. In a recent article (“Are Your Negative Expectations Limiting God?”), I touched on some of those word curses that were the seeds to a forest of torment that sound like this: “You will never be anything.” “You are […]

Have you tried deliverance and still feel stuck? Do you feel like your feet are sinking in miry clay? Have you lost hope? Your soul might be trapped in a spiritual region of captivity that is called the pit of destruction.

Are you open to receiving deliverance ministry but wonder if it will work for you? Do you have enough faith? Are you ready? Clients often voice these questions, sometimes directly but often in subtle ways. I want to share with you what we say to them so you can hopefully be encouraged and not let […]

Do you expect rejection when you walk into a room full of people? Do you expect depression to greet you when you wake up? Do you expect anxiety when you face the unknown? Warning! What you expect is the focus of your faith, and it might be manipulated by a spirit of dread.

“Satan can’t have any access in your life except what you allow?” Ever heard that phrase, or something similar? I’ve heard some famous preachers put forth that view, and it saddens me. I don’t believe it’s a true statement and they end up leaving their audience feeling worse about themselves and not better. Everyone has […]

God interrupted my commute home one day in 2004 with, “I want my own television show.”  His voice instantly transformed my otherwise boring drive. However, my response was not an exuberant “Send me Lord!” It sounded more like, “Have fun with that!” God faithfully continued, “I don’t want it to be like that show The […]

Many of our clients are on medications for depression, anxiety or mental illness. They’ve come to us because they know there is a better way. Will we still minister deliverance? Do the meds hinder the process?

Jesus drove demons out of many people. Were they saved? Did they believe in him before he did that? Should deliverance ministers drive demons out of people without consideration of their spiritual condition? We have ministered deliverance to thousands of people at Above & Beyond and I want to put forth our perspective on this […]

Are you a person who treats their “to do” list like a Bible? Do you blow up when you are interrupted, or plans change suddenly? Are truth and order your highest priorities? Excellence is essential, perfectionism is not!

Have you reached the master-level status in a demonic mind-game of self-condemnation? Here is a clue, the invitation to play sounds like this, “Maybe God can forgive me, but I can’t forgive myself.  I am not worthy.” You can almost hear a drum beat like the game of “Jumanji” begin calling your name.  With your […]

Fear chased Omar toward a premature finish line with forty seizures in a single day.  His body writhed under the pressure of the attack, his eyes rolled back in his head, and his soul was running toward the edge of the grave.  I will get to his victory soon.

Clients frequently ask us this question. We have addressed it in bits and pieces in other articles, but I want to use this space to present our perspective. It’s a common question and if you do your own research, you will find that most sources contend that demons cannot read our minds. We agree with […]

“I had faith to believe in my healing, but a demon was blocking my freedom!” Elise remembered a once full life of travel designing clothes as she gazed at the four walls of her bathroom.  This was now her prison.  She was on lockdown 18 times a day with no medical hope of ever being […]

Have you lost that loving feeling? Do you feel abandoned, isolated, and distrustful? Consider this: the demonic realm may have snared you in a trap of rejection that is stealing your identity and purpose as a woman.

This article on the Irish heritage is part of a series on generational curses or iniquity based on spiritual torment common to particular cultures.  Important disclaimer: these are based on my observations and experiences in deliverance ministry only. As part of the client interview process, I ask about ethnicity because it reveals so much!  The Irish […]

Ungodly soul ties result when we allow someone to get us doing things we do not want to do. When you gossip about someone, you have forged a negative bonding with that person, and those to whom you share?

Internet (or online) deliverance ministry is an emerging phenomenon in the Body of Christ. The exploding need, coupled with a shortage of qualified deliverance ministers, is fueling this new venture. Since 2008, most of our deliverance sessions have taken place in an office or group seminar environment. In 2010, we actively embraced and employed Internet […]

How can you tell if a Jezebel spirit is affecting your actions or using someone close to you? First, we need to debunk three misconceptions about Jezebel: Jezebel is not a demon spirit solely assigned to women. Jezebel is a territorial (principality) spirit that does not inhabit a body. Ephesians 6:12 talks about spiritual forces […]

What was going on in your mother’s life while she was pregnant with you? Was there trauma or chaos in the delivery room on the day of your birth? Were you a “surprise” baby? These questions expose the root of a demonic assignment from birth to kill, steal, and destroy your destiny! (John 10:10)

Are you still weighed down under holiday oppression from hurt feelings? That yoke of bondage can feel heavier than eating the entire Christmas turkey! It’s time to take off some of that spiritual weight and allow the joy of the Lord to be your strength!

You have a chance to attend a group deliverance seminar — is it worth your time and energy? Is it safe? Is it effective? Are there some who should only have deliverance ministry privately? We minister in deliverance one-on-one in our FL offices and also use internet technology to help clients all over the world. […]

You need deliverance, and you know it. You cannot find help locally and are desperate, at the end of your rope. Do you need to jump on a plane and go see somebody? 

Parallel Bible passages in Mark and Matthew relate the story about Jesus interacting with the father of a demonized boy. The father had brought the boy to Christ’s disciples but they could not drive the demon out. Jesus immediately called the spirit out of the boy and declared to his father that “this kind only […]

”In the words of a broken heart It’s just emotion that’s taken me over Tied up in sorrow, lost in my soul…” ( The Bee Gees – “Emotions”) Music is a powerful tool that can be used by demons to control your emotions and invite spirits of depression and rejection in your soul! Satan has infiltrated […]

The terms “addict”, “my addiction” and “addictive personality” are tossed around liberally today. Are they accurate descriptions or do they misrepresent the root cause of a person’s struggles? I’m going to share my perspective as a Christian Counselor/Deliverance Minister based upon experience in dealing with many who struggle with substance abuse.

Many of our (potential) clients pose this question to us and it is often couched in other terms: “Have you had success with cases like this?” “Do you think you can help me?” It’s a very fair question and we are accustomed to hearing it frequently. 

Do you find yourself heading into the New Year distracted and disorganized? Does something always sabotage your plans? Do you feel like a failure going around the same mountain year after year? Hindering spirits that distract you will bring on delay and disappointment.  These demons are assigned to hold you in bondage to steal your […]

Do you feel trapped in the trauma of your childhood? Do you still hide and isolate from people the way you did as a child? Do you respond like a child when confronted with fearful situations? Spirits of fear that came in with childhood trauma will often cause adults to behave like a child. 

• What issues were you dealing with? Be specific. I had been dealing with fear and anxiety over family issues. • How where they affecting you? Thinking negativity. Not sleeping well. • What changes have you seen?

Many counseling clients are well-versed in many of the tenets of deliverance ministry. Some have labored exhaustively, with varying degrees of success, to call spirits out of themselves before they come to see us. Why does this approach typically offer limited value and help for those securing freedom? 

New clients often wonder aloud if deliverance ministry will “work” for them. Will it be effective? I love that question because it presents an opportunity for me to gauge their motivation level for freedom. I have had the privilege of praying deliverance for more than a thousand people in one-on-one sessions and several thousand more […]

People with a spirit of religious can accept that Jesus is their Savior. However, we have seen where that devil will not allow them to proclaim Him as Lord over their life. I want to relate a deliverance ministry encounter where I witnessed that in an amazing way!

Do you know what spirit God made a priority to identify first so His children could walk out of bondage and be free? The devil knows! Here are two clues: It’s a spirit that keeps you recycling the past like a broken record. Just a little root of this spirit can corrupt your whole soul. The […]

In Part I of this two-part series, I covered the biblical basis for Children’s deliverance. Read Part I In this article, I want to offer some insight that will help you discern if what you are dealing with is a demon manifesting in your child or a discipline problem. 

Do you see behaviors in your child that concern and frighten you? Have your efforts of discipline resulted in defeat? Do you see patterns evolving that are common in your family tree? Do the doctors want to prescribe medications for something that you sense is a spiritual torment? Your child may be oppressed by a […]

Discerning spirits is an important spiritual gift for every believer to be proficient in. God wants us to have it, we are to desire it eagerly and it is vital for all aspects of walking into the blessed and abundant life He has for it. It is also important in the realm of spiritual warfare, […]

Do you wake up and feel like you are already behind schedule? Do you handle interruptions to your plans with grace? Or does frustration lead to an explosion of anger? Have you made your “To Do List” an idol? If you suffer from ungodly self-control that is driving you with a performance mindset, you may […]

Has it ever occurred to you that an ungodly soul tie is what’s giving a spirit of addiction control over your life? Have you tried to stop using drugs or alcohol without success? Who was it that offered you that first drink, joint, or pill? 

Editor’s Note: This was originally published as a two part blog in January, 2015. The article below comprises both parts, combined into one. Do you wallow in depression, self-pity, self-rejection, and self-condemnation? Do you find it hard to forgive yourself? Do you continually punish yourself when you fail to live up to your expectations or […]

Christians seek out many sources when they need help dealing with life situations. Avenues of exploration include asking friends, meeting with the pastor, ingesting medications to ease emotional pain to name just a few. Some will opt for professional counseling help. The road to victory can be painful, tedious and seemingly without lasting success. 

I came to A&B Counseling for counseling to move past “whatever had a hold of me or whatever I was holding onto that surrounded my past”. That is what I said when I sat down. I had no idea what the problem was but something was there. I had taken a test that was for […]

I began studying deliverance five years ago while going through a divorce to a man who was blatantlly committing adultery with another married woman and telling my family that I was the cause and I was crazy. 

Before coming to Above and Beyond Counseling Center, I was in chains. I experienced a very rough childhood that led me into an addiction of drugs and alcohol. As I reflect back to who I was prior to being delivered by the Holy Spirit I was in bondage in every area of my life!

My mother is Cuban and my father is Romanian. Both sides of the families were very traditional in their cultural beliefs and were involved in pagan rituals such as santeria  and  fortune telling. Both sides of the family resorted to violence and curses when angered.

How well do you know your tattoo artist? What types of artwork have he or she done in the past? What feelings did you have when you walked away with your very first tattoo? The intention of this blog is not to debate religious views about tattoos, but to cause you to think about a […]

I am from New Orleans LA. In June, 2014 I came to the Released to Soar Deliverance Seminar. I was truly blessed.  When I came to the seminar I have my list of things I thought I needed to be delivered from, but one thing caught me by surprise. Just as the Lady called out […]

I grew up around the church but spent most of my life pushing Christ away.  I hit rock bottom after my divorce in 2006.  God allowed me to come to the end of myself and through the pain of my divorce I was convicted of my sin.  I got down on my knees and asked […]

Before working with Above & Beyond, I had many problems with thoughts of fear. I had sleep disorders, felt unworthy and had a low self-esteem, which had negative effects on my whole life. Since the deliverance session, the fears are reduced and I feel much more freedom and peace. I see many things more positively […]

“They’re out to get you; there’s demons closing in on every side. They will possess you unless you change the number on your dial…..” It’s that time of year again!  Halloween season is in full swing and so is the “Thriller” memorial to the King of Pop, Michael Jackson. People all over the world are […]

See other “Success Stories“ I was at the end of my rope and all hope diminished that I would ever recover from infidelity in my marriage. We had tried counselling AND I had forgiven my husband, whom I dearly loved, but I couldn’t seem to get over this betrayal.

It is important to look at what the Bible says about depression. As new covenant believers, we must understand and apply these scriptures from the vantage point of Christ’s finished work on the cross because they offer the very best hope for freedom. Are you bound up in depression and frustrated at the lack of victory […]

Medical experts tell us that excessive fear, worry or anxiety in a person’s life can trigger or worsen certain sicknesses of diseases. Are you aware that many sicknesses and diseases have a spiritual root, where the demonic spirits of fear (and others) enters to try to kill and destroy us?

Do you remember the day when your peace evaporated in thin air? When torment familiar to your past felt like it started following you again? A time when you knew you were innocent of any sinful behavior but felt victimized all over again by a demonic harassing spirit.

You’ve just had another quarrel with your husband, and you can’t figure out why he doesn’t understand you. He is frustrated because he says you are not listening to him. Both of you are pulling back. You love one another, but this ongoing disconnect threatens to destroy what you know the Lord has ordained for […]

I suffered much confusion during my marriage and after the death of my husband of 30 years.  How did I, an independent sort of person, get roped into that?  How did he manage to make me feel so responsible for his health issues? 

We prepare people for deliverance ministry by teaching them about open doors for demonic torment and then work with them to close the doors before the actual deliverance ministry. Traumatic events in a person’s past can result in oppression that torments them long after the incident has passed. One of our Center’s clients suffered a […]

The day after Robin’s sudden and tragic demise, we were contacted by a Christian radio station and invited to be on a drive time show to talk about depression. Neither Phyllis’ nor my schedule would permit it, but I’ve spent some time musing on what I might have said. When a beloved comedian sees death as […]

Christians routinely visit a sick friend or relative in the hospital. Some will stir up their faith and pray for healing while they are there, maybe even laying hands upon them.  Would you like to step your spiritual warfare a notch or two? In this article, I’m going to suggest four bold tactics for you […]

I regularly meet with counseling clients who have engaged in occultic sin prior to their salvation. When they became Christians, they invariably sought and received forgiveness for their sins in these areas and are comforted by knowing that God has forgiven them. Case closed, right?

We often see clients (women, most frequently) go through our deliverance ministry process and then ask an important question: “God has set me free from demonic strongholds, but won’t I get them all back if I am intimate with my husband?” What is the truth?

As a Christian counselor and deliverance minister, the fear God’s people harbor about this topic is so maddening for me that I just had to bear down and put pen to paper. What is the truth about catching someone else’s demons? I hear this lament most frequently in church and ministry settings. An altar worker […]

When conversing with counseling clients, we use the term “deliverance ministry” in discussions.  They will often ask about exorcisms.  Exorcism or deliverance: what’s the distinction? Like so many of my generation, I was intrigued by the original “The Exorcist” movie back in 1972 and attended a screening. It was not a wise choice. I was […]

I visited Above & Beyond Counseling Center because I had unresolved issues from my childhood with my mother. I received years of therapy regarding this issue but I knew there was something that was still not right inside of me. My first appointment with Phyllis was like meeting an old friend. I opened to her […]

From January 7 to January 18, 2013 I was in a deep spiritual comma where ending my life was the only way out that I saw.  After a year of a traumatic event in my life, and a lifetime of generational curses, those were two weeks of constant torture of the mind, not eating, not […]

How does one best do deliverance ministry? What is the right way to do it? Are there wrong ways?  Deliverance ministry is the driving out of demons, and I want to give you a quick overview of some of the current practices.

What an exciting week for us! Above & Beyond will be featured on a national, secular documentary about deliverance ministry. I want to give you some background and details about the show so hopefully you will watch and share this news! The show, titled “Fighting Satan,” is the premiere episode on Lisa Ling’s “Our America” show on […]

A spirit of rejection victimizes its prey by causing them to feel worthless and unwanted. It employs a spirit of self-pity as its right hand man to drive people away and allow abandonment and isolation to move in. A spirit of rejection taunts with one failure after another in hopes you will say, “I give […]

A number of our counseling and deliverance ministry clients are on prescribed medications to help them deal with anxiety, depression and mood/behavior swings. Many ask how we handle psychotropic medications in deliverance ministry. They ask if they should go off their medications. We answer with a resounding, “No!” 

Christian counselors are called to help people fulfill their God-given destiny. They may need to help them heal, better understand God’s word, make decisions and stay (or return to) the narrow road that leads to life (Matt 7:13-14). Deliverance ministry should be an important part of the Christian counseling skill set that the therapist has […]

Are you ready to disown, “My Depression” and begin to live a joy-filled life?  Or are you resigned to live a life controlled by a cycle of losses that keep you bound to your past and the curse of generational depression? The losses that sabotage your freedom probably look different from what your mother endured, […]

Has fibromyalgia stolen your freedom and left you depressed and hopeless? Did the diagnosis bring with it a word curse of no cure? Fibromyalgia is a strategic attack from the demonic realm that uses fear at its root to steal the destiny of women. Here’s my story of victory and freedom!

The children are coming! The children are coming! I am hearing from deliverance counselors around the country that there is an increase in the awareness that children need deliverance too. The enemy is no respecter of age and the attacks on our youth are not hard to see.  What follows is an account of a […]

I saw an article in a secular online journal recently that asked this question about sexual addiction. It referenced a recent study that found that sexual addiction did not likely exist as a medical condition. As a Christian counselor, I have been skeptical of this label for a long time and would like to share […]

The issue of generational curses, the linkage with deliverance ministry, and their impact on Christians is hotly debated in the Body of Christ. I would like to give my perspective, as one active in deliverance ministry, as I have seen it unfold during sessions with literally thousands of people! 

Are you frightened by the possibility that your child is cutting? In recent years I have watched sadly as the age of children that cutting themselves with blades drops steadily from college freshmen to as young as fifth grade. Recent reports have called “cutting” the latest epidemic to hit our children in the ages ten […]

Rebecca Greenwood authored a book called “Let Our Children Go”. I truly believe that every parent should pick up a copy. It’s cutting edge on evil influences and demonic harassment that is tormenting our children. Under the topic of video games she states: “… recent studies found that playing violent video games is a way […]

One of the benefits of going into a chain restaurant is that you have the comfort of knowing exactly what you are getting regardless of where you go! No muss, no fuss, just peace of mind. In the ministry of deliverance in the church today, there are no common rules or teaching so it is […]

Can the generational curses of our forefathers continue to cause torment in our lives? In recent blogs I have shared what I have seen as common spiritual oppression based on ethnicity. Important disclaimer: these are based upon my observations and experiences in deliverance ministry only. This post takes a closer look at the German heritage.

Our Counseling Center routinely receive emails from people who have found our website. They related their story and conclude with the phrase, “I know I need deliverance.” It is a common and sad reality that they are unable to find help in their local area and many have been ignored or misdirected by their local church.

When I was four years old one of my parents’ dreams became true. They were approved for a permanent resident card to Puerto Rico from the Dominican Republic. However, my paperwork was not ready at the same time as theirs, so I had to stay behind with my uncle and his family. 

How do you know when demons leave a person? Over the course of the past few weeks, I have had several clients ask, with no small measure of fear in their voice, how the demons are going to leave and how I, when ministering deliverance, will know that they are gone? 

The terms “spiritual warfare” and “deliverance ministry” are bandied about frequently in the church. One in particular can evoke strong emotions and the divergence in views and understanding is as broad as the Red Sea! What follows is my perception of the linkage between the two. The best definition of spiritual warfare is given by […]

In my years as a Christian counselor, I have seen many clients who are battling depression. During the first session, I assess, as a minimum, the following points: What is the client’s physical state? Do they exercise? Are they overweight?  Studies have shown that there is a link between physical well-being and depression.  While chronic […]

In this series of blogs on generational curses, I have shared what curses consistently manifest by ethnicity during deliverance sessions primarily with women.  I would like to take a slightly different slant now and share personally on my heritage, which is predominately English.

In the course of my career as a Christian counselor who also does deliverance ministry, I am frequently asked to address how we deal with children. Below are my responses to the ten most frequently asked questions: What was the youngest child that you have prayed deliverance for?. Four years old, however, that would not be […]

In Numbers 1:2 in the bible, Joshua was told to lead the people into the Promised Land, to go in and take position of what the Lord was giving them. The modern day ministry of deliverance is similar in many ways and this article explores that connection. In the natural, Joshua led the people in […]

This is the second in a series of articles on generational curses common to women of different ethnic backgrounds. Below are my observations and experiences in deliverance ministry with what I have found to be common in the African American culture, whose generational roots are founded in slavery.

This is the first blog in a series where I will be sharing (purely from my experience in deliverance/ counseling sessions) what I have found to be common generational spiritual torments common in women from specific ethnic cultures. I did an introductory article previously to further explain this series. This first article looks at generational curses common […]

I felt impressed to develop a series of articles looking at the issues of ethnic generational curses and demonic torment common to different groups. There are many open doors for demonic oppression in a person’s life. However, over the course of ministering deliverance to thousands of people, we have seen recurring themes based upon their […]

There are a lot of Christians and churchgoers who do not believe in deliverance ministry and avoid discussion of the topic at all costs. Please read the entire post (all the way to the end); this is not one where you should stop halfway! Even casual use of the term “deliverance” can cause great angst in some […]

Over a span of more than fourteen years in deliverance ministry, I have witnessed a broad spectrum of results from time spent with clients and seminar attendees.  There have been many wonderful testimonies, partial victories and (sadly) sometimes little or no good fruit that results. 

I saw an article in my local newspaper this morning that compelled me to put pen to paper. The secular world has so sanitized the occultic realm that a public school teacher in Florida felt safe bringing in a speaker with a ouija board to teach on summoning spirits! The complete article, from Tampa Bay […]

  Occultic activity is by definition messing with the demonic realm? We should not be surprised that demons invited in are not quick to leave! Dictionary.com defines occultic (adj.) as “of or pertaining to magic, astrology, or any system claiming use or knowledge of secret or supernatural powers or agencies.” The use of secret or […]

Unforgiveness towards someone is a huge open door for demonic torment (Matthew 18:22-34). Is there a particular person at the top of your list that you struggle to forgive? Is that person you? That’s a common question I ask clients when they come in for deliverance ministry. Most Christians have worked diligently at forgiving those […]

 This video, intended for potential clients of Above & Beyond Counseling Center, is a virtual “face to face” introduction of Donald J. Ibbitson, PhD. Dr Ibbitson has post-graduate training and experience in individual, marriage and family counseling and also has an extensive background in deliverance ministry.

Our counseling clients and seminar attendees often wonder why they have certain “issues” working in their lives that they cannot get the victory over. Counseling has had limited effectiveness and many have little understanding of the demonic realm which is working to kill, steal and destroy. 

Is the trial you are walking through, directly related to something you have spoken in judgment over someone else? Could your own words have opened the legal door for your current bondage? We teach on unforgiveness and judgment all the time, and in one of our recent seminars I had a young woman stop me […]

In August 2011, my boyfriend left me. We had a fairy tale relationship for 16 months. We were friends as young and we found each other again and began a whirlwind romance that was leading to marriage. August 2011 left me devastated. 

The word “deliverance” can stir up some pretty graphic pictures for some of us; however, a spa day was a new one for me! I recently had a client compare her deliverance session to just that, a spa day with the Lord. I know for many of us girls, that a day at the spa […]

There is a big difference between being set apart and being isolated! If your temperament leans toward being a type of loner then all too often the enemy will seduce your emotions with spirits of rejection and isolation in order to separate you from the body of Christ. There are seasons when God will set […]

There are truisms that we adhere to our ministry: you cannot counsel demons out of people and there are not demons behind every problem! Many people spend years in counseling with minimal lasting growth because they need deliverance. Others see deliverance as a “quick fix” and refuse to walk it out afterwards. They have little […]

God delivers his people  (sets them free from demonic spirits) in at least three different ways: He does it sovereignly without human intervention, He uses his people to drive out demons (Mark 16:17) and People drive demons out of themselves! We have heard about and seen all three methods during our years of counseling and […]

Christians should not be afraid of demons. We are called to discern, resist and also drive them out during deliverance ministry. Although we take safeguards, occasionally one will manifest in physical strength against us and it can be disconcerting. This is one such account during one of my sessions many years ago.

One of the open doors for demonic torment in a person’s life is the realm of word curses. This is a very broad topic and little understood by most in the Body of Christ. These curses need to be broken in a person’s life so that the associated spirits can be called out with minimal […]

Pastors Tim & Theresa Bonzelaar lead in the church in the Sulphur Springs area of Tampa, FL. The area has a lot of social and economic challenges and they share their experience with our ministry and the benefits it has brought. Subscribe to our channel here: http://www.youtube.com/subscription_center?add_user=aandbcounseling The Counseling Center (http://AandBCounseling.com) is staffed with NCCA-licensed […]

This is one of the questions we would like to get a response to in a deliverance ministry survey. We are trying to get exposure for this non-scientific survey in as many places in the body of Christ as possible and get answers to this question and others.  We would love to hear from all […]

Have you ever noticed how things such as poverty, divorce, depression, anger, and depression seem to run in families? The world would tell us these are learned patterns of behavior. The Bible teaches us that the sins of the father can visit the third and fourth generations (Exodus 20:5). Sin that opens the door in […]

Some in the Body of Christ would respond to that question with “Always!” but followers of this ministry know better! Deliverance ministry can be effective, at the proper time, to help people progress in their walk with the Lord! When is it not the best option?

Did you know that deliverance needs to be walked out? As Paul said about working out our salvation with fear and trembling (Phil 2:12), in a similar manner we must recognize that deliverance is not a singular, isolated event. 

Pastors and counselors have a heart to help people and are continually looking for new books/techniques/revelation to help them be more effective. Why would so many ignore deliverance ministry — a “tool” that has been around for centuries that was used, endorsed and taught by Jesus? Deliverance ministry for counselors is liking having another club […]

  I would like to share my experience at a recent “Released to Soar” Deliverance seminar; I hope you will be encouraged enough to attend one! Originally, when I came upon the Above & Beyond Counseling ministries website, I thought about a family member needing deliverance and volunteered to come along. Little did I know, […]

This is the answer I hear many times during the first counseling appointment when I ask why a client is sitting in front of me. He has been caught using pornography. Sadly, it’s an all too common, particularly when you consider that it is often coming from a man who professes Christ as His Savior. […]

Fear and rejection are common entry points for demonic oppression, but what keeps their legal right to stay and torment is often hidden. God continually intervenes as we minister deliverance to bring revelation to us and what follows is one such encounter. 

In one of my earlier deliverance ministry encounters, I met with a  “Mary” , a married mother of two who had been who had been an exotic dancer in the past. That part of her life had been had been spiritually dark and painful for her and the fruit of that, and other aspects of […]

If you see a cockroach in your house and go over and squash it, what is your reaction? Are you relieved you killed the intruder or are you purposed to go after all its comrades you know must also be in proximity? The “demons-are-like-cockroaches” analogy, as it relates to deliverance ministry, has three major aspects […]

The tongue is one of the post powerful weapons so why don’t more Christians use it more frequently to speak to the demonic realm? Spirits cannot read our mind or understand prayer languages (speaking in tongues) but they certainly can hear and we need to talk to demons properly. If the truth be known, the demonic […]

I’ve been a christian for over 10 years and was doing pretty much everything was I supposed to do, going to church, praying and fasting…I would find peace at the time of prayer, but it wouldn’t last and I fell right back into the many struggles I was praying about. 

Words have creative power, for good or evil (Prov. 18:21, Matt 17:20,James 3:8,9) and part of our teaching for counseling and deliverance ministry preparation involves breaking word curses. However, we see this notion of word curses in the Body of Christ carried to what we believe is an extreme that can result in us looking […]

Are mass deliverance sessions effective in casting out demons? If you’re a Charismatic/Pentecostal church attender you’ve probably been part of a meeting where the man or woman of God starts calling demons out of people. Sometimes they have people come to the front but often each audience member just receives “by faith”. Is this an […]

We have been ministering in deliverance for over thirteen years and have exchanged views and opinions with many people about all aspects of deliverance ministry. We are in a continual learning phase ourselves but what follows below are what we believe to be four of the more common myths/ misperceptions about deliverance ministry:

We are often asked by clients/ deliverance seminar attendees about how spirits leave and how we know when they are gone?  During the course of a deliverance ministry session, we are trying to assess whether or not a person has a certain spirit as we call it out and also trying discerning that it has […]

There are various approaches and methodologies in the Body of Christ as it pertains to ministering deliverance. In some church environments or meetings one will see the man or woman of God laying hands on people(pray deliverance) at the altar and casting out spirits. We believe there is a better way than quickly laying hands […]

One of my more memorable counseling/deliverance clients was a man who had been through two marriages and is current one was failing for the same reason: he had anger “issues”. Meeting in our Tampa office, he gave me a lot of information during the first interview session. He was very open to deliverance ministry because […]

I witnessed a woman set free from a “spirit of Mary” and it was one of my earliest encounters with deliverance ministry. I understand that some of my Catholic friends may have a problem with this article but what follows is a true encounter that we witnessed. In the late 1980’s, my wife and I […]

The issue of a person’s salvation is obviously paramount for their eternal destiny but in deliverance ministry it is a vital concern because demons do not want to relinquish a soul! I ministered to a man a few years back who came from out of state for deliverance ministry. He had been raised in an […]

Should you talk to demons? Can you get truthful answers from them? There is some level of debate among deliverance ministers as to whether or not one should speak to, or ask questions of demonic spirits during deliverance. 

  It’s always a faith builder when you are praying deliverance for small children. I pray for a lot of people and the spirits go the way they came in. If they came in with tears you will have a client that cries through the whole prayer. It’s interesting, but somewhere in your mind you […]

I saw a t-shirt recently that said “The voices in my head don’t like you” and it reminded me of people who we’ve ministered to who have had the voices silenced. Some number of clients we see are on psychotropic medications for various afflictions, including depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia and more. The overwhelming majority […]

During the course of my years in counseling and deliverance ministry, I have had occasion periodically to minister to men who have been involved in child molestation. In every case, the legal authorities were aware of the crimes involved so there was not a “need to notify” issue for me which I was thankful for.

Our initial counseling session with clients involves an interview. One bit of information I always gather is an understanding of how much the person knows about the demonic realm. How much teaching have they had about spiritual warfare? Many view the term “deliverance” in a very skeptical, guarded way or happily attach a generic non-threatening […]

When we minister deliverance individually in our offices or in one of the group seminars, there are often demonic manifestations when the spirits leave. Sometimes the manifestations are very slight and barely noticeable: eye twitch, yawning, narrowing of the eyes, coughing and the like. 

How do you know if someone might need deliverance? We believe that every Christian should receive deliverance ministry periodically, that each of us can benefit from getting the temple cleansed from unwanted guests. That is the stock answer we give to people who contact us about our services and seminars and wonder if they are […]

People ask about the history of our ministry and how we have developed the process that we use. Jesus instituted the ministry of deliverance during his time walking the earth, he trained the disciples (and gave them power!) in His way and so it has gone since that time. 

God lead me to Phyllis in summer of 2009. I began to recognize that I needed deliverance in some areas and we started our sessions. I went through deliverance with her initially in the office in July of 2009. Fl. 

Thanks to modern technology, we are now counseling and doing online deliverance ministry around the world via Skype and GoToMeeting! How wild is that? In the last few months I have counseled and prayed deliverance for people in many parts of the U.S. and overseas without leaving my desk. 

We often get asked by clients about how effective deliverance ministry is… that is, will it “work” for them?   We’ve seen deliverance ministry over-emphasized as a solution to people’s problems but we believe that is really just a special type of counseling therapy and the requirements for success are quite similar in some respects as […]

  One of the questions we get asked repeatedly is whether or not Christians can be demon-possessed. The question also arises about the nature of demonic oppression; what is the difference? In our ministry, we make a careful distinction between these terms and typically use the following explanation and analogy. We teach that the term “possession” […]

The bible teaches that man is indeed beautiful. That is, he is created in the image of God (Gen. 1:26) and we would all understand and believe that God is good and there is no evil in Him. We know that God in His wisdom gave us a free will so that we might make […]

That is an interesting question, isn’t it? When I call that spirit out during a deliverance session, my clients are usually quite surprised at its presence. I frequently hear, “Where did that come from? I have never stolen anything in my life.” Perhaps a better question is: what has been stolen from you? A spirit […]

Christian (and secular) bookstores have shelf upon shelf of books that focus on inner healing, emotional healing, healing of memories and so on. It is a huge focus for people and in our ministry we liken inner healing after deliverance ministry to going to the hospital with a splinter in your leg. Once the splinter […]

How can a pastor, friend, family member or anyone else know if a person needs deliverance? In previous articles, we have talked about the fact that deliverance ministry is real and is for today. It is not a “magic bullet” for everything wrong in a person’s life. Put simply, deliverance involves driving/calling demonic spirits out […]

Forgiveness and releasing judgment against those who have wronged us are important teachings as we counsel and prepare people for deliverance ministry. Jesus makes it clear that unforgiveness gives the demonic kingdom a legal right to torment us. In Matthew 18:34, He states that unless we forgive with our whole heart, we will be turned […]

When you hear the word Christian deliverance of just deliverance, what do you think of? (Try googling it!) The word is used liberally in the Old Testament.  Depending upon your translation, the word appears only one or two times in the new testament and in all instances it is generally interpreted in the context of […]

We recently conducted one of our “Released to Soar” Deliverance Seminars at a church where the preponderance of members were Hispanic. The pastor was familiar with our ministry and invited us in because he had seen the fruits of deliverance ministry in his own life and wanted his congregation to experience it also. 

There is part of me that is saddened by the fact that I feel compelled to write an article titled as above. On the other hand, I do want to educate and share our experience so that others may hopefully benefit. I have been in full time Christian counseling and deliverance ministry since 2001 and […]

  How long does it take the sins of the father to visit the third and fourth generations as it is written in Exodus 20:5? I know that there is great debate about this verse and how it can manifest in a Christian’s life but I believe that God gave me that answer the night […]

For years I have felt oppressive forces working against me.  Many times like “black clouds,” they would descend on my head, covering me like a black garment as though triggered by some unknown reason. 

Have you ever noticed people that are gifted with discernment can also be tormented by a critical spirit? Unless they are careful and gain freedom, they can easily become a judgmental Christian who can do great harm.

We have made the case repeatedly, in counseling sessions, deliverance seminars, blog posts and more that deliverance ministry (that is, driving out demons) is a valid, current day activity that the church of Jesus should be doing. He did it. He trained the disciples to do it and he gave that call to the church […]

In Exodus 20:5 God tells us that the sins of the fathers can travel three to four generations. Do you know what may have gained access to your family that far back?  I know I don’t and I don’t believe that many of us understand what doors were opened generations back.  During my first group […]

The most common objection I hear as a counselor/deliverance minister against the idea of a believer having a demon is 2 Cor 6:14. Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness. Reading this verse in context, which is extremely […]

Can Christians be cursed? I once read in a popular Christian magazine the statement that as a Christian, you cannot be cursed. The basis for that claim is that Jesus became a curse for us, that all curses were broken at Calvary. Gal 3:13: “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a […]

When we minister to children, we often find it important to understand about traumatic events that happened during the mothers’ pregnancy and/or during the actual birth. This can be an important consideration to have the most effective children’s deliverance. Recently I had a mother who was very concerned about her four year old son’s fearful […]

  We can have ungodly soul ties with people when they have ungodly control over us. Those ungodly soul ties can result in babies having word curses in the womb spoken over them. Using guilt, fear or manipulation these people (who typically have spirits of control active in their lives) are able to get us to […]

Did it end with the apostles or is deliverance ministry for today? This is one of the most controversial questions in the church today and one that is sure to generate some heat, depending upon where it is brought up! Some are of the belief that Jesus and the disciples drove out demons to validate the […]

Soul ties involve bondings with living beings..that is, with those things that have a soul. Webster’s defines soul as: “the immaterial essence, animating principle, or actuating cause of an individual life”. A being has a soul in that it can think and have emotions.

I had a counseling client recently (let’s call her “Jill”, not her real name) who was a beautiful young woman of God who had spent her life in the church and had recently graduated from Massage Therapy School. I listened intently as she spoke of the doors for demonic oppression she felt had been opened […]

I had an opportunity recently to pray for a woman and this is the account of when a demons yelled at me! She was desperately seeking help. Deliverance is where you love seeing desperation. She had flown in from out of state and God certainly honors those hungry for more of him.

[svp]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UI-LxsCfwUc[/svp] This short video, published in 2010, gives an overview of resources available at that time from Above & Beyond Counseling Academy to equip those interested in learning how to minister deliverance prayer to children. Updated information is here: Childrens Deliverance.