How to Recognize Witchcraft in the Church (Charismatic Witchcraft)

Wiccan symbol over a cross

When you hear the word witchcraft, many of us may think of green skinned women wearing black hats riding on broomsticks or people who wave magic wands, cast spells, make potions and have special powers. Almost every year, Hollywood releases some movie about witchcraft or magic or some other inexplicable event that connects with some invisible/spiritual realm. 

When I was travelling in Tanzania, I came across witch doctors who had some special token or amulet that people could buy and wear for whatever ailed them. When I was in Taiwan, I saw my fair share of fortune tellers and palm readers who claimed to be able to foresee the future for a small fee of course. All across America and Europe (and many other countries) there are New Age shops where you can buy crystals and talismans or pay for a psychic reading. All of these have the same root in common and that is control. 

Witchcraft is about control where people seek to control anything and everything through rituals and formulas to achieve personal desires. Why do people seek after control? It is usually out of fear and anxiety. These are the main motivators when it comes to witchcraft. People typically go see a witch doctor, shaman, fortune teller, psychic out of fear and the desire to gain control of what is happening around them, be it people or spirits, because they think "If I can somehow get in control of whatever is causing me anxiety and fear, than I will be safe and secure."  

Derek Prince says, "When the human race turned from God in rebellion, the power that moved in was witchcraft. Different people groups practice distinctive forms of witchcraft..."  

Whenever any religious activity seeks to control other people, the influence of witchcraft is probably at work. A term that has been coined recently is Charismatic Witchcraft which has different aspects to it (maybe, I will write another post on this, maybe but I wouldn't hold your breathe). But, I will only highlight one marker here, the misuse of the Name of Jesus in an almost magical way. Jesus addresses this in Matthew 7:21-23 (NIV). 

"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord," will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles? Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!' 

Wow! Those are some intense words from Jesus. But, what I want to highlight here is that 1) Jesus states that He does not know them, meaning they do not have a personal relationship with Jesus and I would question if they are even saved. 2) Even still, they are in fact performing supernatural works in Jesus' name. 3) Jesus calls them "evildoers" another translation says "workers of lawlessness" (ESV). And lastly, 4) regardless of who is using the Name of Jesus, It is powerful, period. Whoa! What an eye opener. 

After you get over your shock (it may take a few seconds). Here's a teaching by John Eckhardt on recognizing when there is excessive control in a church and if witchcraft is in operation. 

Whoa. Pretty intense stuff. To highlight a few points, the source of witchcraft can come from the flesh, but can also be demonic in origin. There are three main characteristics of witchcraft control: 1) domination, 2) manipulation and 3) intimidation.  

1. Domination: Ruling over others through excessive pressure and power. It is about controlling people or circumstances through loud outburst of anger and frustration and threats and ultimatums.  
2. Manipulation: The misuse of a position or the use of emotional means to get their way. It is about controlling people or circumstances through indirect, unfair, or deceptive means to gain the advantage over others.   
3. Intimidation: The abuse of authority in making people feel small or insignificant, causing them to feel condemned or shamed if they don't agree with or go along with their plans. It is about controlling people or circumstances through the use of fear tactics with the motive of scaring others to bend to their will.

If you are currently or have been in the past under leadership or been part of an organization that had a culture involving these 3 characteristics. I pray healing and freedom over you right now. I pray the blood of Jesus to cleanse you and I command every demonic spirit connected to witchcraft to leave you right now. I speak grace, goodness, love and blessing over you all in the mighty Name of Jesus. May the love, truth and power of God set you free! 

Mobile Prayer Station: DAY 24

What do we do when we pray for physical healing for someone and nothing happens? That's what happened with the homeless man I prayed with today. Seeing him limp along with his crutches broke my heart. I saw him walking from a good distance away because he had to stop every so often to rest. When I saw him I was moved with compassion for him and began praying that God would make a way for me to pray for him. 

I typically don't do this, but when he got close I approached him and asked him if I could pray that God would bring healing to his leg. He said "yes" and so I prayed. It's interesting after my initial prayer I asked him if he felt anything and he said "yes." So, encouraged I continued to pray again, but this time nothing happen and he started walking away. I could see his ankle still bent but obviously he had had enough of me praying. I do wish I could have spent more time praying for him, but obviously I already used up the small window of time he was willing to give me. 

Something I'm learning while being on the street is that when people stop they generally will give me anywhere from 3-5 minutes with them, if not less. So, I am learning to be on point with the Holy Spirit when it comes to praying, pastoring and prophesying with people on the street. But, when it comes to healing, I need more time with people. Praying for physical healing is very new to me and I have had some success in the past where God did bring some physical healing to people. I myself have experienced physical healing and I know that God's heart towards His creation is goodness, redemption, wholeness and restoration. But still, I need more time. The times that God did bring physical healing were times where I had at minimum 15 minutes with someone. So, I'm hoping that the more I step out in praying for physical healing, the more the Lord will guide and lead in being more on point with this divine gift. 

It is a bit discouraging when I pray for physical healing for someone and nothing happens (like today). But, at the end of day I understand that if I don't pray for physical healing than the chances for it happening are slim to none. But, if I do pray for physical healing than the chances for it happening increases exponentially. So what do we do when we pray for physical healing for someone and nothing happens? We pray again and then again and then again and then again and then again and then again. I don't believe we should ever stop asking God to bring physical healing to His children, both lost and found. We need to be continually asking God to have mercy on us and bring healing to us. In Jesus Name, Amen. 

Mobile Prayer Station: DAY 21

My friend Steffan, who is currently a student at the International House of Prayer University in Kansas City (you may be more familiar with their Prayer Room), came into town to visit. So, we ended up spending most of the day together which meant spending some time on the street with the Mobile Prayer Station. It felt good to be ministering side-by-side together on the street. Normally, I'm not out on Saturdays unless I feel prompted by the Lord, which I did. I felt the Holy Spirit say to me "this is a discipleship moment." So, after talking at my house for a while we headed out. 


I'm not sure what you're expecting to hear right now, but in the hour and a half that we were out the only person that we ended up praying with was my friend Jeff. Jeff always brightens my day, so it truly was a joy to be able to pray with him. Oh yeah, my friend also prayed for healing for my ongoing back pain which felt immediately better after he prayed. This was great! (I was trying to down playing it on purpose for effect, but I'm not sure how effective this was written rather than spoken). Percentage wise I'd say my back felt 20% better. The prayer was simple, Steffan just asked God to heal my back in Jesus name. Though my back wasn't completely healed in that moment, some restoration did happen. Sometimes, I feel like unless we see an instantaneous miracle we failed to recognize that God did bring some healing. Sure, I wish my back was 100% healed, but regardless I am thankful for the 20%. 


Discipleship, the word has all sorts of meanings. Today, it meant being obedient to the voice of God in my life and taking Steffan with me on the street with the Mobile Prayer Station. I had no clue what would happen. Honestly, I thought that some amazing things would happen as we prayed with the people of the community. But, I guess God had other plans in bringing more restoration into my own life. Today was a good reminder that following Jesus means walking by faith in obedience to what He is calling us to do each and every day. Regardless of what I thought would happen, I need to remember to just come with an expectant heart while believing that God will move in amazing ways. The results are always up to God because He is the One who answers the prayers. Our job is to only ask them. 

Mobile Prayer Station: DAY 16

Today had a pretty good flow to it. God opened up the opportunity to for me to pray with 8 people. Also, my friend Victoria came out to see me and got to pray and prophesy over Kelly who came by with her friend Christina. Maybe it was the crystal that Kelly wore around her neck or the gentle nudging of the Holy Spirit (probably both), but while talking with them I felt that I needed to tell them that we were Christians and that we prayed in Jesus name. They said that was ok and off we went before the throne of God. One thing I will mention about this prayer time was that I felt moved to pray for Jesus' kingdom of light to break through the darkness around Christina's life.

Before giving you the very highlight of the day, let me tell you about the most discouraging part. It came with three people (Eric, Katie and Alejandro) who came bounding up to me and well to put it bluntly were pretty combative. They were sarcastic and a bit mocking with their prayer requests. I did end up praying with them mostly for revelation of God and His heart towards them. The sad part of all of this was that after the prayer they claimed to be Christians and wanted to proved it by singing a Christian rap song they wrote which I'm not too sure really glorified God. Later on I got to ask one of them which church they went to and Katie replied that she doesn't go to church. Nonetheless, I'm glad I got to pray with them. I'm not out here to judge, but to love and serve. It just amazes me that of all the people I've interacted with, the most discouraging moment has come from those who claim to be Christian.

Now to the very highlight of my day which happened early on when Jessy started hovering around the Mobile Prayer Station corner. I sensed in my spirit that she was interested but was a bit unsure. So, I immediately started interceding for her. She ended up sitting a little ways away in the grass in the park and whenever I glanced over to her she was staring my way. This went on for about a half hour until my friend Denise came by and was screaming about something. Denise struggles with alcoholism and hangs out with the homeless in the park. She came up to me and asked if I could pray for her, her son and her sister because they were fighting. So, I did. I guess that was all Jessy needed to see because it wasn't more than 5 minutes later that she came strolling by really slow and asked what I was doing. 

I shared with Jessy my heart for prayer and began listing off things I could pray for her on; she zeroed in on emotional healing. Sensing her nervousness and tenderness, I suggested we step off the busy sidewalk to stand in the shade of a nearby tree. I prayed with her, asking God to come near to her and begin healing her heart. I asked our Father in heaven to release love, forgiveness and the power to let go both in Jessy and in the hearts of the other people involved. I prayed that God would reveal His heart towards Jessy and His deep love for her and His desire to see her made whole. It got a bit emotional and I'm believing that was because God was working. Afterwards, she thanked me and gave me a hug and I couldn't help but see a little spring in her step to match the smile on her face as her walked off. God is so awesome!

At the end of the day, what I've come to realize is that making myself available to God and to the community with this Mobile Prayer Station means that I'm all in. No matter what the day brings, I'm in. Whether it's precious moments like with Jessy or combative and discouraging ones like with the dynamic rapping trio of Eric, Katie and Alejandro; I'm in and I must have faith that God will give me strength and carry me through which He did (thank you for your prayers). What I learned today is that God's heart is bigger and His zeal (passion) to heal, save, redeem and restore people is greater than we could ever imagine. Being out here has really helped open up my eyes (and heart) to the reality that for us to really know and experience fully God's heart and passion for us, we will need all of eternity. That's how deep, wide and great His heart truly is for us.

Mobile Prayer Station: DAY 8

I was once again amazed by God's grace today. So, my friend Nate joined me for about an hour today and while he was there we met two women, Lucy and Ana, who stayed in a nearby apartment complex that my church has been interested in blessing and serving. Not only did we get to pray with them, but Lucy was the woman who, up until a few years ago, organized the activities for the seniors who lived in the building which is exactly what my church has been interested in doing. After brainstorming ideas with her, Lucy gave Nate her contact info. Talk about a God orchestrated appointment. So cool! 

Even though the weather was so wonderfully warm today, some people I encountered still had storm clouds looming over their lives. Case and point, I give you Edwin and Ada who are going through quite a bit of financial stress and anxiety in their lives right now. They actually walked past me and came back around to me. After saying hi to them, the very first thing Edwin said to me was "I wish I could find $1000 on the ground right now." We talked for a little while, but mostly I just listened both to Edwin and Ada, but also to the Holy Spirit. The Spirit of God helps to highlight which burdens I need to focus on in prayer and will oftentimes give revelation of what may be the underlying cause while also giving me pictures of hope to share. For Edwin and Ada, God let them know that He sees them and is concerned that they are distressed. 

A new comer today was Larry who complimented me on my burnt orange Converse high tops and asked me what I paid for them. We then proceeded to talk about where to find Converse Allstars at a low price which lead to him talking about why he loves wearing Converse low tops because of an old ankle injury that gets swollen from time to time. Seeing an opportunity, I told him why I was out on the street and asked if I could pray with him and ask God to bring healing to his ankle. He said "yes" and we prayed while bumping fists. I love the diversity of people's personalities and style. I also prayed for blessing and favor over Larry's life. There was no immediate healing that happened, but I'm still glad I asked God for healing for Larry because if we don't pray for healing, healing will never happen. But if we do there is a chance that God will heal. So, no matter the results, I never regret praying for healing for someone. 

Finally, my new friend Lao, the ice cream vender, was out today. We talked about faith while eating one of his very tasty ice cream pops. He said that he has no faith, but that he believed in a higher power. I told him I was a Christian and he stated that he thinks that people humanize God too much and that he has a problem with that. What I was discerning from Lao was that this "higher power" of his was an impersonal being, a nebulous intangible power. So, I ended up sharing my testimony with him and my own personally encounters with God. I shared that it's not only about reading about God in the bible, but also about personally experiencing Him; that knowing God is both understanding and experience. His eyes popped open and I could tell he was interested in encountering and experiencing God. So, I prayed with Lao, asking God "If you are real God, reveal Yourself to Lao." A very simply prayer, but one filled with revelation and power. I have a feeling that my conversations with Lao about God are only just beginning and am looking forward to engaging with him more on the things of faith and life.

Lindsey Kane: HE KNOWS

This is such a timely song for me because since coming back from Tanzania I've been feeling a bit disconnected. Now I know that this is natural in transitioning back Stateside, but on a heart level this disconnectedness has gotten me in touch with a deeper sense of loneliness that's always been within my heart. My sense is that this revelation is not a coincidence but purposeful by the Lord so that He can bring healing to the pain and burden of this loneliness that finds comfort in isolation, rather than in community. 

Just the other day I heard these words in my spirit "I know your pain." Then the Holy Spirit flashed in my mind pictures of Jesus praying in the garden of Gethsemane and the great anguish and loneliness He felt  in having to face the coming trial of the Cross (Matthew 26:36-45). He truly knows the deep pain of loneliness because He's been there. In that moment, He felt utterly alone, but rather than isolating Himself He sought the fellowship of both the Father (vv. 39, 42, 44) and the other disciples (vv. 40, 45).

This has moved me to begin asking the Lord to help me to remain faithful through this coming season as He pulls me from this loneliness and not isolate myself or seek after less than healthy or pure avenues to self-medicate this loneliness. But, to seek the comfort of the Father and the fellowship of the Body of Christ. Somehow I feel like I'm probably not the only one who feels this way. So this is my prayer: "Help us Lord, to find comfort in the fact that You know the pain of our loneliness and that we can trust that You will lead us out of this loneliness and into the comfort and joy of fellowship, both with the Father and others, as You bring healing to our brokenness. In Your Name Jesus, we pray amen."

ten shekel shirt: HEALER

I find great comfort in knowing that God is my healer. I personally have experienced healing from Jesus emotionally (the wounds of my heart) and spiritually (freed from the shame and guilt of sin and delivered from demonic torment). Jesus has also used me to bring emotional, spiritual, psychological  and physical healing to people as well. God's heart towards us is goodness, but because we are caught in a war where the enemy is constantly attacking people and trying to destroy them many people confuse this suffering as actually coming from the heart of God.

Today, as I was at the grocery store, I saw this women who was terribly thin. From my perspective it was pretty obvious that she suffered from anorexia nervosa (by the grace of God, I am extra sensitive to addictive types of conditions). I was so moved by the compassion of God that I literally began to pray out loud for Jesus to bring healing to her body and deliver her from any demonic influence over her life. It's in moments like this that God blesses me by revealing to me His heart towards people who are suffering. I fully believe that His heart is to bring healing to us. Have you asked God to become your healer?

Last Minutes with ODEN

This video touches my heart because when I watch it I see the very heart and hand of God moving and touching lives through His creation. The Bible says that through viewing and experiencing creation people can come to know the invisible qualities of God (Rom 1:20). I believe Jason and Oden's story solidfies the truth to this Scripture. Through Oden, Jason experienced an invisible quality of God: unconditional love. If Jesus says that God can make "stones cry out" in praise to Him (Luke 19:40), then He sure can use animals to embody unconditional love. There are things we can learn about the invisible qualities of God, if we just slowed down and took the time to watch and enjoy His wonderful creation.

The way God brings redemption and restoration into our lives is always amazing. He really can use anyone and any situation to bring healing to our lives. It's no surprise that God used a dog named Oden to bring such healing to Jason. Animals don't argue with God about who they are or how they are to be. A dog will act like a dog, just like a cat will act like a cat or a horse like a horse. Animals don't fight the way God created them to be. They just obey God. There are things we can learn about trusting and obeying God, if we just slowed down and took the time to watch and enjoy His wonderful creation.

Sarah McLachlan: Blackbird

Whenever I hear this song, it reminds me of redemption which naturally makes me think about my own redemption in Jesus and the amazing miracles He's done in my life. More specifically, when I hear the lyrics "Take these broken wings and learn to fly - all your life." I am reminded that as God has healed and redeemed me of my drug addiction, He has in every way healed my broken wings and has now taught me to fly. Also, when I hear the lyrics "Take these sunken eyes and learn to see - all you life." I am reminded that I was once blind, but now I can see the light! Jesus has given me an eternal perspective on life where before all I saw was pain and suffering, but now I can see hope and healing.

Jesus has set me free to live, move and dance in the freedom of being a beloved child of God, who is loved completely and who loves freely. But, He has also invited and empowered me to bring the hope that He has placed within me to share with a lost and broken world. "Blackbird fly, blackbird fly into the light of the dark black night." That's how these words effect me. I am to take the light of the Gospel into dark places, "into the dark black night."