Dear Julie:

I am sorry to hear that you are still in bondage and have not experienced deliverance. I will certainly pray for you.

If you talked to me (I am the friar guy), then I told you what I tell everyone, that deliverance is not guaranteed in the short-run and may involve multiple attempts at deliverance over years even.

I also say to everyone that deliverance is not a magic prayer, but that it requires work on the part of the person to discover and to remove from their lives all the "hooks" that the devil may use as an excuse to hang on to one's life.

I also explain to everyone is that deliverance is only possible when we give our lives to Christ and begin to live the victorious Christ-Life. If we do not do that then we will not find deliverance.

Another thing I explain is that even when freedom is secured through deliverance, underlying psychological or psychiatric conditions may remain, and may even get worse, that must be dealt with by the appropriate mental health professional. It is rare for someone who has had long-term oppression or bondage to not have at least mild psychological scars from the experience.

I also explain to people that when they attempt to get free from the bondage and harassment they are under things can get worse. One must persevere through those trials. The devil steps up the harassment precisely to get the person to stop the deliverance and to stop living the good Christian life. It is a trick the devil pulls on people.

The Bible tells us to resist the devil and he will flee. That it true, but we may have to resist and resist and resist over a period of time. Eventually, the devil will flee when he sees that his tricks will not work.

Unfortunately, Julie, it sounds like you have fallen into the devil's tricks and stopped working on your deliverance when you got the flak from the Enemy. Thus you let the enemy win, at least for now.

Neither God nor the Church has abandoned you, Julie, rather you have abandoned them.

The devil did not make you do it, but you decided to stop working on your deliverance and to leave the Church. You must take responsibility for your choices.

Things are not hopeless, however. Despite all you have said, deliverance is still possible for you. But neither I, the Church, or even God can help you to find freedom if you will not work to do the things that are required to find freedom and to keep it.

St. Paul said to "work our your salvation with fear and trembling." Thus you must work on your deliverance in spite of the flak from the devil, you must trust God, you must live the Christ-life to the best of your ability, and you must persevere through the trials. That is the key to deliverance.

We will certainly be in prayer for you that you will come to this realization and find freedom, peace and reconciliation with the Church and with yourself.

God Bless,
Bro. Ignatius Mary