During the Friday tarry on the 10th of January 2025, after the teaching on curses, Pastor Ita went to war against different ancestral lineage-type bondages. One of the oppressive spirits he addressed was witchcraft—specifically witchcraft of the 2nd generation—with which I found myself reacting strongly.
On the afternoon of the following day, which was a Saturday, I prayed about what had happened during the tarry. I wanted to know more and perhaps receive some understanding of why I reacted so strongly when Pastor prayed against witchcraft. I also wanted to know how it all began and in what ways this spirit operated in my life.
After praying, I noticed something very different: I realised that I successfully conceived a plan to pray and actually followed through. I also remembered that I did not like to pray; prayer used to be burdensome. Whenever I wanted to pray, there would usually be a kind of repulsion, and this prevented me from praying often in my personal space. The only type of prayers I did majorly were corporate prayers.
To better understand this testimony, I’ll share a little background story.
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Before I came to God’s Lighthouse (GLH), I had no interest in godly things and cared less about Christianity. It was after I got born again and began attending church meetings in GLH that my interest in godly matters increased.
My family would go to church, fast, and pray here and there, but I often preferred not to tag along with them. If I were allowed to have my way, I would have chosen never to go to church services. On many occasions, after observing the praying pattern in my family church—which was often very dramatic—my decision to refute Christianity got more and more strengthened, and I continued to do whatever I wanted, especially avoiding church activities.
I thought that Christianity was for people entering a serious phase of life, then the person could opt for Jesus, and He’d see them through. I had no clue that one could get to know God, let alone become close to Him.
When I began attending meetings in GLH a few years ago, I enjoyed the fact that we didn’t have to pray for long hours. We would study Scripture for many hours and then pray for about 10 to 15 minutes. This, to me, was very pleasurable and satisfying. I also never knew how to fast properly—it’s still a challenge, though God is helping.
As time went on, I realised that the need to pray more increased, not just for us as a church, but for me as a person. I needed to develop a consistent prayer life. But I didn’t know how to go about it. I inquired here and there from people I considered to enjoy praying. They’d share tips—usually in line with Scripture—but I didn’t practice their advice for long. Often, I’d forget that I had even received counsel. Other times, I’d prefer to read my Bible for hours and pray very little. There was a period when this went on for many months, if not over two years.
Fast forward to November last year (2024), I was conversing with one of our brothers, and I asked him a question about prayer: “How does one get to enjoy talking to a Being they can’t see?” He attempted to answer and counselled me to get a prayer book where I could write down prayer points. He also lent me one of A. W. Tozer’s books on prayer, where he shared that one of the best ways to pray to God is to approach Him honestly. I realised in subsequent meetings after that day that Pastor also taught on the simplicity of prayer. That helped as well.
In December that same year, an instruction was passed to all those who felt that they had an intercessory calling to gather on a certain day for a meeting. I thought it was for those already in the group that usually prayed for Nigeria, and since prayer was something I struggled with, I assumed, without much thought, that I wasn’t among them and wasn’t called to pray. I forgot to mention that after I became serious with God, I began to see visions and receive prophetic words.
In one of the intercessory prayer meetings, Pastor clarified from Scripture that if one can receive prophetic words, it is expected that they also intercede. After he made that clear, I felt very offended, both at the statement and at the Lord. It felt like God had imposed a gift on me that would require me to come to Him often, and that the grace to receive words was a trap properly planned by God. From that day onward, prayer became very burdensome. Whenever I’d hear the instruction to pray, my head would begin to ache, and I’d feel better only after I paused the message I was listening to (if it was a past message) or left the space.
On Friday, the 20th of December 2024, into Saturday the 21st, Pastor prayed for the activation of callings and giftings. After that meeting, I noticed things began to change when I knelt to pray. It seemed as though whenever I knelt to pray, I just knew I wouldn’t get up anytime soon. But there was still a little repulsion while I prayed, barely noticeable. The more I kept praying and appearing before the Lord daily, I noticed that a part of me began to feel very weak, specifically, my will.
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After the tarry meeting on the 10th of January 2025, as I prayed about why I reacted strongly when Pastor prayed against witchcraft, I believe what I’ve just shared is part of the answer — I didn’t like to pray. I also remembered a prophetic word that was received sometime last year titled “The Stronghold Called Will.” The summary of that vision was that the stronghold called Will was similar to a safe place we had created in our minds, and the way to break free was through obedience to the Lord.
I came to understand that due to the presence of that witchcraft spirit, I could not pray as effectively as I should have. It appeared feminine and had a brazen demeanour. Alongside its presence was the impression of Jezebel. It insisted on my self-will and constantly worked to stop me from fulfilling God’s will for my life. I realised it seemed to be behind many other issues in my life, especially in moments when I wanted to oppose God’s will, such as concerning marriage.
Other demonic spirits that affected my life were addressed in that same meeting as well, one of which was anger, which seems like a family issue. I’ve had to learn to be still, be patient, and trust that God is Lord.
Since that tarry, praying has been very, very easy. No more repulsiveness, no more procrastination. I’ve also noticed that the length of time I pray has increased.
Recently, I formed the habit of giving an account of my day to God during personal devotion at night. There have been times when I’d recall an event or a person I came across during the day, and it would actually seem as though the Lord was interested in that conversation. I’ve never known prayer in this way before.
I’m thankful to God that He delivered me from that oppressive spirit that hindered my prayer life, and I pray for increase and restoration of the many times I missed out on appearing before God.
Amen.
© GAM 2025
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