Liberated by Love

For years, I carried a burden I didn’t fully understand. What I thought were “special abilities” turned out to be chains that kept me bound in darkness. Depression, desolation, and confusion marked my days, and I longed for escape. But God, in His mercy, had another plan.

This is my story of how the Holy Spirit intervened, exposed the lies I believed, and set me free. It is a testimony of liberation, healing, and the overwhelming grace of Jesus Christ.

Lost in Darkness

There are seasons in life when shadows seem to overwhelm us. For me, those shadows came during the pandemic. What began as simple desolation eventually deepened into depression. I called it the dark nights of my soul. My thoughts grew distorted, and hopelessness weighed me down.

By December 2022, I returned to my hometown in Pagadian, convinced I would never go back to Manila. I wanted to escape everything—even my faith community. I thought I was done. But God was not done with me.

God’s Intervention

In January 2023, the Lord stirred my heart to return to Manila. I didn’t know why, but I obeyed. Looking back, I see now that obedience opened the door to His plan. Though I carried unresolved pain and baggage, God was already preparing the way for my healing.

By February, I felt a strong desire to surrender everything to Him. It was not my strength—it was His grace leading me.

The Voice of the Holy Spirit

In March, I joined a recollection called The Voice of the Holy Spirit, led by Fr. Mario, a healing and deliverance priest. At first, I resisted. I had already attended retreats earlier that year. But God’s call was stronger than my excuses.

During prayer, something unexpected happened. The priest, gifted with the Word of Knowledge, revealed what I had hidden for years: my involvement in occult practices. Since childhood, I had experienced what people called “psychic abilities.” I thought they were gifts from God, but they were not. They were chains that separated me from Him.

That day, I renounced them all. I asked God for forgiveness, and He gave me a vision of His Divine Mercy. He spoke to my heart: “My love is bigger than your sins.” For the first time, I surrendered everything—trusting His mercy to cover me.

The Outpouring of the Holy Spirit

Soon after, I attended a Life in the Spirit Seminar. When the Outpouring began, I felt the Holy Spirit move in me with power. It was unlike anything I had ever experienced.

God asked me if I was willing to surrender fully. I said “Yes.” And in that moment, His cleansing fire filled me. I felt His authority, His love, and His protection. In a vision, I saw Christ crucified, and He spoke: “Akin ka. You belong to Me.”

That declaration became my greatest consolation. I was no longer defined by darkness—I was claimed by Christ.

Realization and Liberation

This encounter changed everything. I realized the gravity of sin and the deception of occult practices. What I once thought was a gift was actually a doorway for oppression. But God, in His mercy, broke those chains.

I scheduled a one-on-one deliverance session, renounced everything, and allowed the Holy Spirit to fully dwell in me. Depression, oppression, and confusion gave way to peace, freedom, and joy.

I also came to understand why some people experience “openings” to psychic abilities:

1. Traumas, pains, unforgiveness, and resentment
2. Engagement with occult practices (fortune telling, New Age, etc.)
3. Occult involvement in the family line

These are not gifts from God but entry points for the enemy. In contrast, the Spiritual Gifts of the Holy Spirit are true gifts from the Lord, meant to build up His people.

A New Life in Christ

I stand as a witness to God’s redeeming love. My testimony is not about my strength—it is about His grace. Even my desire to return to Him was His gift.

The same God who liberated me is the God who longs to heal and renew you. Whatever burdens you carry—trauma, sin, or despair—the Holy Spirit is able to set you free. All it takes is surrender.