Ask a Question - or - Return to the Spiritual Warfare Forum Index

Question Title	Posted By	Question Date
Strange prayer effects	Paulus	Wednesday, October 8, 2014
Question: Peace be with you all! In our charismatic group we have some people that have tendency to sough strongly during the prayers and when we priests lay hand upon them. Normally these are spontaneous and brief reactions. These persons say they felt a strong bodily need to cough and in this way to throw out anything bad that was in them and receive the healing of the Lord. However we have a few persons (male and female age 20-50) which continue to do so even when on every day basis during anything they do (work, prayer, walking, reading...) and in some cases this coughing lasts for several years. It sounds as a dry cough, and medics haven't diagnosed any allergy, disease etc. What makes it more interesting, these are actually good christians (every day Mass, monthly confession, reading Bible, praying Rosary, helping the poor in neighborhood, witnessing their faith on work, street etc. Have you encountered something similar already and what do you suggest to do with these people? Thank you and God bless!
Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OMSM(r), CCL, LTh, DD, LNDC Dear Mr. Paulus: What you are describing can have a psychogenic or demonic cause. This is not an uncommon side-effect from the improper approach often found in the Charismatic Renewal. Because so many, and perhaps most, people in the Renewal focus on the emotional and subjective, contrary to the teaching of the Church, psychological manifestations crop up. What your describing could have that source. In addition, and also largely due to the focus on feelings and the subjective, there can be a demonic source. The Church teaches that we are to focus on reason, not feelings and the subjective. Reason must always be the guide. When we do not do that it gives the devil an opportunity that he will exploit. As to the symptoms you describe, one of the possible manifestations of demons leaving a person is coughing up material. Maybe this is related to that, I do not know as I do not have enough information. It may also be a form of demonic attack. Be careful about laying on of hands. Charismatics like doing this, but it is dangerous as demonic transference can take place. Plus, laity laying on hands often is too closely resembles the Sacrament of Anointing. The Church warns about this. Priests who pray over people laying on hands, either within the Sacrament or without, need to be sure to pray prayers of protection before doing so that may be found in our Spiritual Warfare Prayer Catalog, linked below. Overall, I recommend your group read the document, Charism Gifts Building Up the Church, to learn about the pros and cons of the Renewal, and especially the "Pentecostalisms" to avoid that have contaminated the Renewal, the over-emphasis on emotion and subjective experience being among them. The people affected by this need to understand these issues of over-emphasis on emotional and subjective experience. As for the coughing, if this is demonic, or may be demonic, have them rebuke the "spirit behind the coughing." Do not ask the demon's name as that is prohibited by the Church outside of a formal exorcism. Rather refer to the demon by its attribute/ For example: In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, I rebuke you spirit behind this coughing. Father in heaven please cast this spirit from me and give me a spirit of healing and peace. See the Catalog for the full rebuking prayer and its formula. If those with the persistent coughing do not improve, there may be some hook to which the demons are using to hang on to their lives. They should follow the Seven Steps to Self-Deliverance, linked below. If there is still no relief, then they may need formal deliverance counseling, which we can provide. In any event, our Spiritual Warfare Prayer Warrior Team will be prying for them. God Bless, Bro. Ignatius Mary For information on how to receive help see our Help page. We suggest that before contacting us directly for help you try the Seven Steps to Self-Deliverance. These self-help steps will often resolve the problem. Also our Spiritual Warfare Prayer Catalog contains many prayers that may be helpful. If needed you can ask for a Personal Consultation.

Question Title

Posted By

Question Date

Strange prayer effects

Paulus

Wednesday, October 8, 2014

Question:

Peace be with you all!

In our charismatic group we have some people that have tendency to sough strongly during the prayers and when we priests lay hand upon them. Normally these are spontaneous and brief reactions. These persons say they felt a strong bodily need to cough and in this way to throw out anything bad that was in them and receive the healing of the Lord.

However we have a few persons (male and female age 20-50) which continue to do so even when on every day basis during anything they do (work, prayer, walking, reading...) and in some cases this coughing lasts for several years. It sounds as a dry cough, and medics haven't diagnosed any allergy, disease etc. What makes it more interesting, these are actually good christians (every day Mass, monthly confession, reading Bible, praying Rosary, helping the poor in neighborhood, witnessing their faith on work, street etc.

Have you encountered something similar already and what do you suggest to do with these people?

Thank you and God bless!

Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OMSM(r), CCL, LTh, DD, LNDC

Dear Mr. Paulus:

What you are describing can have a psychogenic or demonic cause. This is not an uncommon side-effect from the improper approach often found in the Charismatic Renewal.

Because so many, and perhaps most, people in the Renewal focus on the emotional and subjective, contrary to the teaching of the Church, psychological manifestations crop up. What your describing could have that source.

In addition, and also largely due to the focus on feelings and the subjective, there can be a demonic source. The Church teaches that we are to focus on reason, not feelings and the subjective. Reason must always be the guide. When we do not do that it gives the devil an opportunity that he will exploit.

As to the symptoms you describe, one of the possible manifestations of demons leaving a person is coughing up material. Maybe this is related to that, I do not know as I do not have enough information. It may also be a form of demonic attack.

Be careful about laying on of hands. Charismatics like doing this, but it is dangerous as demonic transference can take place. Plus, laity laying on hands often is too closely resembles the Sacrament of Anointing. The Church warns about this.

Priests who pray over people laying on hands, either within the Sacrament or without, need to be sure to pray prayers of protection before doing so that may be found in our Spiritual Warfare Prayer Catalog, linked below.

Overall, I recommend your group read the document, Charism Gifts Building Up the Church, to learn about the pros and cons of the Renewal, and especially the "Pentecostalisms" to avoid that have contaminated the Renewal, the over-emphasis on emotion and subjective experience being among them.

The people affected by this need to understand these issues of over-emphasis on emotional and subjective experience.

As for the coughing, if this is demonic, or may be demonic, have them rebuke the "spirit behind the coughing." Do not ask the demon's name as that is prohibited by the Church outside of a formal exorcism. Rather refer to the demon by its attribute/ For example:

In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, I rebuke you spirit behind this coughing. Father in heaven please cast this spirit from me and give me a spirit of healing and peace.

See the Catalog for the full rebuking prayer and its formula.

If those with the persistent coughing do not improve, there may be some hook to which the demons are using to hang on to their lives. They should follow the Seven Steps to Self-Deliverance, linked below. If there is still no relief, then they may need formal deliverance counseling, which we can provide.

In any event, our Spiritual Warfare Prayer Warrior Team will be prying for them.

God Bless,
Bro. Ignatius Mary

For information on how to receive help see our Help page. We suggest that before contacting us directly for help you try the Seven Steps to Self-Deliverance. These self-help steps will often resolve the problem. Also our Spiritual Warfare Prayer Catalog contains many prayers that may be helpful. If needed you can ask for a Personal Consultation.