I did a Bible study on the book of Zachariah recently and the name Zechariah means “God remembers.” A church friend, Teresa whom I’ve lost touch with when her husband went overseas for work; I recently ran into her and her family at a local church that I was visiting. Her family came back to NJ and was now attending this church. She was pregnant with her fourth son and told me that they will name him Zechariah. This made me cry because in my very difficult season with my daughter, I was being reassured that “God remembers”. God remembers my obedience to His voice to stay in my marriage, my services to His church and people, my submission to His will and ways.

Dropping off my daughter at college was even more stressful and harder than I expected. Leading up-to our departure, I saw more and more bizarre and disturbing behaviors and aggression. She was binging and purging often too. The Holy Spirit showed me everything that was hidden before and they were very disturbing. She barely spent time with us on our last day with her, hostile and unkind to us and her brother throughout the trip. It was so hard, very stressful, painful and super sad.

My husband and I have been drowning our pain, confusion and sadness by drinking too much wine during dinner in the last couple of months. I read in a newspaper that according to a research study by a national alcohol group, alcohol consumption skyrocketed especially in women during the pandemic. Figure was like over 300% increase! Article said women were drinking more to deal with their anxieties and fears.

I have done everything possible to pray, fast, intercede, proclaim, anoint with oil, play Christian music in her room to pray in tongues, and ask mature believers to pray for her, etc. We got her a therapist, gave her freedom, lots of love and tenderness. Despite all these things, she got worse. The enemy was attacking and harassing me continuously too. The book of Psalms and Christian music gave me hope and a place of safety in those intense moments of attack.

The Lord was very gracious to me because I don’t know how but for the last couple of weeks I didn’t get any ads on my Spotify music account. Whenever I needed music to soothe my mind, I was able to listen without any ad interruptions. Funny thing is yesterday when I listened to Spotify, the ads popped up again every 30 minutes of music.

After we dropped off our daughter we did a road trip to Nashville TN. I’m so glad that we didn’t come straight home because we would’ve been so depressed. Nashville was a very good distraction after the shock of dropping her off.

During this trip, the Holy Spirit led me to reflect on the story of the Phoenician woman who came to Jesus and asked him to drive a demon out of her daughter, recorded in Mark 7. My friend Prudence texted me about this passage on the same day too. The Phoenician woman’s answer and faith moved Jesus to cast out the unclean spirit out of her daughter. Jesus commanded it and it was done without the woman’s daughter being near or knowing. This is now what I must do. Ask Jesus to cast out the demon from my daughter and believe that it will happen even if I am not there with my daughter.

I once heard in a sermon that biblical scholars did an analysis of Jesus’ miracles and 1/3 were casting out demons from people. A third! Why aren’t the church trying to understand and teach this more? Isn’t it so obvious that many people around us are being harassed and possessed by demons? How much more disorders can we name and add into the book of psychological disorders?

Lord, remember me and my sacrifices according to Your great mercies and cast out the unclean spirit from my daughter. Set her free and give back her sound mind. Do not allow the unclean spirit to enter any of my other family members, nor my friends and their families, nor anyone else who have prayed for my daughter. Instead bless and protect them in abundance; I ask this in Jesus name, amen. 🙏

Mark 7:24-30 (NKJV) – A Gentile Shows Her Faith ^– From there He arose and went to the region of Tyre and Sidon. And He entered a house and wanted no one to know it, but He could not be hidden. ²⁵ For a woman whose young daughter had an unclean spirit heard about Him, and she came and fell at His feet. ²⁶ The woman was a Greek, a Syro-Phoenician by birth, and she kept asking Him to cast the demon out of her daughter. ²⁷ But Jesus said to her, “Let the children be filled first, for it is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the little dogs.”²⁸ And she answered and said to Him, “Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs under the table eat from the children’s crumbs.”²⁹ Then He said to her, “For this saying go your way; the demon has gone out of your daughter.”³⁰ And when she had come to her house, she found the demon gone out, and her daughter lying on the bed.

On our way back home yesterday, I heard reports that our town got 8” of rain throughout the night! As I was wondering if we’d be able to get into our street, a neighbor called me and gave advice on how we may be able to pass through since both sides of the cross street were blocked off due to flooding. We went through a Christmas tree farm’s private road, and came to our street safely. Our home was dry and unharmed too. It felt like the Lord telling me that he will make a way for my daughter and my family to get through these high waters safely and to have confidence in His guidance.

The Redeemer of Israel

Isaiah 43:1-7. But now, thus says the Lord, who created you, O Jacob,
And He who formed you, O Israel:
“Fear not, for I have redeemed you;
I have called you by your name;
You are Mine.
² When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you.
When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned,
Nor shall the flame scorch you.
³ For I am the Lord your God,
The Holy One of Israel, your Savior;
I gave Egypt for your ransom,
Ethiopia and Seba in your place.
⁴ Since you were precious in My sight,
You have been honored,
And I have loved you;
Therefore I will give men for you,
And people for your life.
⁵ Fear not, for I am with you;
I will bring your descendants from the east,
And gather you from the west;
⁶ I will say to the north, ‘Give them up!’
And to the south, ‘Do not keep them back!’
Bring My sons from afar,
And My daughters from the ends of the earth—
⁷ Everyone who is called by My name,
Whom I have created for My glory;
I have formed him, yes, I have made him.”

Isaiah 43:16-21 – Thus says the Lord, who makes a way in the sea
And a path through the mighty waters,
¹⁷ Who brings forth the chariot and horse,
The army and the power
(They shall lie down together, they shall not rise;
They are extinguished, they are quenched like a wick):
¹⁸ “Do not remember the former things,
Nor consider the things of old.
¹⁹ Behold, I will do a new thing,
Now it shall spring forth;
Shall you not know it?
I will even make a road in the wilderness
And rivers in the desert.
²⁰ The beast of the field will honor Me,
The jackals and the ostriches,
Because I give waters in the wilderness
And rivers in the desert,
To give drink to My people, My chosen.
²¹ This people I have formed for Myself;
They shall declare My praise.

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isaiah%2043&version=NKJV