WINNING THE BATTLE FOR THE MIND

Sometimes, the enemy attacks me early in the morning before I am fully awake. Thoughts of sexual fantasy suddenly invade my dreams. (I have been living a celibate life since 1995.) It is temptation when I am most vulnerable. And I am often aware that I am being protected -- that a spiritual battle is being fought over me.

But I do have free will; and sometimes, though not fully awake, I fall into the trap -- the sin of sexual fantasy. One morning, God gave me a prayer to fight off these attacks:

Lord Jesus,

I plead Your Most Precious Blood 

on my mind.

Lord Jesus,

I plead Your Most Precious Blood

on every thought in my mind.

Amen.

Use this prayer when you are being harassed by impure thoughts… when you are attacked with strong temptation… when you are tempted to commit sin.

Use this prayer when thoughts distract you during Holy Mass… when thoughts interfere with your prayer life.

Use this prayer when your thoughts become confused… when thoughts torment you during the night, preventing a good sleep.

Use this prayer when you are haunted by past sins -- sins that have already been confessed in the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

Use this prayer when you have thoughts that tear you down, accuse you of anything… and cause you to question your self-worth.

Use this prayer when you are afflicted with depressive or obsessive-compulsive thoughts.

Use this prayer when your thoughts are “out of control” … when your thoughts are not your own.

AND FOR OTHERS, PRAY:

Lord Jesus,

I plead Your Most Precious Blood 

on _____’s mind.

Lord Jesus,

I plead Your Most Precious Blood

on every thought in _____’s mind.

Amen.

Soon after I began to use this spiritual weapon,

the early morning attacks stopped.

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OBSESSIVE-COMPULSIVE DISORDER

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is an “anxiety” disorder characterized by recurring, un-welcomed thoughts or images (obsessions) and repetitive behaviors or the urgent need to engage in certain rituals (compulsions). Repetitive behaviors or rituals (such as repetitive hand washing, house cleaning… counting or checking things repeatedly) are performed with the hope of preventing and stopping obsessive thoughts. But these “rituals” provide only temporary relief.

Thoughts come from three places:

the subconscious mind, God, and the Devil.

 

Mental health professionals are able to help OCD patients live relatively productive and fulfilling lives. But they have no cure. Treatment for OCD includes therapy (such as cognitive-behavioral therapy) and drugs (such as Prozac, Paxil… or Zoloft). _ National Institute of Mental Health

OCD may be a result of changes in the body’s natural chemistry or brain functions. OCD may also have a genetic component.

Although mental health professionals are able to help their patients live “relatively productive and fulfilling lives,” they have no “cure” for OCD -- because they ignore (or reject) the “spiritual” aspect of the disorder.

Many OCD sufferers are in need of “deliverance” and “inner-healing.”

I once viewed a program on OCD that focused on two heartbreaking cases. In both cases, OCD had a “trigger.” And that trigger was “trauma” -- a “traumatic” event in the lives of the people. Trauma provided the opportunity (the open door) for evil spirits to invade (with the intent to destroy).

OCD is devastating, heartbreaking… and hopeless for people living in darkness. OCD is more than mental illness. It is also a spiritual disorder that cannot be cured by therapy and drugs alone. (The condition is exasperated and worsened by evil spirits that attack areas of weakness, vulnerability… and mental illness.) 

TO ADVANCE YOUR INNER HEALING:

 

1) Spend time each day in silent,

meditative prayer

(at home or before the Blessed Sacrament);

 

2) Go to Confession (at least monthly);

 

3) Attend daily Mass (as often as possible);

 

4) Pray the Rosary every day.

 

5) Pray the Rosary of the Seven Sorrows of Mary.

http://catholicdeliverance.blogspot.com/2013/09/rosary-of-seven-sorrows-of-mary.html

 SPIRITUAL WARFARE FOR OCD?

 

“I plead the Blood of Jesus on my mind.

I plead the Blood of Jesus 

on every thought in my mind.”

 

Only Jesus can heal the trauma within a person. And when the trauma is healed, OCD -- and the evil spirits behind it -- will disappear. BUT when OCD is the result of changes in the body’s natural chemistry or brain functions, deliverance and inner healing are not enough.

God may choose to heal the brain and the body’s natural chemistry through prayer. But God also uses medication!

Some OCD sufferers are unable to separate themselves from the condition. For these, medication is needed. As the father of an OCD sufferer once said, “Just enough (medication) to take the edge off.”

Another course of action for recovery from OCD -- or any addictive and dysfunctional behavior -- is a Christ-centered “Twelve-Step Program.” 

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