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At 8 years old, former satanist John Ramirez started down a deep, dark path of witchcraft and worshipping Satan. For 25 years he performed countless ceremonies in the realm of darkness, gathered with witches and warlocks and studied the devil’s playbook—until he had a radical encounter with Jesus that marked his life forever.
Jesus took him out of his body to the pits of hell and opened his eyes to the very real and dark reality of the eternal impacts of the life he was living.
“God is a God of purpose, and I found my purpose in Christ and Christ alone. I didn’t find my purpose in a building. I didn’t find my purpose in anything else but Him,” Ramirez says.
Biblical illiteracy has caused a grievous blow the western church today. Spiritual warfare is real and ever present as we draw closer to the return of Jesus. Christians need to understand the tools and weapons of spiritual warfare to step into their God-given purpose on their life.
“I think the church is not holding the responsibility at large to teach people and disciple people to find your identity in the Lord Jesus Christ,” Ramirez says. In the Bible, the disciples went to Jesus and asked Him to teach them how to pray. They knew the importance and significance of prayer. In our Charisma News interview, Ramirez shares why he is emboldened to teach people the power of their prayers.
“Prayer is the arsenal of heaven, but you need to know how to use it to bring down the targets in the enemies camp that got your name on it,” he says.
Most Christians aren’t finding this at church on Sunday. Discipleship and Bible classes are few and far between in the church today, but there is a growing hunger in the body of Christ and people are searching for more.
Ramirez warns Christians that the devil’s schemes won’t disappear just because you step into a church building on a Sunday. “It’s not going to go away because you sit like a pocketbook at church on Sunday,” he says.
Revelation 3:20 says, “Listen! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in and dine with him, and he with Me.” God is eagerly awaiting you like the groom awaits the bride in the wedding chambers. He longs for intimacy with you.
“We’ve become microwave Christians. Seek the Lord for yourself, build your own relationship for yourself, build your own intimacy for yourself,” Ramirez says. Stop spending all of your free time on Netflix and social media. The enemy isn’t threatened by a lukewarm lifestyle.
If you feel like you are in a dry place with the Lord and are wanting a deeper spiritual hunger, pray and ask God to stir up your hunger for more of Him. Here are Ramirez’s tips:
- Make a spiritual assessment.
- Determine what is in your life that is taking time away from the Lord.
- Start reorganizing your time and your life, and understand that it’s not where you start but where you finish.
Ramirez’s new book, “Fire Prayers,” will release in March of 2023, and will provide the prayers you aren’t learning in church today. Stay up to date on MyCharismaShop.com for more on his upcoming book.
To watch our full interview with Evangelist John Ramirez click here, and subscribe to the YouTube channel to watch our special episode with Ramirez on the dangers of Halloween, coming out Oct. 31.{eoa}
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Shelby Lindsay is an assistant editor for Charisma Media.
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