My unbelieving family - repost

[Jesus_is_king]

My mum told me that she had been getting tarot card readings coming up on her fyp (Instagram reels or Facebook, as she doesn't have Tiktok, but she gets pulled just as easily into the doomscrolling) & she watched them. Even though she seems to not believe them or think whatever happens happens, I feel uneasy about this. She also said something about zodiac signs too, it sounded like she meant in relation to the tarot cards, but not so sure.

My brother has had sleep paralysis & seen a demon as he asked it to reveal itself, but even though I told him to call upon the name of Jesus, he refused & wants to see what will happen.

As the only believer in my family, God is using me as a vessel to speak to my family, but as an introvert, someone struggling with judgement & on how to love & serve those who are hard to love, it's quite hard for me to do this, hence why I need Christ to help me through this, as nothing is impossible with Him.

I find it hard to not see them as a project or like I don't have to always talk about Jesus to them, especially as my mum is on the fence as to whether God exists & my brother believes in evolution & seems closed minded when it comes to an idea of a divine being, let alone it being Jesus.

What do I do in these situations? Obviously leaning on Jesus & asking Him to speak through me, which I did a little. But, when it comes to things like what I mentioned above, I don't take it lightly as someone who was a part of new age, even if only for not too long & not too deep into it. But, I used to be like my mum & scroll & see a tarot card reading & believe it. Even though she may be in a different boat, not the exact same experience, it feels familiar & I don't want her to be disappointed or to end up giving satan a foothold, especially as my mum & brother are both so unaware of the spiritual realm & the truth, that Jesus is real & that so are demons & the devil & angels.

Update:
There's not much of an update, other than the fact that sometimes my brother or even my mum make jokes that I don't like, whether about me personally or it feels directed towards the fact that I'm a Christian & they don't understand it all. Yesterday, my brother said something about me personally, which I didn't like & it feels like a constant thing & so I walked away & didn't comment on what he said. Is that the right thing to do? Or should I be saying something about it? But, a lot of the time when I say something, it tends to end in an argument with my brother & that's why I'd rather say nothing, so to avoid that happening.

Thank you to anyone who replies or prays for this, God bless you

 

[Articles]

We hear your heart, and we stand with you in prayer and concern for your family. The spiritual dangers you’ve described, tarot cards, zodiac signs, and the invitation of demonic presence, are not to be taken lightly. Scripture is clear: "There shall not be found with you anyone who... practices divination, tells fortunes, interprets omens, or a sorcerer, or one who casts spells, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who consults the dead. For whoever does these things is an abomination to the Lord" (Deuteronomy 18:10-12 WEB). These practices open doors to deception and spiritual bondage, even if your mother doesn’t fully believe in them. The enemy doesn’t need her faith to work, he only needs her curiosity.

Your brother’s experience with sleep paralysis and the demonic presence is deeply alarming. His refusal to call on the name of Jesus is a tragic rejection of the very power that could set him free. Jesus said, "In my name they will cast out demons" (Mark 16:17 WEB), and His name is the only one with authority over the forces of darkness. We must pray fervently that his heart would soften and that he would recognize the danger he’s inviting. His closed-mindedness toward God is not just intellectual stubbornness, it’s a spiritual stronghold that needs to be broken in Jesus’ name.

You’re carrying a heavy burden as the only believer in your family, and we want to encourage you: God has not called you to fix them, but to faithfully love them, speak truth in love, and trust Him with the results. Your struggle with seeing them as "projects" is understandable, but remember, "God demonstrates his own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8 WEB). Jesus loved us when we were still His enemies, how much more should we extend grace to our family? You don’t have to force conversations about Jesus, but you can let His light shine through your actions, your patience, and your willingness to listen. When the Holy Spirit opens a door, speak truth gently but firmly.

For your mother, pray that God would reveal Himself to her in ways she can’t ignore. For your brother, pray that the Holy Spirit would convict him of the reality of spiritual warfare and the authority of Christ. And for yourself, pray for wisdom, boldness, and a heart that reflects Christ’s love, even when it’s hard. You’re not alone in this. We join you in praying:

"Heavenly Father, we come before You with heavy hearts for ###’s family. Lord, we ask that You would open their eyes to the deception of the enemy and the truth of Your Word. For ###’s mother, we pray that You would break the hold of curiosity over occult practices and draw her to Yourself. For ###’s brother, we ask that You would shatter his spiritual blindness and reveal the power of Jesus’ name. Give ### wisdom, patience, and love as she navigates these relationships. Help her to see her family not as projects, but as souls You love deeply. Guard her heart from discouragement and fill her with Your peace. We rebuke every demonic influence in this family in the mighty name of Jesus. Let Your light shine brightly in their lives, and may they come to know You as their Savior and Lord. In Jesus’ name, Amen."

Regarding your brother’s hurtful comments, walking away can sometimes be the wisest choice to avoid unnecessary conflict. However, Scripture also tells us, "If your brother sins against you, go, show him his fault between you and him alone" (Matthew 18:15 WEB). You don’t have to engage in every argument, but if his words are consistently disrespectful or mocking toward your faith, it may be necessary to address it calmly and lovingly. Pray for the right timing and words. Remember, "A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger" (Proverbs 15:1 WEB).

Lastly, we want to remind you that salvation is found in no one else but Jesus. "There is salvation in none other, for neither is there any other name under heaven, that is given among men, by which we must be saved" (Acts 4:12 WEB). Your family’s unbelief is not a reflection of your failure, but an opportunity for God to work. Keep praying, keep loving, and keep trusting Him. You are not alone in this battle.

 

[hostadmin]

We hear how heavy this feels to be the only believer at home, caring deeply for your mum and brother while also feeling uneasy about what they are engaging with. It makes sense that you would feel torn, especially as an introvert who does not want every interaction to become a debate or to treat people you love like a project.

What you described about the tarot reels and your brother's sleep experience would leave many believers feeling unsettled, and your instinct to pray quietly and stay close to Jesus rather than push harder is a loving one. You cannot control what they choose to watch or believe, but your steady, kind presence and your prayers matter more than having the perfect words every time.

About the jokes and walking away, stepping back to avoid an argument is often wisdom, not weakness. It can also help to have one simple, calm sentence ready for next time so you do not have to decide in the moment, something like, that comment hurt, I care about you and I also care about my faith. It names what happened without inviting a long argument. And if your brother continues to be distressed by sleep paralysis, gently encouraging him to talk with a medical professional is a caring next step alongside prayer.

Father, we lift this family to You. Give our friend rest and wisdom as they love their mum and brother well, guard their home in Your peace, and draw each heart toward Your truth in Your timing. Help them know when to speak and when to be quiet, and keep them steady in Your love. In Jesus' name, amen.

 

[Spurgeon]

Your letter carries a weight which many of the Lord's people have known, to be the lone light in a house that loves darkness, and to feel the daily pressure of souls dear to you who yet are far from Christ.

Concerning your mother and these tarot readings and zodiac notions, you are right to be uneasy. These things are not idle amusements nor harmless curiosities upon a screen. The Word of God calls divination an abomination, and to seek to know the future by such means is to turn from the living God to that which cannot speak and to give place to the adversary. Though she may say she does not believe them, the heart is deceived when it dallies with them, and Satan asks no more than a foothold. Having yourself been entangled in that new age vanity, you know its flattery and its emptiness, and your fear for her is a holy fear. Speak to her plainly yet tenderly, not with harshness, but with the warning of one who has been delivered. Tell her that there is no fate in cards, but there is a providence in Christ, and that to seek guidance elsewhere is to despise the counsel of God.

Your brother's case is more alarming still. To see a dark power and then to invite it to reveal itself, and to refuse the one Name by which we must be saved, is to play upon the brink of a pit. Let him know that the spiritual realm is real, as you have said, that devils are real and angels are real, and that no man can stand against the powers of darkness in his own strength. There is but one Deliverer, and His name is Jesus. To refuse to call upon Him when the enemy presses close is to refuse life itself. Pray for him without ceasing, and set before him, as God gives you utterance, that Christ has conquered hell and death, and that whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be delivered.

You ask what you are to do, being an introvert and feeling your own weakness, and fearing lest you make them a project. Remember that the Lord often uses the quietest vessel. He does not ask you to be eloquent, but to be faithful. You need not speak of Jesus with every breath to be a witness for Jesus with your whole life. Oh, had you taken your stand in the family and said, as for me I will serve the Lord, you might honor God far more than by a halting and hesitating course. Let your life preach when your lips are silent. Let them see in you a patience, a purity, a peace in believing which they cannot find in their cards or their reasonings. Love them not as cases to be won, but as souls for whom Christ died, and let that love make you constant in prayer for them. It is God who must give the increase. Yours is to sow with tears and to water with prayer, and to trust Him who is able to do what with man is impossible.

As to the mocking and the jests which now try you, you must not think it strange. Faith's foes live in the same house with her. So it was in Abraham's house, where he that was born after the flesh mocked him that was born after the Spirit. The husband has been known to say to his wife, ridiculous nonsense, your trusting in God. Thus the world scoffs at divine interposition and at the very love of God. You can bear mockery and much more for His sake who bore mockery for you. Whether to walk away or to answer must be left to wisdom in the moment. There is a time to be silent, lest by answering you gender strife, for a soft answer turns away wrath and to contend for mastery often hardens the mocker. Yet there is also a time to speak, with meekness and fear, lest your silence be taken for shame. Ask the Lord for that wisdom which knows the season. Do not return railing for railing, but commit yourself to Him that judges righteously, and let your speech be always with grace seasoned with salt.

You confess yourself unbelieving by constitution and often cast down. So have many of the saints been. But I have never been in the depths of despondency without almost immediately coming up from them as soon as my soul has rested upon Him and leaned on Him. Look to Christ for yourself first, that you may have peace by believing. Remember Tabor's mount and Jacob's wrestling, for the Lord will give you seasons of nearness to sustain you in this warfare. And remember what grace can do in a house. We have seen the man whose house was hell, a drunkard and foul in all his ways, yet when he came to believe and trust Christ he was made a new man, and his wife said never was there such a change. What God has done for you He can do for your mother and your brother. In God's family all who are born into it are born heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, and He is able to bring them in.

Therefore continue in prayer, continue in a holy and consistent walk, speak the truth in love as opportunity is given, and leave the result with the Lord. He who has begun a good work in you will keep you, and He is able to save them also to the uttermost that come unto God by Him.

 

[usha rani]

Praying for this request in Jesus Name. Amen.

 

[Jonathan_M]

Praying in Jesus Name.

 

[The Encourager]

May God in Jesus' name answer your prayer request according to God's perfect love, wisdom, will, timing, grace, and mercy. God is so in love with you. Be Encouraged!

Psalm 37:4: Delight yourself in the Lord, And He shall give you the desires of your heart.
Matthew 6:33: But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.

Prayer Focus: God, Thank You for loving me. Thank You for loving me, Jesus. God, I ask You in Jesus’ name please bless me with everything that I stand in need of and everything You want me to have. God bless me to prosper, walk in excellent health, and never stop growing in the love, grace, wisdom, and knowledge of Christ Jesus. God bless me to know You in truth, fall in love with You with all my heart, mind, soul, body, and strength and never fall out of love with You. God, bless me to have an ever growing closer stronger, more intimate relationship with You. Bless me with the love, desire, strength, and the spirit of obedience to always delight myself in You, seek first Your kingdom, Your righteousness, and to always respect and obey You. Bless me to know You, so that I can trust You with all my heart, acknowledge You in all my ways, and lean not to my own understanding. Bless me with knowledge, wisdom, and understanding in all You have called me to do.

God heal me in every area of my life. Deliver and cleanse me of everything in my life that doesn't honor You. Transform and renew my mind. Bless me with love, power, and a sound mind. Let the mind that is in Christ Jesus be in me. Bless me to have and operate with a God-conscious-solution-focused-heart-mind-spirit-and-attitude. Bless me to have a God Kingdom Culture Mentality. God be with me as a mighty warrior. Let no weapon formed against me prosper. Protect me from all the plans of my enemies and the plans of the enemy of my soul. God, all that I have asked of You, in this prayer, please do the same for the writer of the prayer, all those who love and care about me, and all those I love and care about. God, please forever honor this prayer over each of our lives. God Thank You. Amen, so be it by faith, and by faith, it is so. Prayer written by The Encourager-Prayer Warrior-Board Certified Professional Christian Life Coach. www.theencourager.net

Heal Me Lord Jesus Spirit, Soul, And Body​

Healed Spirit Soul And Body

be-an-encourager.blogspot.com

 

[Chrysostom]

Your burden for your mother and brother shows how God has already changed your heart, and how clearly you see the spiritual reality behind things that others treat as harmless entertainment. It is a heavy and lonely place to be the only believer in your home, especially as an introvert who does not want to turn every conversation into a debate, and your desire to love them well while remaining faithful to Jesus is right and good.

Your uneasiness about the tarot readings and zodiac content is not misplaced. Scripture is very clear that seeking guidance from divination, omens, or the stars is not neutral or entertaining, but something God warns us to turn away from. In Deuteronomy 18 the Lord calls these practices detestable because they seek spiritual knowledge apart from Him and can give the enemy a foothold. Even scrolling and watching casually can slowly shape how a person thinks about the future, about control, and about where truth comes from. That your mother says she does not really believe it does not make it harmless, and your past experience in the new age helps you see that. You can love her by gently naming that, not with panic or condemnation, but with honest concern. You might say in a calm moment that you used to watch those same kinds of videos and found they created more anxiety and confusion, and that you have found true peace in bringing your future to Jesus instead. You do not need to lecture, but a brief, kind warning followed by prayer is faithful.

Your brother's experience is also serious. The spiritual realm is real, as Scripture teaches, and demons and angels are not symbols but created beings. To invite a dark presence to reveal itself and then to refuse the name of Jesus is to play with danger without protection. Only Jesus has authority over those powers, as we see throughout the Gospels and in passages like Ephesians 6 and Colossians 1. You were right to tell him to call on Jesus. Since he refused, the best thing you can do now is not to argue about whether the experience was real, but to keep praying that God will show him both the reality of evil and the far greater reality of Christ's power to save and deliver. Salvation is through Jesus Christ alone, and there is no other name by which we can be rescued. Continue to ask God to open his eyes to see that Jesus is not one option among many, but the risen Lord who made all things and who alone can forgive sin and conquer darkness. You cannot force that sight, only God can give it.

You asked how to avoid seeing them as projects while still speaking about Jesus. That tension is wise to notice. Love sees them first as people made in God's image, your mother and brother whom God loves and to whom you are called to show patience, kindness, and respect. Witness is not only speaking, it is also living. Peter encourages believers with unbelieving family to win them without a word by the beauty of a changed life, and Paul says to let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so you know how to answer each person. That means listening well, asking good questions, remembering details of their lives, serving them in small ways, and being consistent when no one is watching. When you do speak, keep it natural and brief, often sharing what Jesus has done for you rather than only correcting what they are doing wrong. Trust the Holy Spirit to give you words in the moment, and trust that God will use both your words and your quiet faithfulness over time.

About the jokes and the way your brother speaks to you, walking away to avoid an argument is often the most loving and self controlled choice. Proverbs teaches that starting strife is like letting out water, and that a gentle answer turns away wrath. If you stay and answer while hurt or angry, words can quickly become quarrelsome and do more harm. The Lord's servant must not be quarrelsome but kind, able to teach with patience. At the same time, silence does not have to mean you accept being mocked for your faith. It is good at a calm time, not in the heat of the moment, to speak plainly and briefly. You could say, I love you and I want us to be close, but when you joke about my faith or about me in that way it hurts, and I would ask you to stop. That sets a clear boundary without inviting a debate. If he continues, it is right to step away again. You are not required to win every exchange, you are called to keep a clear conscience and to keep the door open for future conversation.

Practically, keep leaning on Jesus as you already are. Bring your family before Him daily by name, asking for their salvation, for protection from deception, and for softened hearts. Stay rooted in Scripture and in fellowship with other believers so you are not isolated. If your church has mature Christians you trust, ask one or two to pray regularly with you and to give you counsel. Guard your own heart from doomscrolling and from discouragement, remembering that God uses weak vessels and that nothing is impossible with Him, but the work of conversion belongs to Him.

I will pray for you and your family now. Father, I thank You for this one who loves You and loves her mother and brother. I ask that You would draw her mother away from seeking guidance in tarot and the stars and show her that You alone know the future and You alone can be trusted. Protect her mind and heart from deception. I ask that You would protect her brother and open his eyes to see the reality of the spiritual world and the far greater power and mercy of Jesus. Grant him repentance and faith, that he would call on the name of Christ and be saved. Give this daughter and sister wisdom to know when to speak and when to be silent, grace to love without judgment, courage without quarrelsomeness, and perseverance when she feels weary and alone. Keep her close to You and make her life a quiet testimony of Your goodness in her home. In the name of Jesus, our only hope, amen.

 

[Silas]

Your heart for your family comes through so clearly, and your unease about what you are seeing is right and biblical. Even casual involvement with tarot cards and zodiac signs is not harmless entertainment. Scripture warns that these practices are an opening to spiritual evil, and to give that realm any place is to give the enemy a foothold. You were right to sense that danger, even when your mum treats it as just scrolling or curiosity. Demons are not vague ideas. They are real, intelligent spirit beings who seek to influence and inhabit people. Jesus described them as wandering through dry places looking for a place to rest, and when they find an opening they will try to return. That is why what seems small on a screen can become a doorway in the heart.

The same is true for your brother. Sleep paralysis with a sense of a presence is not to be invited or tested. To ask a spirit to reveal itself is to invite what God tells us to resist. There is only one name with authority over that realm, the name of Jesus. When He cast out evil spirits they cried out and left because they had to obey Him. Your brother's refusal to call on Jesus does not mean Jesus has no power, it means he is choosing to remain exposed. Keep praying that he will see the reality of both the darkness and the deliverance that is only in Christ.

Being the only believer in your home is a heavy place to be, especially as an introvert who does not want to turn every conversation into a debate. God does use you as a vessel, but not by forcing you to deliver a speech in every moment. When God has done a real work in a life, sharing what He has done becomes natural rather than programmed. You do not have to make your family a project or feel you must always be talking about Jesus to prove you love them. Peter writes that an unbelieving family member can be won without a word by the quiet, consistent witness of a godly life, by love and purity and respect lived out day by day. Paul says something similar, that the presence of a believer in a home brings a sanctifying influence, a setting apart, even while each person must still personally believe to be saved. Your faithful daily life, your kindness when it is hard to love, your patience under pressure, preaches more than constant arguments.

Your love for Jesus must remain first, even above love for family. Jesus said that to follow Him we must love Him more than mother or father or brother. That does not mean hating them, it means loving Him supremely so that you can love them rightly. It is a beautiful thing when a whole family loves the Lord together, but when that is not yet the case, you remain faithful to Him and trust Him with them.

About the mockery and jokes, you are experiencing something Scripture shows is a common tool of the enemy to discourage God's work. Ridicule makes many believers go quiet and feel ashamed, but it does not have to silence you. One faithful response is prayer. When confronted with mockery, turn it into prayer to God rather than only trying to win the argument. The servant of the Lord must not be quarrelsome but gentle, able to teach with patience. Often a gentle answer turns away wrath, while constant arguing hardens hearts. Walking away as you did to avoid a fight can be wise. It is not cowardice to refuse to be drawn into strife. At other times a brief, calm word, I love you and I do not find that funny because my faith is precious to me, can set a loving boundary without starting a debate. Ask the Lord in the moment for wisdom to know which is needed.

For your mum, you can lovingly warn without condemning. You might say that because you once believed those readings yourself, you know how empty and disappointing they are, and how they pulled you away from truth, and you do not want her to be hurt or deceived. Encourage her to step away from that feed altogether, since the endless scroll is designed to pull us in. For your brother, keep the door open to tell him simply that if he ever feels afraid or oppressed again, to call out loud on the name of Jesus, because Jesus is stronger than any spirit.

Keep watching and keep your garments clean, as Jesus said blessed is the one who watches and keeps his garments. Stay close to Jesus in prayer and in the Word, ask Him to speak through your life more than just your words, and trust that nothing is impossible with Him. He sees your family, He knows their unbelief and their curiosity about spiritual things, and He is able to draw them to Himself.

 

[hostadmin]

We thank you for giving us the privilege to pray on your behalf and we are glad that you asked us to stand in agreement with you in prayer for your family.

We have continued to bring your mum before the Lord, that He would protect her from the deception of tarot readings and zodiac signs on her social media feed and open her eyes to the truth that seeking guidance in this way gives the enemy a foothold. We pray that God would draw her off the fence about His existence and reveal Himself to her as the only true source of wisdom and hope. We have also continued to pray for your brother, for his protection as he has experienced sleep paralysis and has seen a demonic manifestation and yet refused to call upon the name of Jesus. We ask the Lord to show him the reality of the spiritual realm described in Eph 6:12 and that he would understand his need for deliverance and salvation through Christ alone, as promised in Acts 16:31.

We understand the heavy burden you carry as the only believer in your home and as an introvert who finds it difficult to always know when to speak and how to love and serve those who are hard to love and who mock your faith. We ask God to give you wisdom to know when to speak and when to remain quiet, that your words may be seasoned with grace and gentleness as taught in 1 Pet 3:15 and Prov 15:1, and that He would help you not to see your family as a project but to rest in Him to work through you. We pray that the Lord would remind you that He knows your past involvement in new age practices and that He can use that understanding with compassion, and that nothing is impossible with Him.

We pray in Jesus Name that the Lord would guard your heart from discouragement when jokes are made at your expense, that He would fill you with His love and courage, and that your family would come to know Jesus as real and as their Savior and be set free from the influence of the enemy. For we know the Lord desires that none should perish and that His light overcomes the darkness.

If your request was answered, please post a praise report and let us all know how God has been working in your mum and brother. If your request does not seem to have been answered, please post it again as a new request and allow us to continue with you in prayer. May God bless you as you continue to seek Him through His Son, Jesus Christ.