Summary

The podcast episode from Between Heaven and Earth, hosted by Justin and Amy Howard, features a powerful testimony from Ashley Nute, a longtime friend and fellow believer. Ashley shares her journey from a traumatic childhood marked by intense demonic oppression and spiritual warfare to finding deliverance and freedom through a transformative encounter weekend. Raised in a broken family with generational trauma, Native American spiritual influences, and abuse, Ashley endured years of nightly terror and demonic visitation that deeply affected her faith and life. Despite her early belief in God, she struggled with doubt and confusion about His goodness as the darkness of her experiences deepened.

Ashley recounts how her life changed after a desperate, fearful moment while nursing her baby, when she confronted a terrifying demonic presence in her home. She and her husband, Adam, attempted to rid their environment of spiritual invitations to darkness but found no lasting relief. The turning point came when she attended what she thought was a typical women’s retreat, which turned out to be an intense encounter weekend focused on deliverance and healing. There, Ashley experienced profound ministry led by two deliverance ministers, Maria and JC, who helped her dismantle family curses, rejection, and spiritual strongholds through prayer and inner healing.

This encounter brought a radical shift in Ashley’s life—she was filled with the Holy Spirit, experienced deep joy, and began to rebuild her understanding of God, moving away from legalistic and hurtful doctrines towards a personal, intimate relationship with Jesus. She emphasizes that freedom from demonic bondage is often much closer than people think—sometimes just seconds away—and encourages others struggling with spiritual oppression to seek help and not give up hope. The episode closes with a prayer for listeners who may be afflicted and an invitation to access spiritual guidance and deliverance support through the Encounter Culture community and One Life Group counseling services.

Highlights

Key Insights

Ashley’s story is a compelling testimony of God’s faithfulness to redeem even the darkest pasts and bring healing through the power of the Holy Spirit and deliverance ministry. It calls the Church to be more aware, compassionate, and equipped to minister to those wrestling with spiritual oppression and generational brokenness, offering hope that freedom and joy are possible.