Could your illness be directly linked to spiritual idolatry?
In an interview with Isaiah Saldivar, Katie Souza shared a powerful testimony that revealed the surprising spiritual root behind a mysterious illness.
Her employee, John Blake, suffered from symptoms resembling Alzheimer’s—confusion, memory loss and extreme fatigue. Despite medication, his condition persisted. After much prayer, Katie and her team received a revelation through dreams involving the smell of ammonia. Research revealed that the chemical name “ammonia” originated from the ancient temple of the Egyptian god Ammon, suggesting a spiritual connection.
As they prayed and worshipped over John, he experienced immediate mental clarity. Over time, all his symptoms reversed. Medical tests confirmed his ammonia levels were suddenly and completely normal. This breakthrough led Katie and her team to a deeper understanding of how spiritual forces and idolatry can manifest in physical affliction.
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Idols in Disguise
Following this testimony, Isaiah Saldivar unpacked how idolatry isn’t just an ancient sin—it’s alive and thriving in modern society. While we may not bow before carved statues, many people still serve idols, often unknowingly. These idols take the form of excessive devotion to career, success, comfort, entertainment and even family activities. When anything consistently takes priority over God—whether sports, social media or material possessions—it becomes a modern-day idol.
The Idol in Your Pocket
One of the most prominent idols today is the smartphone. It commands our attention, often the first and last thing we engage with each day. The constant scrolling, checking and dependence on digital stimulation mirror the acts of worship seen in ancient idol rituals. This devotion robs believers of prayer time, Scripture meditation and meaningful spiritual engagement.
When Idolatry Grows from Trauma
Souza and Saldivar also highlighted a deeper root of idolatry: trauma. Many turn to distractions—shopping, food, media—as coping mechanisms for pain and emotional wounds. These temporary comforts can subtly become spiritual strongholds, offering relief while pulling people away from true healing found only in Christ.
Reclaiming the Altar
Believers are called to examine their lives for hidden idols and to confront them honestly. God desires to occupy the throne of our hearts, not share space with worldly distractions. In this digital age, reclaiming time for God and turning tools like phones into instruments for worship can transform altars of distraction into altars of devotion.
In a world overflowing with distractions and counterfeit comforts, the call to renounce idolatry has never been more urgent. Idols may no longer be carved from stone, but they are just as real—shaping our priorities, consuming our time and subtly stealing our devotion. God is not asking for a place on our schedule; He is demanding the throne of our hearts.
Now is the time for believers to tear down every altar that exalts itself above Christ, to break agreement with the idols we’ve unknowingly served, and to return to the only One worthy of our worship. Revival begins when we surrender everything that competes with Him—and say once again, with undivided hearts, “Jesus, You alone.”
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Abby Trivett is content development editor for Charisma Media.
Katie is so right. I’m going through something now and I’m finding myself going on line to buy something that I don’t need because I need to be uplifted. Wrong, wrong. Thank you for this. You’ve made me admit that this is becoming an idol.