Episode Overview

Podcast: GPS: God. People. Stories.
Host: Billy Graham Evangelistic Association
Episode: Oppressed by Demons, Psychic Rescued by Jesus
Date: September 17, 2025

This episode follows the extraordinary transformation of Jen Nizza, who spent over two decades as a psychic medium deeply immersed in the world of the paranormal. Jen candidly shares how her fascination and participation with occult practices resulted in darkness and oppression, and how a spontaneous cry to Jesus Christ led to her ultimate freedom and a new life as a Christian. The conversation unpacks how seemingly innocent cultural fascination with spiritual phenomena can open doors to destructive spiritual realities, and why Jen now warns others about these dangers.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Early Exposure to the Paranormal

• Family Influence & Normalization

  • Jen grew up in Long Island, NY, where talk of the supernatural was treated as normal.
  • "There were paranormal conversations around my home at a very early age. My great aunt was a psychic and a self-professing healer... It was perfectly normal to talk about ghosts and paranormal activity in our home." — Jen Nizza [01:46]

• First Experiences

  • Experienced unexplained occurrences: electrical disturbances, objects being knocked down, her sister seeing figures in their room.
  • The more they engaged, the more such events manifested.

Teenage Immersion & Addiction

• Introduction to Divination

  • At 13, Jen had her first tarot card reading during a beauty parlor party, drawing her immediately.
  • "This woman didn’t tell me anything profound, but she told me things that were accurate... That’s what led me down the rabbit hole rather quickly." — Jen Nizza [03:53]

• Escalation Through Adolescence

  • Bought tarot decks with her own money; began giving readings to friends, seeing psychics, and consulting cards multiple times daily.
  • Incorporated other occult practices: crystals, numerology, astrology, spells, Ouija board.
  • "It got to the point where we were doing multiple readings daily... Let's go consult the cards." — Jen Nizza [05:50]

• Underlying Consequences

  • Severe anxiety, nightmares, and eating disorder developed during this period.
  • Felt unfulfilled despite the excitement.
  • "I placed my faith and trust fully in God's creation and created things and in demonic communication... none of that is from Jesus Christ." — Jen Nizza [06:48]

Intensified Oppression and the Illusion of 'Gift'

• Deeper into the Occult

  • Learned card reading from a local woman, wore crystals for protection, and kept seeking hidden knowledge.
  • Increasing encounters with what she later recognized as demonic entities.
  • "The demonic oppression... was just intensifying... With every divination practice I did... the worse the oppression got and I started to see them." — Jen Nizza [08:10]

• Becoming a Medium

  • At 20, attended her first psychic medium and was told:
  • "You're a medium, Jen, and this is a gift from God. You need to help people receive messages from their departed loved ones." — Jen Nizza recalling psychic's words [09:28]
  • Immersed in a spiritualist group practicing readings, feeling a sense of belonging.

• Full Professional Involvement

  • Became a professional psychic medium, left her previous job, and saw clients full-time.
  • Genuinely believed she was helping people.
  • "I wasn't some con artist... I really thought I was helping people. I cried with people." — Jen Nizza [11:21]

The Spiritual Breaking Point

• Oppression Reaches Its Peak

  • Constant chatter, intrusive "information," inability to escape the spiritual torment.
  • "It heightened to the point of a weight on me that was so heavy... I call out to Jesus Christ. I did not know, had no idea why I did that." — Jen Nizza [13:55]

• First Encounter with Jesus' Peace

  • Upon crying out, immediately felt a peace she could not explain. Yet she didn't understand the gospel or why it happened at the time.
  • "I had this experience that I have zero understanding of... I don’t know why I called on Jesus." — Jen Nizza [14:34]

• Temporary Return & Final Surrender

  • Despite the experience, the spiritual pull of her old life led her back for a time.
  • The Lord’s conviction and providence pulled her out, notably through a friend (Beth) newly saved by Jesus who invited Jen to church.

Salvation & Biblical Revelation

• Turning Point at Church

  • Initially resisted but ultimately attended church. While hearing the song lyric 'Jesus saved me,' Jen understood her experience at last:
  • "Everything made sense in that moment... That was the Lord Jesus Christ, son of God, who came that day when I called on his name..." — Jen Nizza [17:27]

• Biblical Conviction & Repentance

  • Read Deuteronomy 18 and recognized herself in the biblical warning against divination:
  • "God, I'm sorry. Yes, that's me. You're talking to me. I've been the medium, I've been the psychic, I've been the fortune teller." — Jen Nizza [19:02]
  • Also drawn to Jesus’ teachings about following Him, self-denial, and true repentance.

• Radical Life Change

  • Quit her job as a medium, met with her pastor, and began her walk as a Christian.
  • "First agenda that Jesus had for my life was to get me out of the darkness... What I had been doing was an abomination to God." — Jen Nizza [18:13]

New Life: Ministry and Warnings

• From Psychic to Christian Witness

  • Now uses social media, speaks at churches, and writes books to help others avoid the occult and understand God’s love.
  • "God took me out from behind the camera and brought me, you know, to Michael Knowles and Allie Beth Stuckey... My third book is coming out in October." — Jen Nizza [20:32]

• Personal Healing & Hope for Others

  • Acknowledges ongoing spiritual battle and the sufficiency of Christ for healing and peace.
  • "There is healing. There is coming out of the valley... I am filled with peace... I have eternity in Christ." — Jen Nizza [21:10]

• Warning Against Cultural Occult Fascination

  • Draws attention to the normalization and glamorization of occult practices in media.
  • "In our culture, it's become the norm. It is the enemy desensitizing the masses through social media, through cinema, Netflix... To say you’re a Christian and fully immersed in divination... the Lord says you can’t drink from the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons." — Jen Nizza [25:18]
  • Cites 1 Corinthians 10:21 as scriptural support.

Billy Graham: The Reality of Demons

• Continued Contemporary Relevance
  • Billy Graham affirms the biblical and present reality of demonic forces and the ultimate triumph of Jesus Christ:
  • "Yes, I believe that there were real demons in Jesus’ day and I believe there are real demons right now. There is a real devil... the only power that can overcome Satan is the Lord Jesus Christ..." — Billy Graham [23:16, 24:37]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On spiritual bondage:
  "The demonic oppression that was there from minute one of opening this door, letting these demons in... was just intensifying." — Jen Nizza [08:10]

• On calling out to Jesus:
  "With this weight on me, all this chatter... I call out to Jesus Christ, who I did not know... and I had no idea why I did that." — Jen Nizza [13:55]

• On surrender and new identity:
  "When I went back to doing the readings, Jesus was like, okay, we're... We're not doing this." — Jen Nizza [15:55]

• On biblical recognition and repentance:
  "God, I'm sorry. Yes, that's me. You're talking to me. I've been the medium, the psychic, the fortune teller..." — Jen Nizza [19:02]

• On why Christians should avoid occult practices:
  "You can't drink from the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. That's First Corinthians 10:21." — Jen Nizza [25:18]

• On hope in Christ:
  "No matter what happens in your life, ever, in Christ you'll always be okay because you're His. And we have eternity." — Jen Nizza [21:10]

Important Timestamps

• 01:46 – Early family exposure to the paranormal
• 03:53 – First tarot card reading and immediate fascination
• 05:50 – Teenage addiction to readings and occult practices
• 08:10 – Experiencing intensifying spiritual oppression
• 09:28 – Told by a psychic medium: "You're a medium, Jen, and this is a gift from God"
• 11:21 – Transition to professional psychic medium
• 13:55 – Spiritual breaking point and first cry to Jesus
• 17:27 – Realization of Jesus as Savior during a church service
• 19:02 – Jen’s confession and repentance upon reading Deuteronomy 18
• 20:32 – Beginning Christian ministry and outreach
• 25:18 – Cultural normalization of the occult and biblical warning

Episode Takeaways

• Jen Nizza’s story highlights the deceptive and destructive nature of occult involvement, even when pursued with good intentions.
• True peace and deliverance were only found in Jesus Christ, not in any supernatural experience or spiritual practice outside the gospel.
• Scripture clearly warns against all forms of divination and sorcery.
• Jen’s life now serves as a warning and encouragement: deliverance is possible for anyone, no matter how deep their involvement.
• Listeners are urged to choose the true source of supernatural power—Jesus Christ—over anything the world or spiritualists offer.

For more on Jesus and finding faith:
Visit FindPeaceWithGod.net