Why I Left the Hyper-Charismatic Movement

Welcome back to another post in the Let’s Talk About It series. This one… this one is big. And honestly, it took me a while to tackle it as best as I could. Not because I don’t know where I stand, but because putting something this personal into words isn’t easy.

Leaving the hyper-charismatic movement wasn’t just a shift in belief—it was a breaking, a rebuilding, a slow unraveling of everything I thought I knew about faith. And while I’m still walking through it, I wanted to share my heart on this journey.

So, let’s dive on in…

If you had told me years ago that I would one day walk away from the hyper-charismatic movement, I would have laughed. Hard. Because I was all in—heart, soul, hands raised, chasing the next spiritual high like my faith depended on it.

But somewhere along the way, the cracks started to show.

At first, they were small things I ignored. The pressure to feel something every time I worshiped. The way people equated God’s presence with goosebumps and tears. The way certain leaders would claim they had fresh revelation that somehow always seemed to contradict Scripture.

Then came the bigger cracks.

The idea that if you weren’t experiencing miracles, you just didn’t have enough faith. That suffering meant you were out of alignment with God’s will. That questioning anything made you spiritually immature or, worse, rebellious.

I was taught to never question leaders put into authority—even when their transgressions were a complete failing to those they shepherded and to the very people who put them on pedestals. And let’s be honest, this led to a lot of hurt and confusion when those leaders fell short, when the cracks in their own lives became too big to ignore.

I watched as people chased after signs and wonders but neglected the actual Word of God. I saw friends burn out trying to keep up with the endless emotional highs, convinced that if they weren’t feeling God, He must not be there.

And honestly? I started to feel like my faith was built on sand.

Here’s the thing… when I was in this movement, I honestly didn’t even recognize it. I didn’t even equate my walk with Charismatic. Growing up, it was just a part of my church and home life experience. As more things came in, I didn’t see it as an escalation to more extremes—I saw it as growth.

It started decades ago with the prosperity teachers. Then came the televangelists telling us that if we just donated, God would bless us with healing. Then the healing meetings, where if you weren’t healed, well, you just didn’t have enough faith.

Then came the prophetic meetings—so many self-proclaimed prophets, so many words that never seemed to come to pass. Then worship, where I’m going to be honest—it felt more like an atmosphere hyped up because everyone else was hyped up, not necessarily because the Holy Spirit was moving.

And then came the name it and claim it, speak it into existence in the name of Jesus teachings. As if anything I asked for could be brought into life. Some days it felt a little too close to reading The Secret.

And I can’t forget the deliverance ministry. The idea that if you were struggling, it must be because of some kind of demonic oppression or generational curse. It added another layer of pressure, making me feel like I had to constantly battle unseen forces just to maintain a “clean” relationship with God. Yep, I was always on the defensive as if every battle was mine to fight.

For years, something about it didn’t feel right. But I couldn’t put my finger on it. And piece by piece, I began to step back—not from God, but from the movement. I started studying the Word for what it is, not for what I wanted it to say.

I don’t want to sugarcoat the pain of walking away & relearning all I had been taught. It was hard. It felt like I was being ripped apart from the inside out, like I was cutting ties with something that had been woven into my identity. I essentially felt like a baby Christian all over again. The habits, the prayers, the ways of thinking that I had built my faith on? All of it needed to be re-examined. I had to relearn how to read the Bible—not from the perspective of “how does this relate to me?” but from “what is God actually saying here?”

It meant shedding layers, slowly breaking free from taught habits that had become second nature. I thought I had faith, but what I had was a faith based on works or spiritually levelling up, not depth. It meant struggling with doubt, feeling lost at times, and realising how many things I had accepted without question.

Here’s the other thing… I used to pray and claim things. I would name it and claim it, speaking life and promises over situations, trying to summon miracles with the right words. And when nothing happened, I would be crushed. It felt like failure after failure. You need to pray harder, believe more, see it happening… the lies told me.

And then the quiet came. In the stillness, I began to question. Not my belief in God, but the way I had been approaching Him. I was constantly seeking signs to know that He was near. But the truth? He was always near. It was the noise, the distractions, the pressure to perform that had been drowning out His voice.

In that quiet, the ache of leaving became the ache of returning—to a place where I didn’t need to chase the supernatural to chase after God. I just needed Him.

There’s so much more to this. Too much to put into one post. Things that solidified my decision: the mega-churches and their preachers being exposed, the false prophets doing damage, the Enneagram and the new age creeping in, the Scriptures being twisted and taught out of context. The endless How-to books. Maybe I’ll write about them in the future. But I want to say this…

I still believe in miracles, in healings, in standing on the Word, and in the God who answers prayers. I still believe that prayer is the most powerful weapon and relationship we can have. Nothing about my love or longing for God has changed. I’ve just finally realized that I don’t need to chase the supernatural to be closer to Him or to reach some status.

I still believe God speaks in dreams, in visions, and through others. He always has, and He always will. But I’ve learned that if those things take precedence over what’s written in His Word, then we’re standing on shaky ground.

Oh, lovely, I’m not here to call out those who are in that church structure of teaching. This is a personal journey for me to go back to the start. Back to the source. Back to what the Bible says, back to checking that I’m not taking Scriptures out of context. I’m coming not as an expert but as a woman living a very ordinary life that’s trying to find her way.

I’m not coming at this topic to shame anyone. I’m coming as a woman who’s taken a step back and looked at decades of teachings and felt heartbroken at what has become. I don’t have all the answers. I’m simply sitting on my couch, doing my best to explain this journey I’m on.

And for those who are still in the charismatic movement and feeling defensive about this post—that’s okay too. I was you just a few short years ago. Defending, feeling attacked, feeling like people just didn’t get it. It’s okay to feel that way. We all have our own journeys we must take.

But I feel like God is calling many of us out and back to an intimate relationship with Him. In the still, away from distractions, seeking advancement, chasing the high or moving in all the gifts, needing to prove ourselves. I believe He is calling and exposing so many in the body of Christ and asking us to re-examine what we are truly living for and whose teachings we are really following.

“Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so.” - Acts‬ ‭17‬:‭11‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Maybe you’ve been there. Maybe you’re there right now, feeling torn between what you’ve always known and the quiet tug of something more solid. If that’s you, I see you. And I want you to know—you’re not alone.

Let’s talk about it.

Drop your thoughts in the comments. Have you ever questioned what you were taught about faith?

Love, Sarah x.

* Thank you for showing up for each and every post. I know it’s a mixed bag of topics here & I’m so blessed you allow me to write openly on whatever is on my heart to share.

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