I follow a Youtube Bible teacher called Allen Parr (Disclaimer: I don’t agree with everything he teaches). he has a video called: Famous Female Ex-porn Star Shares How Jesus Delivered Her From the Porn Industry!
The wonderful lady Parr interviewed is called Brittni De La Mora. She and her husband have a ministry helping people with this struggle.
Since part of my regular work is with youth and young adults, many of whom struggle with pornography, I decided to watch this video to expand my toolbox on how to help people through this struggle.
As I did, I learned four valuable lessons about deliverance and breakthroughs that all of us can apply to our lives, with whatever moral struggle we have.
1. Emotional Needs: When you don’t get your emotional needs met in healthy places, you risk trying to meet them in unhealthy places.
Brittni talked about how she grew up in a home where she was constantly berated and never affirmed. She first felt affirmed for her value, worth, and beauty when she went to a strip club. Her seven years of turbulence in the industry spiraled from there.
2. False Appearances: Everything that shines is not a diamond. Be leery about anything/anyone that promises a prize without advertising the price.
Brittni mentioned that she joined the industry because they advertised it as something excessively glamorous. There was no mention of the drugs, the shame, the risk, and more.
3. Secret Sauce: Relationships are the most significant catalyst for change, whether constructive or destructive.
As Brittni shared her story, one observation I made is that for every significant turning point in her life, some relationship activated the change. Her friends led her to the strip club, her ex-boyfriend’s crew led her to a pimp, but her grandparents led her back to the Lord.
4. God In Pits: God doesn’t just watch you as you struggle; he walks with you through your struggle.
My favorite part about Brittni’s testimony is that even after giving her heart to Jesus, she still remained in the porn industry for three years. However, while she was there, she still felt promptings from the Holy Spirit to read her Bible, pray, and even stop some aspects of what she was doing.
Finally, one day as she was flying to do a pornography scene, the Holy Spirit told her to take her Bible. While flying, she read a passage in Revelation that convicted her deeply. She still completed the scene, but afterward, she left the industry for good.
This episode taught me:
About judging – you should never judge someone by where they are because you don’t know how far they have come.
About salvation – While salvation can happen instantly (justification), deliverance can happen belatedly (sanctification)
About struggling – Never remove yourself from saving environments when you are struggling! Those environments will keep giving you a fighting chance to have complete victory!
Are you trusting God for your deliverance?
