Could you please remove the "Catholic" topic tag from the thread then? (and perhaps the evangelical and protestant topic tags, as well) One must admit that it is a little aggravating to have one's confession listed as a "topic" and then to be blocked from discussion because it is somebody else's "caucus."
I am a charasmatic Catholic. I went to a charasmatic retreat years ago. Last year I went through an extreme dryness in prayer. Loss of hope and peace. I felt like one of the apostles in the upper room after Jesus was crucified. Many things were happening in my family. Illness, loss of jobs one thing right after another. There was and still is much uncertainty in my life. I finally realized there was something lacking in my spiritual life but did not know what it was. I started joining a prayer group which was charasmatic. I was prayed over and opened myself to The Holy Spirit trusting that He would give me what I needed and only what I needed. I realized I wasn’t using the gifts offered to me and I needed to trust. I don’t take the gifts of the Holy Spirit lightly. I have great respect for them.
We live in a time where we cannot rely on the world to lead us. There is so much going on in the spiritual realm that our minds and spirits cannot fully comprehend. We do have to be careful when we enter into the spiritual realm. I had fear of it because I know evil exists and tries to counterfeit God. I know satan is a deceiver, a liar, and a thief. I’ve heard demons flee, screeching as deliverance prayers were said at a healing service. The screeching faded away as the prayers ended. Do I put my attention on that? No... I place it on the power of God. So I remain in fasting, prayer and the sacraments. It keeps me close to Jesus. It helps me to discern and remain hopeful.
The Holy Spirit will renew the face of the earth. Just as the apostles in the upper room were transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit we must be also transformed. We need all that the Holy Spirit has to offer us. We live in dangerous times and we must arm ourselves spiritually.