by Cowboy Bob Sorensen
This article has two parts. I was going to present some musings that had built up in my mind, made some notes about this on Friday — and something very serious came to my attention on Saturday that fits right in. Kind of strange when those things happen. My concern is how Christians turn their prayers and worship into something resembling spells, forget that God is our loving Father, and act like the Bible is a kind of occult manual.
First, a personal problem. Although it's good to be specific in prayer and even pour out your heart to God, I'll allow that I get a mite over-specific. F'rinstance, I'll pray for my wife's safety for the work day. So, I'll pray for her safety to, from, and during work. I realized that I needed to rein up because I was insulting God at full gallop and didn't even realize it! God is infinitely wise, and knows what we mean. Indeed, he helps in our prayers (Romans 8:26-27). I'm thankful that he's patient.
Have you read stories or seen movies about jinns (more commonly known in English as genies)? They are wish-granting mythological spirits. (Trivia: the word genius is based on a Latin word for a Roman household spirit.)
Aladdin, magic lamp, three wishes, that sort of thing. Many stories
have the jinn as a trickster — someone wishes for a million bucks, and
the one making the wish is suddenly surrounded by a million male deer. I
feel that many of us treat God in a similar way. Although he has given us faith
and saved us (Ephesians 2:8-9) and provided what we need to live
Christian lives (2 Peter 1:3), we seem to act like we must be ultra-specific and use the right formula
or he'll ignore us, give us the wrong thing, or punish us in some way.
There are Christians who seem compelled to use formulaic prayers as if our Father in Heaven will reject the prayers, and perhaps us, if we do them "wrong". I've been in churches that use modern Bible versions such as the Holman Christian Standard Version, the New International Version, the New American Standard Bible, the English Standard Version — and pray in ye olde English. Why? Do they think God doesn't savvy? Is it a kind of spell? To me, it smacks of witchcraft. It also seems pretentious.
Christians, we need to trust God, not try to impress him or use formulas like witches or other humanists. Another thing to consider is that some of these people are just playing church, and do not know God. Examine yourselves to see if you are indeed in the faith (2 Corinthians 13:5).
Here is the part I wasn't intending to write before, but I believe it was providentially shown to me. And it's very serious. Part of this material hit me rather hard, because I had foolishly dabbled in the occult years ago, thinking I could use magical forces for good. If you want to know about that part of my history, click on "The Spirit of the Thing".
We have a contradiction happening. In many parts of the world (especially those oppressed by atheism and Mohammedanism), Christianity is growing. In other areas, especially our comfortable Western cultures, rejection of the authority of God's Word (easily seen in compromise with theistic evolution and "deep time" science philosophies), and apostasy are increasing. New Age practices (essentially Eastern religious concepts), "Chrislam" and even witchcraft have been accepted in churches; people like "new" things, "new" revelations, "new" moves of the Spirit, but do not spend much time checking things out to see if they're biblical. It's all about me and what I want (Matthew 6:33), and not about giving glory to Jesus.
Want a "new" way to pray better and get what you want? Use an old occult technique of casting circles! You don't need God's Word, just listen to the adversary — like Eve did (Genesis 3:4-7). Yeah, that turned out well, didn't it? Before Mark Batterson said that our job is to draw circles in the sand, Belinda Carlisle sang some very occult lyrics in 1988's "Circle in the Sand". Nice song, and I have no idea if she knew what the lyrics really meant (she didn't write it), but it's witchcraft.
I'm asking you to please take a look at something, including a 15-minute video, and share it to your Christian friends: "3 is the Number: The Circle Maker and Wiccan magic". And pray. The Bible way.
This article has two parts. I was going to present some musings that had built up in my mind, made some notes about this on Friday — and something very serious came to my attention on Saturday that fits right in. Kind of strange when those things happen. My concern is how Christians turn their prayers and worship into something resembling spells, forget that God is our loving Father, and act like the Bible is a kind of occult manual.
First, a personal problem. Although it's good to be specific in prayer and even pour out your heart to God, I'll allow that I get a mite over-specific. F'rinstance, I'll pray for my wife's safety for the work day. So, I'll pray for her safety to, from, and during work. I realized that I needed to rein up because I was insulting God at full gallop and didn't even realize it! God is infinitely wise, and knows what we mean. Indeed, he helps in our prayers (Romans 8:26-27). I'm thankful that he's patient.
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| Original image: Jesus Teaches People by the Sea by James Tissot |
On a side note, there have been atheists who claim to have prayed for something but did not have their desires met. British atheist Lewis Wolpert said he quit praying because he asked God to help him find his cricket bat, which did not happen. People like that have no understanding of God or the Scriptures, and I wouldn't be surprised if some "prayed" and rubbed the Bible in order to make the prayer "take". Makes as much sense as rubbing the fat Buddha Maitreya's belly for luck.
There are Christians who seem compelled to use formulaic prayers as if our Father in Heaven will reject the prayers, and perhaps us, if we do them "wrong". I've been in churches that use modern Bible versions such as the Holman Christian Standard Version, the New International Version, the New American Standard Bible, the English Standard Version — and pray in ye olde English. Why? Do they think God doesn't savvy? Is it a kind of spell? To me, it smacks of witchcraft. It also seems pretentious.
Christians, we need to trust God, not try to impress him or use formulas like witches or other humanists. Another thing to consider is that some of these people are just playing church, and do not know God. Examine yourselves to see if you are indeed in the faith (2 Corinthians 13:5).
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| Assembled from components at Clker clipart |
We have a contradiction happening. In many parts of the world (especially those oppressed by atheism and Mohammedanism), Christianity is growing. In other areas, especially our comfortable Western cultures, rejection of the authority of God's Word (easily seen in compromise with theistic evolution and "deep time" science philosophies), and apostasy are increasing. New Age practices (essentially Eastern religious concepts), "Chrislam" and even witchcraft have been accepted in churches; people like "new" things, "new" revelations, "new" moves of the Spirit, but do not spend much time checking things out to see if they're biblical. It's all about me and what I want (Matthew 6:33), and not about giving glory to Jesus.
Want a "new" way to pray better and get what you want? Use an old occult technique of casting circles! You don't need God's Word, just listen to the adversary — like Eve did (Genesis 3:4-7). Yeah, that turned out well, didn't it? Before Mark Batterson said that our job is to draw circles in the sand, Belinda Carlisle sang some very occult lyrics in 1988's "Circle in the Sand". Nice song, and I have no idea if she knew what the lyrics really meant (she didn't write it), but it's witchcraft.
I'm asking you to please take a look at something, including a 15-minute video, and share it to your Christian friends: "3 is the Number: The Circle Maker and Wiccan magic". And pray. The Bible way.