Visualization in Prayer

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Blik

Blik

Senior Member
#1
Dec 6, 2016
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#1
Prayer can be many things. It can be simply repeating a memory verse, it can be a conversation with the Lord, or simply quietly listening for His voice. Another way of prayer is to be guided by a prayer given to us by the lord. The Lord’s Prayer is an example.

Here is way to use visualization with the Lord’s Prayer:

Our Father who art is heaven, hallowed be thy name: Psalms gives us pictures of the Father. He is spirit, creator, all powerful. Visualize what scripture tells of Him.

Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven: Visualize an earth with no sin in it!

Give us this day our daily bread: See the Lord as supervising what goes in our minds and our bodies.

Forgive us our debts: What power! Jesus is giving us righteousness that lets us live forever!

As we forgive our debtors: We let go of all our grudges against others.

Lead us not into temptation: We ask the Lord to help us want to be sinless.

Deliver us from evil: The Lord protects you from any evil that surrounds you.

For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory, Amen.

You get the idea, but your visualization will be guided by the Holy Spirit and it will be just for you. Also, reading many of the Psalms in this way opens up a wonderful spiritual world for you.
 
tribesman

tribesman

Senior Member
#3
Oct 13, 2011
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#3
Blik

Blik

Senior Member
#4
Dec 6, 2016
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#4
crossnote said:
I find that with all this hocus pocus about visualizing, there is no biblical definition of visualization...nor is there a directive to 'visualize when you pray.'
https://www.gotquestions.org/Bible-visualization.html
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Scripture only tells us to pray without ceasing, and it gives us samples of prayer. So you, then feel that as long as long as you repeat the right words and do this constantly, you can be thinking about anything as you pray those words, for scripture doesn't tell you anything other than that? You state that my idea of attention in prayer is hocus pocus because there is no scripture verse saying otherwise. Is it Okay then, to simply pray by rote? Scripture does not tell us not to.
 
Blik

Blik

Senior Member
#5
Dec 6, 2016
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#5
tribesman said:
You're right. "Visualization" is pretty much a New Age expression. And the red flag is up warning for such tendencies.
Click to expand...
So then it is Okay to be thinking of what you want to have for dinner as you pray the words, for otherwise it is "new age"?
 
tribesman

tribesman

Senior Member
#6
Oct 13, 2011
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#6
Blik said:
So then it is Okay to be thinking of what you want to have for dinner as you pray the words, for otherwise it is "new age"?
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That would be changing tracks. Anyone can read up on what visualisation in New Age terms means and see for themselves that it's a no-go for christians. Yes, the red flag is up.
 
Blik

Blik

Senior Member
#7
Dec 6, 2016
7,312
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#7
tribesman said:
That would be changing tracks. Anyone can read up on what visualisation in New Age terms means and see for themselves that it's a no-go for christians. Yes, the red flag is up.
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What do you think the difference is between thinking with pictures in your mind and thinking without any picture of what you are thinking about? You are mixing up secular reasoning with the common sense of the Lord. Get your mind out of the gutter.
 
tribesman

tribesman

Senior Member
#8
Oct 13, 2011
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#8
Blik said:
What do you think the difference is between thinking with pictures in your mind and thinking without any picture of what you are thinking about? You are mixing up secular reasoning with the common sense of the Lord. Get your mind out of the gutter.
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You do not like to be exposed, I see that.
 
mustaphadrink

mustaphadrink

Senior Member
#9
Dec 13, 2013
1,987
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#9
Like so many things in today's church, prayer has become religious. In other words you have to do it a certain way for it to be prayer.

I disagree with this concept entirely. In one prayer meeting I was in charge of a young man, for the life of him could not pray verbally. I spoke to him and said that God knows the thoughts and intents of the heart. Therefore whatever he prayed in silence, God heard and accepted.

Another thing is that you close your eyes when you pray. No such thing in the New Testament. We are told to lift up holy hands, not close our eyes.

It is OK to pray standing, sitting, kneeling and prostrate. Whatever the Holy Spirit is calling you to do. In one meeting I was in when they were praying I fell to my knees. I could do no other as the power of the Spirit fell on me.

Prayer is communion with God so whatever makes that possible for you is right. I often pray when I am driving my car. I can't do anything else so what better way to spend the time.
 
Blik

Blik

Senior Member
#10
Dec 6, 2016
7,312
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#10
tribesman said:
You do not like to be exposed, I see that.
Click to expand...
I do not like that you try to turn scripture in our thoughts into gutter thinking, saying it is like the occult thoughts of creating something with visualization. It is trying to take what is of God and dragging it in the gutter.
 
Blik

Blik

Senior Member
#11
Dec 6, 2016
7,312
2,428
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#11
mustaphadrink said:
Like so many things in today's church, prayer has become religious. In other words you have to do it a certain way for it to be prayer.

I disagree with this concept entirely. In one prayer meeting I was in charge of a young man, for the life of him could not pray verbally. I spoke to him and said that God knows the thoughts and intents of the heart. Therefore whatever he prayed in silence, God heard and accepted.

Another thing is that you close your eyes when you pray. No such thing in the New Testament. We are told to lift up holy hands, not close our eyes.

It is OK to pray standing, sitting, kneeling and prostrate. Whatever the Holy Spirit is calling you to do. In one meeting I was in when they were praying I fell to my knees. I could do no other as the power of the Spirit fell on me.

Prayer is communion with God so whatever makes that possible for you is right. I often pray when I am driving my car. I can't do anything else so what better way to spend the time.
Click to expand...
I disagree with you. You are saying that prayer should be personal, and that there should not be any rules about when or how to pray, yet you object to closing eyes in prayer and it seems you object to my idea of praying with the entire heart and soul in the prayer, as picturing what God is telling us would amount to.
 
tribesman

tribesman

Senior Member
#12
Oct 13, 2011
4,622
282
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#12
Blik said:
I do not like that you try to turn scripture in our thoughts into gutter thinking, saying it is like the occult thoughts of creating something with visualization. It is trying to take what is of God and dragging it in the gutter.
Click to expand...
You can't get the point, can ya. Blik the blockhead.
 
crossnote

crossnote

Senior Member
#13
Nov 24, 2012
30,769
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#13
Blik said:
Scripture only tells us to pray without ceasing, and it gives us samples of prayer. So you, then feel that as long as long as you repeat the right words and do this constantly, you can be thinking about anything as you pray those words, for scripture doesn't tell you anything other than that? You state that my idea of attention in prayer is hocus pocus because there is no scripture verse saying otherwise. Is it Okay then, to simply pray by rote? Scripture does not tell us not to.
Click to expand...
It sounds as if your thinking is in a 'rote'. Do you really believe that if a person, while praying, must be visualizing otherwise they are praying by rote?
My prayers are according to the truth of God's Word not my imagination of what God lookslike etc..

John 4:23-24 ESV
[23] But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. [24] God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth."

Hebrews 11:6 ESV
[6] And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.
 
crossnote

crossnote

Senior Member
#16
Nov 24, 2012
30,769
3,678
113
#16
Blik said:
Scripture only tells us to pray without ceasing, and it gives us samples of prayer. So you, then feel that as long as long as you repeat the right words and do this constantly, you can be thinking about anything as you pray those words, for scripture doesn't tell you anything other than that? You state that my idea of attention in prayer is hocus pocus because there is no scripture verse saying otherwise. Is it Okay then, to simply pray by rote? Scripture does not tell us not to.
Click to expand...
Oh, I forgot, could you give us a biblical definition of visualized prayer? Where does Jesus or the Apostles teach us to visualize while praying???
 
crossnote

crossnote

Senior Member
#17
Nov 24, 2012
30,769
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#17
Robo36 said:
Now it,s name calling? Christian forum? I'll PRAY for you!
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Are you more concerned about name calling than truth? Even Jesus and Paul name called.
This is one of the last few Christian Boards where political correctness doesn't reign supreme, thank God.
 
Aidan1

Aidan1

Well-known member
#19
Mar 17, 2021
1,680
705
113
#19
Blik said:
Prayer can be many things. It can be simply repeating a memory verse, it can be a conversation with the Lord, or simply quietly listening for His voice. Another way of prayer is to be guided by a prayer given to us by the lord. The Lord’s Prayer is an example.

Here is way to use visualization with the Lord’s Prayer:

Our Father who art is heaven, hallowed be thy name: Psalms gives us pictures of the Father. He is spirit, creator, all powerful. Visualize what scripture tells of Him.

Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven: Visualize an earth with no sin in it!

Give us this day our daily bread: See the Lord as supervising what goes in our minds and our bodies.

Forgive us our debts: What power! Jesus is giving us righteousness that lets us live forever!

As we forgive our debtors: We let go of all our grudges against others.

Lead us not into temptation: We ask the Lord to help us want to be sinless.

Deliver us from evil: The Lord protects you from any evil that surrounds you.

For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory, Amen.

You get the idea, but your visualization will be guided by the Holy Spirit and it will be just for you. Also, reading many of the Psalms in this way opens up a wonderful spiritual world for you.
Click to expand...
Why you use the term visualization for prayer? Prayer is talking with our heavenly father, right? For what need visualization?
If you talk to a family member you are also visualize what you talk to them?
 
crossnote

crossnote

Senior Member
#20
Nov 24, 2012
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#20
An excellent passage which doesn't support visualization is...

2 Corinthians 5:6-7 ESV
[6] So we are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, [7] for we walk by faith, not by sight. ...(nor by our vain imaginings)
 
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