Visualization in Prayer

[throughfaith]

In order to know God, we need to keep in mind the entire scripture, not just the gospels. As we read the gospels, we need to know how it fits into God's plan. To know Christ, we need to know Christ was from the beginning. You can zero in on just one aspect, but only by acknowledging all of Christ.

As an example, as we read how Christ fulfilled all spoken of him in the old testament, we need to know what was spoken of him. The sacrificial system gives us an outline of that, Christ completed all of it and made it perfect.

I agree with that. Revelation is progressive as it goes forward however .

 

[oyster67]

Thats right. Makeing a mental Image from something what is not an Image before. F.e a written Text.
In psychology it has a far more meaning that something will come Real through visualisation with your mental Power.
Useing this Kind of visualisation has nothing to do with a prayer to our heavenly father.
The same seens me in the OP example from the Lords prayer.

Where I saw beauty, you visualized evil. I think @Blik is a wonderful person who made a wonderful post. So sad that you missed out on the blessing.

 

[oyster67]

In order to know God, we need to keep in mind the entire scripture, not just the gospels. As we read the gospels, we need to know how it fits into God's plan. To know Christ, we need to know Christ was from the beginning. You can zero in on just one aspect, but only by acknowledging all of Christ.

As an example, as we read how Christ fulfilled all spoken of him in the old testament, we need to know what was spoken of him. The sacrificial system gives us an outline of that, Christ completed all of it and made it perfect.

Amen. The OT shows us the severity of sin and God's judgement of it upon all who reject His dearly beloved Son.

 

[tourist]

Where I saw beauty, you visualized evil. I think @Blik is a wonderful person who made a wonderful post. So sad that you missed out on the blessing.

@Blik is indeed a wonderful person and I always find her insights to be spiritually edifying and uplifting. Her posts written from the depths of her heart have certainly blessed me that's for sure.

 

[oyster67]

I'm referring to the four Gospels. Jesus ministry in the four Gospels.

...is for you and me! Easy enough for a child to see. Glad you are finally coming around. We love you, and so does Jesus. The four Gospels tell us so.

 

[Aidan1]

Where I saw beauty, you visualized evil. I think @Blik is a wonderful person who made a wonderful post. So sad that you missed out on the blessing.

Well, I dont want missunderstand @Blik. The question is, which Definition of visualisation he/she ( i did not check the Profil) meant.
The term Visualisation I only know in the context of New Age ore in the psychological useing.

 

[CherieR]

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.

I like to picture things in my mind with Scripture too. Just be careful about ideas like name it and claim it which is not biblical and new age thinking.

 

[Blik]

Well, I dont want missunderstand @Blik. The question is, which Definition of visualisation he/she ( i did not check the Profil) meant.
The term Visualisation I only know in the context of New Age ore in the psychological useing.

I am so sorry about what you have learned about visualization. New Age and the occult use it to say that if you visualize something, you can create it in your life. That is wrong. Christians use it to make what God tells them more real and meaningful. We need to keep our mind on what is of God, and not let the spirit of the devil in our minds. Visualization of God's ways should not be ruined by the devil's work.

The devil has done the same thing with the word meditation. David, in the psalms leads us in Christian meditation and tells us how. The devil has used that word to say to empty your mind and let evil into it. Because there are such wonderful health benefits from Christian meditation the evil way has been even been taught by health practitioners. Christians would never meditate in this way, but for some they have let this evil use of meditation keep them from following what is wonderful and of God.

 

[presidente]

I do not see where the Bible commands us to visualize when we pray. There are passages in the Bible that describe things in detail, the tabernacle for instance, or Ezekiel's vision early in the letter, where there is a lot of detail to describer the events. Some people who are familiar with the terms and colors there may be able to visualize these descriptions in their minds.

Back in the 1980's, there were people teaching the idea that visualizing when you pray is important. Another man, Dave Hunt, came out with a book against visualization. I do not even recall his arguments. My recollection is that they seemed extreme. I have read some commentators calling visualizing the Lord 'idolatry.' That seems a ridiculous leap, especially considering that some people who read Revelation will imagine the vision they are reading, and there is no command against thinking in pictures.

Some people do think in pictures. If you say, "red banana' they will clearly see that in their minds eye. I barely think in pictures at all. A lot of my dreams are like moving paintings or cartoons, not as clear as real life. I cannot easily build an outbuilding in my head. Some people can. I think in words and concepts. I am higher on the verbal end of things and lower on the pictural end. Some people see a picture in their mind when you say a word. It is how their mind operates. If doing so helps them focus when they pray, great. There is no command against visualizing when you pray. If someone else prays without seeing pictures, fine. The Bible teaches neither for nor against....as far as I can tell. If it does addresss the subject either way, please let me know.

There is also the issue of God showing visions. He gave many prophets visions. Jeremiah saw a boiling pot and a branch of an almond tree. He might have been walking around and the Lord spoke to him as he saw physical objects. Or the Lord might have just dropped pictures into his mind's eye. Or he might have been in some kind of trance where he saw objects that were not physically present. This is different from just imagining pictures in your mind.

 

[presidente]

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)

Hmm, I do not find 'vain imaginings' in that verse. Using that verse is a weak argument against visualizing, IMO.

 

[presidente]

Let us compare the logic in these two sentences:

1. New Agers visualize. So if you visualize, you are a New Ager.
2. New Agers drink water. So if you drink water, you are a New Ager.

Both sentences demonstrate faulty reasoning. Visualizing is a fairly common thing, done by people across cultures and religions. It is not inherently pagan.

 

[throughfaith]

Let us compare the logic in these two sentences:

1. New Agers visualize. So if you visualize, you are a New Ager.
2. New Agers drink water. So if you drink water, you are a New Ager.

Both sentences demonstrate faulty reasoning. Visualizing is a fairly common thing, done by people across cultures and religions. It is not inherently pagan.

Bottled or tap ? 😆

 

[crossnote]

Hmm, I do not find 'vain imaginings' in that verse. Using that verse is a weak argument against visualizing, IMO.

Well, faith comes by hearing God's Word

Romans 10:17 (KJV) So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

I'm using vain imaginings in contradistinction from God's Word. One is always true, the imaginings are hardly true. Faith takes hold of God's Word while sight would run after feelings, impressions or vain imaginings.

 

[presidente]

Well, faith comes by hearing God's Word

I'm using vain imaginings in contradistinction from God's Word. One is always true, the imaginings are hardly true. Faith takes hold of God's Word while sight would run after feelings, impressions or vain imaginings.

The Bible does not teach that all imaginings are vain. There are places where it commands readers or hearers to 'rejoice'-- which involves the emotions.

The Bible does not treating all feelings ore imaginings as categorically bad. if you make it an issue of faith versus feelings or faith versus imagination, those are false dichotomies.

Sometimes feelings to not line up with the way we should believe, but that is not always the case. We should align our feelings with our faith.

 

[presidente]

Bottled or tap ? 😆

Flowing (living) water would probably be best, wouldn't it, as long as it is clean?

 

[crossnote]

Let us compare the logic in these two sentences:

1. New Agers visualize. So if you visualize, you are a New Ager.
2. New Agers drink water. So if you drink water, you are a New Ager.

Both sentences demonstrate faulty reasoning. Visualizing is a fairly common thing, done by people across cultures and religions. It is not inherently pagan.

Definitely not Christian. Can you show where the Apostles, Prophets or Jesus encouraged or taught it?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creative_visualization_(New_Age)

 

[crossnote]

The Bible does not treating all feelings ore imaginings as categorically bad. if you make it an issue of faith versus feelings or faith versus imagination, those are false dichotomies.

Right, but it's not the way God has prescribed for us to approach Him.

 

[Blik]

I do not see where the Bible commands us to visualize when we pray. There are passages in the Bible that describe things in detail, the tabernacle for instance, or Ezekiel's vision early in the letter, where there is a lot of detail to describer the events. Some people who are familiar with the terms and colors there may be able to visualize these descriptions in their minds.

Back in the 1980's, there were people teaching the idea that visualizing when you pray is important. Another man, Dave Hunt, came out with a book against visualization. I do not even recall his arguments. My recollection is that they seemed extreme. I have read some commentators calling visualizing the Lord 'idolatry.' That seems a ridiculous leap, especially considering that some people who read Revelation will imagine the vision they are reading, and there is no command against thinking in pictures.

Some people do think in pictures. If you say, "red banana' they will clearly see that in their minds eye. I barely think in pictures at all. A lot of my dreams are like moving paintings or cartoons, not as clear as real life. I cannot easily build an outbuilding in my head. Some people can. I think in words and concepts. I am higher on the verbal end of things and lower on the pictural end. Some people see a picture in their mind when you say a word. It is how their mind operates. If doing so helps them focus when they pray, great. There is no command against visualizing when you pray. If someone else prays without seeing pictures, fine. The Bible teaches neither for nor against....as far as I can tell. If it does addresss the subject either way, please let me know.

There is also the issue of God showing visions. He gave many prophets visions. Jeremiah saw a boiling pot and a branch of an almond tree. He might have been walking around and the Lord spoke to him as he saw physical objects. Or the Lord might have just dropped pictures into his mind's eye. Or he might have been in some kind of trance where he saw objects that were not physically present. This is different from just imagining pictures in your mind.

The bible does not command us to visualize when we pray, nor does the bible say that when we think, we must never visualize what is mentioned. My goodness to Betsy!!!

 

[Aidan1]

I am so sorry about what you have learned about visualization. New Age and the occult use it to say that if you visualize something, you can create it in your life. That is wrong. Christians use it to make what God tells them more real and meaningful. We need to keep our mind on what is of God, and not let the spirit of the devil in our minds. Visualization of God's ways should not be ruined by the devil's work.

The devil has done the same thing with the word meditation. David, in the psalms leads us in Christian meditation and tells us how. The devil has used that word to say to empty your mind and let evil into it. Because there are such wonderful health benefits from Christian meditation the evil way has been even been taught by health practitioners. Christians would never meditate in this way, but for some they have let this evil use of meditation keep them from following what is wonderful and of God.

Thanks for explaning Blik, you are right, the words meditate, visualisation ore even fundamentalist are possesed in a bad way. This why it is important to explaine what we mean, when we use this words.
For me personal, i avoid to use them, because there are other words to describe what I mean.
For me prayer f.e. is talking with my heavenly father, as i talk to my wife. The content may be different, but the way i do it is the same.

 

[Blik]

Thanks for explaning Blik, you are right, the words meditate, visualisation ore even fundamentalist are possesed in a bad way. This why it is important to explaine what we mean, when we use this words.
For me personal, i avoid to use them, because there are other words to describe what I mean.
For me prayer f.e. is talking with my heavenly father, as i talk to my wife. The content may be different, but the way i do it is the same.

Your way of thinking of it makes sense. However, it seems a shame to limit our vocabulary because some people use our words to create evil thoughts. Many of the words we use could be used in evil thoughts.

Imagine trying to memorize the 23rd Psalm, and at the same time telling ourselves that visualization is evil. We are free in the Lord, it is so much better to be free to just glory in all the goodness the Lord has for us and not let people wallowing in evil ruin it for us. We are to stay apart from them.