Visualization in Prayer
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I've read the whole Bible many times since coming to faith in 1974. I know enough that people get led easily astray by the visions, miracles and dreams of others as they are subtly led astray from the sure source of Truth found in the Scriptures.
1 John 4:1 (KJV) Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.
We try the spirits through the plumb line of God's Word working in conjunction with God's Spirit.
I'm done here, especially with those who assumptively assert that another Christian should "read the whole Bible. If you really believed it....". That's a bit infantile in discussions amongst brethren.
1 John 4:1 (KJV) Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.
We try the spirits through the plumb line of God's Word working in conjunction with God's Spirit.
I'm done here, especially with those who assumptively assert that another Christian should "read the whole Bible. If you really believed it....". That's a bit infantile in discussions amongst brethren.
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I wonder what some of you accusers of false doctrine would say if we followed your guidelines to repeating the Lord's Prayer. You preach against any thought that makes a picture, so God must not be thought of as all powerful or a spiritual being. You preach to allow no pictures in your mind as you repeat the words. All adjectives suggest pictures, so to follow your preaching we must know nothing of God. Your preaching would mean we must be sure that when we forgive others we do not have a picture in our mind of who to forgive. Your preaching is off the wall!!!
Magicians from ancient times used to Visualization conjure spirits and Mesmer -( father of hypnosis ) used to Manipulate his subjects- Visualization is also used in Modern WITCHCRAFT- Eastern Mysticism and Goddess Worship- non of which are new
Here is what the bible says:
Eph 4:14 That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with everywind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; 15 But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:
Here is what the bible says:
Eph 4:14 That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with everywind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; 15 But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:
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B
I have only been responding in relation to the OP, and the defenses of the OP. The tangents that others are taking divert from the subject at hand.
I'm not against any and all visualizations. Of coarse we can picture who we are praying for but we must be careful not to impose our imaginations upon their situation. We also can picture things as described in scripture, green pastures, still waters, brazen burnished feet etc. We find ourselves in danger if we create an imagination conjured image of God. We also find ourselves in danger when we call conjuring up imagination images, prayer in and of itself.
What we have to remember is that prayer is communication, ie talking to God, not imagination exercises to strum our emotions. The idea is that God hears our prayers and then conforms us to his will via the Holy Spirit and his written word. God informs our thinking, this is not done by us day dreaming and conjuring images in our imagination. It's done by meditation on his word, which means to focus on and hold his word in our minds, and by speaking our thoughts and needs to God, so that his word conforms our thoughts to his will.
I'm not against any and all visualizations. Of coarse we can picture who we are praying for but we must be careful not to impose our imaginations upon their situation. We also can picture things as described in scripture, green pastures, still waters, brazen burnished feet etc. We find ourselves in danger if we create an imagination conjured image of God. We also find ourselves in danger when we call conjuring up imagination images, prayer in and of itself.
What we have to remember is that prayer is communication, ie talking to God, not imagination exercises to strum our emotions. The idea is that God hears our prayers and then conforms us to his will via the Holy Spirit and his written word. God informs our thinking, this is not done by us day dreaming and conjuring images in our imagination. It's done by meditation on his word, which means to focus on and hold his word in our minds, and by speaking our thoughts and needs to God, so that his word conforms our thoughts to his will.
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'Accusers of false doctrine"...is this admitting that visualization is false doctrine?
"You preach against any thought that makes an image"..is simply a strawman argument. We're warning against the use of imaginative imagery used for drawing close to God which is not prescribed in the Bible.
You say you are using the Psalms and/or the Lord's Prayer to draw close to God..nothing wrong with that. I prefer to use the way God has laid out before us and that is through the precious blood of Jesus Christ.
I would like to ask you a question.
Why do you call pondering God's Word 'visualization'?. Don't you realize the term has occultic connotations and causes some of us weaker brethren to stumble?
"You preach against any thought that makes an image"..is simply a strawman argument. We're warning against the use of imaginative imagery used for drawing close to God which is not prescribed in the Bible.
You say you are using the Psalms and/or the Lord's Prayer to draw close to God..nothing wrong with that. I prefer to use the way God has laid out before us and that is through the precious blood of Jesus Christ.
I would like to ask you a question.
Why do you call pondering God's Word 'visualization'?. Don't you realize the term has occultic connotations and causes some of us weaker brethren to stumble?
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Trying the spirits is not the same as saying there shall be no spiritual manifestations to try.
Your line of reasoning was childish, and I was responding to that. A balanced interpretation of scripture recognizes that God can warn men through dreams, that in the last days the Spirit is poured out upon all flesh, which results in prophecy, dreams, and visions, and that the Spirit gifts members of the body of Christ with prophecy and other manifestations of the Spirit as He wills.
Your line of reasoning was childish, and I was responding to that. A balanced interpretation of scripture recognizes that God can warn men through dreams, that in the last days the Spirit is poured out upon all flesh, which results in prophecy, dreams, and visions, and that the Spirit gifts members of the body of Christ with prophecy and other manifestations of the Spirit as He wills.
