When you hear the phrase 'contemplative prayer', do you realize what that means?
With contemplative prayer:
1. One purposefully allows or puts oneself into an altered state of consciousness. They are opening themselves up to spiritual deception and evil spirits. It is the practice of Zen Buddhism or Hinduism, Transcendental Meditation. It is not Christianity. It is not meditating on the word of God to better understand it. It is something else. It is not Biblical prayer.
2. It denies the sufficiency of the Bible. We need something else to hear from God. The Bible is not sufficient by itself.
3. Underlying is the presumption that people have divinity within themselves inherently and not only through being born again.
4. People end up taking their own thoughts and calling them the Word of God. Everybody is having revelations, so-called.
5. It is an embrace of the pietism and monasticism historically found in the Roman Catholic Church.
6. It is fully entangled with pop-culture, positive psychology, self-esteem, and eastern mysticism which are completely devoid of the gospel and the things of God.
7. In the name of religion it doesn't lead people to Christ.
More thorough information on the dangers of Contemplative Prayer and what that actually means can be found on this site.
http://solasisters.blogspot.com/2012/05/dangers-of-contemplative-prayer.html#
Christians promoting unbiblical, mystical activities like Labyrinth walking and contemplative prayer are not far away...here is a 'Christian' retreat that encourages this in Lexington, VA:
http://www.strengthforthejourneyretreats.com/uploads/1/2/9/8/12989240/retreat_brochure_bellfry_dec__2012.pdf
More information regarding the Emergent Church:
[http://www.ericbarger.com/errors.emergent.htm] http://www.ericbarger.com/errors.emergent.htm
Reblogged this on Ezekielcountdown's Weblog and commented:
ReplyDeleteAppreciate this article. The caution needs to continually be stressed because this seduction has spread far and wide.
Cool Blog. And thank you for sharing. I hope you'll receive this in the spirit it's given. When you are sitting with a friend, words aren't always needed. In fact, they are shallower than just being together. Prayer is crucial to our relationship with God, but if it's only words, it's shallow and one way. Having come out of Buddhism into the living knowledge of Jesus as my Lord and Savior, I can say without a doubt and with my experience that your presuppositional statement is false. Contemplation, to contemplate is to focus on someone or something, and in prayer it is focusing on God, not self. Prayer is conversation and it's much more than words. Every time you enter into the presence of God, you enter into the altered state of eternity. Haven't you ever felt God's presence? We worship the real true God, not the shadows of our religious practice. Closed system theology doesn't keep us safe, it keeps us locked up. The fact that there are counterfits out there should clue you in to the fact that they're counterfiting the real thing.
ReplyDeletePS Our sufficiency is not in the Bible, it's in Jesus. Jesus says, "You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about me," John 5:39
Peace+
Bob
Bob,
ReplyDeleteThanks for taking time to read my blog and respond. I appreciate hearing people's comments; these matters require thoughtful response. In reply to your statements--
Christ's divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us. —2 Peter 1:3
Christianity does not need things added to it from false religions. Simply put, the mixing of truth and error is error. The false religions (Hinduism, Buddhism, Transcendental Meditation, Eastern Mysticism generally, etc.) do not have anything to offer the church-- to those alive in Christ. How could they? They are devoid of Christ and created by people who are in the flesh. Unregenerate man's effort to reach God spiritually is a losing proposition. It has nothing to offer. That was the problem with the pharisees, monasticism, eastern mysticism, etc.
What we have in Christ is sufficient.
One of the trademarks of this movement (contemplative prayer) is to place truth secondary to experience. Once you place truth in a subordinate position, by what can you properly judge your experiences? How does one know these are experiences with Jesus? Jesus said not one jot or tittle will pass until all is fulfilled and that it was easier for earth and sky to pass away than for the smallest detail of the Law to fall to the ground. The altered state you describe is not prayer as described in the Bible. Read the prayers of Jesus. Read the prayers of Paul. Further, biblical meditation is on the word of God: Psalm 1:1-2: How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, Nor stand in the [a]path of sinners, Nor sit in the seat of scoffers! 2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord, And in His law he meditates day and night.
If truth primarily comes from experiences, emotions, and the world's knowledge/wisdom, and we consider holding fast to the Word of God to be a negative thing (i.e."closed" system) we are setting ourselves up to be deceived. We have a mind, emotions, and a will. We should not bypass any of them. They are all needed.
In Christian love,
Ann