By John Lanagan
The Word Like Fire Ministries
False teachers and false movements abound. Some do lasting damage. Some false teachings are short-lived. But there is one deceptive “prayer” practice in particular that continues to infect the visible church.
This is contemplative prayer. The practice has a powerful teacher-advocate who has brought contemplative darkness to young believers for two decades. This is Mike Bickle, founder of the International House of Prayer. In Fellowshipping with the Holy Spirit: 5 Practical Phrases, Bickle gives instructions on how to experience contemplative prayer–which he calls “communing prayer.” [1]
Like all Christian contemplatives, Bickle works hard at presenting contemplative prayer as biblically acceptable. He attempts to make a distinction between mysticism and what he is teaching. “Eastern mysticism is the counterfeit of this glorious reality,” he insists. [2]
In reality, contemplative prayer, Bickle’s “glorious reality,” is just as deceptive and spiritually unhealthy as Eastern or New Age meditation. Perhaps more so. Click here to continue reading and for footnotes.
(photo from bigstockphoto.com; used with permission)
Vanessa,
That book, Castles in the Sand by Carolyn A. Greene, is a tremendous resource in the battle to warn and educate this generation about contemplative practices. And it’s a great read on top of that. We will be giving a copy to a Christian woman we know very soon–something we have done a number of times with this very special book.
It would be great to give this to IHOP-KC people.
I still re-read Carolyn Green’s 2 fictional books about Tessa and the Flat Plains Bible College..and nearly being killed by her former spiritual formation instructor..those books explain mystic prayers, labyrinths..etc as well as anyone out there. Good books!!
The O.T. prophets did not spend most of their time doing mystic prayers. They obeyed God’s voice and warned loudly of impending doom if the Israelites did not repent and come back to God’s Word. They were martyred for their efforts. The 12 Apostles, Paul and early Messianic Jews did not waste their time doing silent or mystic prayers. They evangelized at great cost. Mysticism is a self-centered practice that connects a person to the occult. Very dangerous.