JESUS TEACHES DISCIPLES TO PRAY CORRECTLY

Jesus’ disciples asked him to teach them to pray. He told them they should not pray using vain repletion like pagans. As his current disciples, we should avoid vain repetition as some do, and pray in the manner the Lord taught his early disciples:

 “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from the evil one” (Luke 11:1-4; Matthew 6: 7-13).

SOME MAY NEED TO LEARN TO PRAY CORRECTLY

How would you consider modern-day people who pray repetitiously? Should you pray for them and lovingly advise them that ought to pray as Jesus taught his disciples? Following are two cases of people who prayed repetitiously (perhaps paganly), who chose to change their way of praying and their way of life when they learned to  pray like Jesus said.

 MY WIFE LEARNED TO PRAY CORRECTLY

MY WIFE:  Jean said some of her friends taught her to meditate in a way different than the way she was taught to pray after accepting Jesus Christ as her Lord and Savior. But she went astray and wasn’t even sure God existed any more. She said this was at a time when she was experiencing emotional pain because our marital problems and separation. However, she went on to say, at one time she was meditating and repeating a mantra, she began going through a long dark tunnel, but Jesus appeared and would not let her through.

My wife returned to praying the correct way. At the time I was also praying the correct way.

The Lord reconciled  us. When we were back together, we knew it was essentially us to pray correctly, as Jesus teaches; and let our daily bread be to live by every word of God (Matthew 4:4).

The biblical Word of God tells us to “watch and pray,” as Jesus taught his disciples, for we are in spiritual warfare: For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against…the powers of this dark world and against forces of evil in the heavenly realms.  (Matthews  26:41; Ephesians 6:12).

A DEEP MEDIATOR LEARNED TO PRAY CORRECTLY

Johanna Michaelson, born-again author of The Beautiful Side of Evil, shares  her experience of being deceived into repetitive “mind control” praying by evil powers; and how she was saved by learning to pray like those who follow Jesus’ way of praying.

Johanna said she took a course in “mind control” that promised to solve the problems she was having in life. The course was “mongrel in texture” –“yoga exercise and meditation”– “Hinduism, Spiritualism and Christianity” elements (p138). She said she was so convinced that the  course was the answer to life’s problems, she urged their friend Kim to take the course. 

KIM, A CHRISTIAN FRIEND LOVINGLY QUESTIONS JOHANNA’S WAY OF MEDITATIVE-PRAYING

Kim, who believed in Jesus, reluctantly took the course recommend by Johanna. But when Kim was at the point in the course of receiving a spiritual counsellor, Kim said “Satan” appeared. And she said she heard a loud and powerful voice say “thou shalt have no other Gods before me.”  Kim withdrew from the course. She was convinced that Johanna’s Yoga and Mind Control activities were “occultic and spiritually dangerous” and “of the devil” (pp.78, 136).

Johanna’s friend Kim, questioned Johanna about her faith in the teachings of mind control. Feeling unsure, Johanna began to wonder “what if my senses have been manipulated” (p139). Kim introduced Johanna to her friends Birdie and Os, who were strong believers in Jesus and the Bible.

The Holy Spirit of truth may cause someone to be unsettled about questionable doctrines, and lead them to followers of the Lord who are strong in the Word of God (John 16:8, 13-14; Acts 18:26). 

BIRDIE, ANOTHER CHRISTIAN OFFERS HER HELP

Birdie, a Christian friend of Kim, convinced Johanna to read the Gospel of John and First John. When Johanna finally finished reading these two books of the Bible she was convinced that the Jesus of the Bible was different than the Jesus she had encountered as a counsellor in Mind Control training. She said, “the Jesus I was encountering on the pages of the Bible was not only alive and real, but was filled with awesome power and majesty.” “He simply spoke and people were healed and delivered.”  His claim of being God incarnate was undeniable.

OS, STILL ANOTHER CHRISTIAN GIVES HIS SUPPORT

Os, a strong believer in the Lord, convinced Johanna that there was a real difference “between the Eastern and biblical views of God, salvation, and Jesus” (p 143). Despite efforts by the evil spirits of Mind Control to prevent her from becoming involved with the Jesus of the Bible, she became involved. She learned to claim protection from evil spirits, by the claiming “the of the blood of Jesus.” She believed what Jesus said in John 14:6, “I am the way, the truth and the life; no one comes unto the Father but by me. Johanna believed in and accepted Jesus Christ as “my Lord and Savior;” she was delivered from evil Eastern meditation (p 149).

Learning to meditate on the Word of God and pray like those who follow Jesus can keep or deliver us from deceptions of evil meditation.

https://youtu.be/whjJ1L0sl4A       (Exposing New Age Mysticism)

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