Manifestation is the process of using the Law of Attraction to attract into your life what you focus your energy on. Manifesting is a new age belief that teaches that you have the power to create things in your life. You can manifest money, cars, miracles, a business, and the life you want if you put the right energy into the universe. Proponents of manifesting encourage the use of vision boards, journaling, mediation, and yoga to manifest the life that you've always dreamed of.
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| An example of manifesting |
I see how this teaching can seem harmless and appealing on the surface. We live in a fallen world and life is just hard! We have financial problems, heath issues, relationship issues, and unmet desires. It can be tempting to take power into our own hands and "manifest the life we want" but as women of God our highest calling is to follow Christ and submit to His word. Manifesting is overwhelmingly popular but is it biblical?
Colossians 2:8 See to it that no one takes you captive by
philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the
elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ.
Manifesting elevates us to god
Believing in the law of attraction, or manifesting leads you
to believe that you are your own god. You believe that the power is in yourself
to activate the life that you want. This
philosophy completely disregards God and encourages us
to worship the creation instead of the Creator. Romans 1:21 For although they
knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became
futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were
darkened This is the oldest trick that we've been tempted with since
the garden, to be like God. "For God knows that when you eat
of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and
evil.” Genesis 3:5 Satan repackages the same lie to as he did to Adam and
Eve, convincing us that we're all powerful, and
self-sufficient without God. If we could manifest all that we need
freely, then we would have no need for God. We wouldn't need God as a
provider, healer, or a refuge. This is the complete opposite of what God desires for
His children. He wants us to cling to Him, trust in Him, and
acknowledge him in all our ways as He directs our path. Proverbs
3:5-6 Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your
own understanding. In In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make
straight your paths.
Manifesting focuses on self and not Christ
Manifestation encourages you
to journal, meditate, and spend all of your
energy focusing on what you want. All of
the emphasis is on you and not Christ. It further leads us
to to be lovers of self as Paul warned us about. "But mark this there will
be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers
of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful,
unholy." 2 Timothy 3:2 Manifesting is the
complete opposite of the gospel and the spirit filled life of a
disciple. Manifesting makes us so consumed with self that we're not concerned
about spreading the gospel, making disciples, sacrificing and loving others,
and glorifying Christ. The Christian life isn’t about self-indulgence but
self-denial and carrying our cross. Then Jesus told his disciples, “If
anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and
follow me." Matthew 16:24
Manifesting is about our will, not God’s will
Manifesting is all about creating the life we want instead
of submitting to God's will for our life. The life that we want may not be
what God has for us but we can trust that His plans are best. Christ, in
all humility submitted to the will of the Father. Luke
22:41-42 "He knelt down and prayed saying, “Father, if you are
willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be
done.” We are to follow the example of our Lord, humbly
submitting to the will of the Father. When we follow Christ, it's no
longer about our will but fulfilling God's will for our lives. There's
nothing wrong with having dreams, plans, goals, and aspirations as a believer.
However, we must lay them all at the foot of the cross and allow for God
to direct and order our footsteps according to His will. Psalm
37:23 The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD,
And He delights in his way.
Manifesting makes God a genie
Manifesting reduces God simply to a genie in the bottle,
instead of the sovereign ruler that He is. It focuses on
materialism, worldly possessions, and the pride of life. These are all of
the things that God sternly warns us to stay on guard against. 1
John 2:15-16 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone
loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in
the world the desires of the flesh, the desires of the eyes and pride of
life, is not from the Father but is from the world. Manifesting encourages to arrogantly "come" to God based off what we think He can give us,instead of humbly coming to Him because we are sinners in need of salvation. It encourages us to covet what we don't have instead of being content
and thankful for what we do have. God does answers prayers and gives good gifts
to His children. James 1:17 Every good and perfect gift is from
above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does
not change like shift in shadows. Those gifts may not always
be tangible but He knows what we need and will supply every need of ours
according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus. Philippians
4:19
Manifesting focuses on the temporal but not eternity
Manifesting keeps us so focused on the temporal while we ignore what's eternal. It's heartbreaking that so many of us are consumed with manifesting our best life now but we don't think about where we will spend eternity. This life is a vapor but eternity is forever. This life is a vapor but eternity is forever. James 4:14 Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away. Don't be like the rich young ruler who only stored his treasures on earth. Luke 12:20-21 “But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’ “This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God. Where will you spend eternity? If you are a believer work hard, enjoy life, and serve God but make sure that you store your treasures in Heaven. If you are not in Christ, I plead with you to repent of your sins and trust in Christ for eternal life. No matter how much we manifest now, we cannot manifest eternal life.
Manifesting twists scripture
One of the primary reasons of why manifesting has been
widely accepted by most professing Christians is because it has
similar roots to the word of faith movement/prosperity gospel. Manifesting
is simply "name and claiming" or exercising the power of faith
to create your own reality. This teaching is heresy, that's why they have to
twist and misuse scriptures to push it to their audience. When we aren't lovers
of God's truth we will find a teacher who tickles our ears and tells us all the
things that our sinful heart desires. 2 Timothy 4:3 For the time
will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their
ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to
their own desires. This is why we must study to show ourselves approved.
Some scriptures that are taken out of context to
promote manifesting is Romans 4:17, Habakkuk 2:2, Mark 11:23. If you study at those scriptures in it's proper context, you will quickly see that they have been distorted to promote those unbiblical doctrines.
Manifesting calls on another spirit not the Holy
Spirit
Manifesting may work, but are these results from God or
another source? What spirit are we calling on when we're
manifesting? If it goes against scripture then it isn't of
God. As believers, we shouldn't align ourselves with any
practices or beliefs that are used by practitioners of
darkness. Satan comes as an angel of light and he will never outright make
evil look evil. Manifesting may seem innocent, fun, and harmless on
the surface but it will leave you away from the worship of God. 1 Timothy 4:1 Now
the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith
by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons.
Ephesians 5:11 Take no part in the unfruitful works
of darkness, but instead expose them.
Believers, we must RUN from manifesting and have nothing to do with
the occult, new age, and word of faith movement. We must worship God
in spirit and in truth We must get in our words like never before and pray for strong discernment in this hour. Let's continue to fight the good fight of faith
and contend for the faith. I pray that this blog was a blessing to you. Grace and peace!
