The Power of Belief – Are Prosperity Teaching and the Law of Attraction Sinful, or Should Christians Use Them?

 

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In short, in most situations our prayers should be petitions, reflecting our position of abiding and resting in Christ, both asking and thanking him. But when we need a miracle or to fight spiritual battles, both Jesus and his apostles used Jesus’ authority to declared his truth. We use his authority particularly when we have the prompting of his Spirit, the inspiration of faith or just desperate circumstances. We are not trying to change reality with our works like Jesus did at creation, rather we should use his authority to advance his kingdom, not to become wealthy or popular.

The law of attraction is attractive because we all sometimes wish we could create reality not just in our own minds, but in the physical world. It would make us feel powerful, creative and clever, like Neo escaping the Matrix, designing his own supernatural world.

When Jesus told us that if we believe we can tell a mountain to be moved and thrown into the sea, it is unlikely he is speaking of moving a literal mountain as a moving mountain would wreak havoc with the ecosystem and for people living on the mountain. Mountains represent difficulties or spiritual goals. We first use his authority to first change a spiritual reality, this may then be reflected in physical reality, if God chooses to honour it. We are to speak his truth and get his will done. If we believe it is consistent with God’s character for him to prosper our efforts then we should speak that. If we believe that it is God’s will for us to overcome in a situation then we should speak that. Yet the emphasis is always on God’s power not on the power of belief itself. We are told to use Christ’s authority to further his kingdom, not our own authority nor our own kingdom.

It’s true we are meant to believe in God’s love rather than fear; this creates a healthy reality inside of our soul, and others catch our belief. It’s good to set positive goals and to excel at whatever we set our mind and hand to. God often rewards an enterprising spirit. But we need to consider our motivation and our concept of God.

Are we just wanting great things just for our honour and pleasure, or are we serving some greater goal? When we set our desires are we sure they are in keeping with God’s character? Are we making our desires known to the universe or to our creator and saviour? Are we trusting the power of our belief or in God’s wise power?  If we act independently of God in our declarations, who are we expecting to answer our declarations? It turns out the universe is not conscious of our belief, nor are elemental forces.

God wants to save us, and then for us to walk with him every day. If all we want is personal greatness and possessions we move away from him, not towards him. If anyone disagrees with this statement they have missed one of the main themes of the New Testament.

 

Three types of Belief

There are two goals: to change our internal soul, or to affect external reality. There are two healthy types of belief: natural self-belief and faith in God. Then there is an unhealthy type of belief in the power of our own consciousness over external realities.

These differences can be condensed into three types of belief:

1,  Natural Self-belief:  If I use natural placebo I need to find something to believe in to affect my brain, and a worthwhile goal to improve my abilities.

2,   Declaration of God’s will: If I use faith in God it positively affects my internal brain and my self-esteem, but also my external experience as God changes circumstances. So faith accesses all areas.

3,  Supernatural spells: I can take it further and imagine that my words and intentions are powerful and can affect other people and other things around me.

So there is a Christian use and a non-Christians use. One makes me great, the other makes God great; one loves the world, the other loves God. The difference is in motivation and in our view of God.

Sometimes we forget that Christ’s main mission was to humble himself and take up his cross as an act of self-sacrifice. And the real Christ consciousness is to become like him in his death to our own values, rebellion and arrogance so that divine resurrection life can manifest (Gal 2:20).

All things are possible to us when we are in Christ, seeking his honour and walking with his Spirit. What is the point in gaining the whole world, manifesting greatness but doing it all on our own. It does not bring us closer to God or build his Kingdom. The most likely result is idolatry and hubris.

It is ok to write down or speak our request to God but God will not appreciate us dictating to him what he should manifest in our lives, especially if our heart is self-absorbed instead of Christ absorbed.

Essentially, we don’t need the law of attraction if we have faith in a powerful, loving God; rather we speak his truth, for his honour, using his authority. The law of attraction tends to be used independently of God, merely addressing the universe or the higher self. It is mostly used for our own power and glory. And if someone doesn’t know God then the law of attraction is dangerous as they may eventually use it in the same way that Pagans have done for millennia. It’s not the specific words or the power of speech that gets things done, it’s the attitudes behind them that have spiritual power.

 

Various Negative Effects of LOA

It ends up being hard work; it’s all down to us and our imagination and will power, so if we get distracted one day, and lie in bed and feel ill, our whole world might come crashing down because we forgot to believe. We dare not be realistic about a problem or illness; positivity is the only acceptable state of mind.

A person who believes they ought to go around only thinking about what they want and the power of their own beliefs is not easily going to submit to God or be empathetic towards others. Paul wrote that “all things are yours” (1 Cor 3:21) But in this context he advises that we ought not to trust in our own natural wisdom, or worry about those who boast in their greatness because in fact we can do all things through Christ, and have everything we need through him. When our heart is set on God’s kingdom God will make sure our needs are met.

It leads us back towards superstition as we are never able to be realistic about pain and suffering, and we are wondering if every bad occurrence is our own fault, or even someone else’s fault. It tells us that if we suffer it is our own fault for not being positive and for not manifesting good intentions. It uses Old Testament covenant thinking in that it believes that we get what we deserve in this life, rather than waiting for the next for reward.

It causes us to lose grace towards difficult people and to reject them because they are too negative.

Our natural goodness tells us to love and create beautiful things and to live in luxury, but there is a greater goodness that compels us to lay up treasure in heaven and to seek a greater good. When our heart belongs to Christ alone first Christ enables us to enjoy this world with loving it.

Revelations tells us those who overcome will inherit all the blessings they could imagine and more, in the next life. But overcome what? Poverty and low self-esteem? We should overcome the world, the flesh and the devil, and this includes overcoming anxiety by giving our heart to God and letting him change our values.

 

The Power of Speech?

Pagans and Pentecostals share an interest in using speech to declare what they want to be real. Yet the Christian version is different in that they declare God’s promises, so in effect God himself has already declared it to be real. Christians don’t create reality, they use God’s authority to declare his will. But when either group believes that words themselves have power and that we can manifest reality to gratify their pleasures then both parties are in very dangerous territory. Despite what people make the Bible say, it does not say that words are powerful, only that our declaration of faith is powerful (Acts 10:13). Proverbs 18:20-21 is often quoted to support the power of words, but this verse is a warning to use wisdom when speaking, and not to utter foolish criticism or vain boasts etc. The NLT version displays it meaning more clearly:

“Wise words satisfy like a good meal; the right words bring satisfaction. The tongue can bring death or life; those who love to talk will reap the consequences”. Faith spoken is powerful firstly because of the effect it has on the minds of other people, and also because it contains Jesus’ authority.  It is the expression of belief rather than the act of vocalizing, otherwise taking parrots would be affecting our reality. Thus there is a difference between the two religions in their motivations, in who they trust, in authority, and in which spirits carry out their declarations.

If we are using our words and intentions in our own authority to command reality we may find that the spirits rebuke us, like they did to the sons of Sceva who tried to exorcise demons using the name of Jesus who Paul preaches. Why should the ‘universe’ accept our authority? Unless we are bound to a particular spirit we have no authority, except over our own mind.

 

The Tension between Abundance and Self-sacrifice

There is a tension between declaration of God’s provision and abundance, and between letting go of natural goods and blessings to be able to serve our master more effectively.

God wants us to have abundance / God inspires us to give up pleasure and wealth to serve him.

God wants us to enjoy marriage / God inspires us to give up marriage to serve him.

The solution is to prioritise God values and character and then we will be able to safely enjoy the abundance of life. If we are gong to love life we are going to need to love God a whole lot more. Yet when we love God this world’s pleasures seem poor and useless, and popularity becomes distasteful. However, those who are in financial need or in need of health ought to declare God abundance and blessing.
One the one hand conservatives emphasise Jesus teaching on self-denial, meekness, self-sacrifice, obedience, and loving God more than his blessings. They emphasise the death of the old life.
On the other hand, Pentecostals believe that God wants us to be fulfilled and prosperous in body, soul and spirit. They declare their faith and receive their blessings. They emphasise Gods abundance and resurrection life.
Those who combine both perspectives are on to a good thing.

 

High Self Esteem

The more powerful we become the more arrogant and selfish we are tempted to become, the more vulnerable to the enemy, and the less likely we are to trust God. That is why Jesus said “blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the Earth”…  The greatest among you will be your servant…The last will be the first.

Is high self esteem not the most obvious solution to low self esteem? Absolutely not, both are forms of self-absorption. Faith takes the focus away from ourselves and focuses our attention outwards. The real ‘secret’ is to give to get; show honour and you will get honour.

The ‘law of attraction’ is about pulling resources into ourselves, and about becoming self-realised and successful. This belief in belief itself has been used by the occult for centuries, and is used by certain prosperity preachers. It assumes that our belief can influence elemental forces or the ‘universe’.

 

Commands vs Fervent Prayer:

“And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart.” (Luke 18:1)

Jesus said certain types of demons will not come out unless we first pray and fast. So perhaps fervent prayer and fasting increases our spiritual authority as well as our relationship with God. Perhaps its true that if we do not fervently seek God then we will not have the authority to declare and see God move in difficult situations.

If we don’t get an answer it is worth remembering that it is not that God does not want to answer, but that we might personally need a spiritual breakthrough or the spiritual environment needs a breakthrough, and the situation requires some change at a fundamental level. There are spiritual laws that God has made himself and other spirits subject to, and he will not break them in order to help us. For example, unforgiveness or secret sins will disturb our faith. Both God and the devil become more effective in someone’s life only once that person has opened the door by belief. The devil is not allowed to openly display himself unless that individual opens his mind and heart to his lies. Demons are not allowed to attack or seduce the soul of a toddler, unless its parents allow it through occult practice.