Listening Prayer Notes - August 2008
Book Review: ' Can you hear me?' - Tuning in to the
God who speaks - Brad Jersak, 2003
Brad Jersak covers a lot of ground in 275 pages on the subject
of 'listening prayer' for the individual and also gives other
applications for listening prayer: for the local church, with
children, outreach, mercy & justice and inner healing. As I read
the book I realised that listening prayer has much in common
with contemplative prayer and in fact many of the quotes and
examples are from mystical, Roman Catholic sources. I found it
interesting that Brad constantly goes out of his way to quote
scripture and give warnings about deception before venturing
into mystical territory where deception is all too possible.
The welcome emphasis of the book is that we should hear the
voice of God. I enjoyed Brad quoting Joel 2 to describe that
'we're to experience a roaring downpour of God's voice on
everyone: every age, gender and caste ... Pentecost released a
virtual Niagara Falls of revelation.' (p21). I too maintain that
an intimate relationship with the Living God should be the
normative experience for the Christian. The wonder of the new
covenant is that "they will all know me, from the least of them
to the greatest," (Jeremiah 31:31).
So why do I have an uncomfortable feeling as I read this book?
My first red flag went up in his vigorous defense of
visualization or guided imagery (p56). He describes evangelical
critics of guided imagery as moving in a fear that is an even
greater door to deception and bondage, 'Surely those who sow
this paranoia in our minds are exerting their own form of
dangerous mind control."(57) This is a very strong statement,
especially as footnote 9 refers to David Hunt, author of Beyond
Seduction (1987)
When David Hunt's previous book came out in 1985, 'The Seduction
of Christianity - Spiritual discernment in the last days', I
felt it was a very important warning of how new age delusions
were infiltrating the church. To quote Dave Hunt (p114):
"However, at this point it should be clearly understood that
the whole idea of visualizing a vivid image in the mind in order
to produce an effect in the physical world is not just missing
from the Bible but is present in all occultic literature as far
back as we can go (and is in fact one of the most basic
shamanistic devices)."
Again in Beyond Seduction (p211):
"This growing belief that visual images created in the
imagination open the door to a closer walk with God is part of
an epidemic of extra biblical teaching that is being accepted in
the church today. The door is being opened to demonic delusion,
and it is astounding how many Christians are walking through
it."
To have a caution with the subject of guided imagery does not
negate in me a desire for the experience of the full prophetic
ministry of the Holy Spirit. I feel the Spirit is my 'Guide'
when illuminating the scriptures rather than my imagination. Let
me quote from p76 of Brad's book and the section on 'Tuning In':
- Picture yourself standing beside Jesus in front of a mirror.
Imagine that he's just exhaled a big gust of steam onto the
mirror. If he were to use his finger tip to write a message on
the mirror about your true identity, what would he write? Read
it.
- Now ask him to wipe off the steam so that when you look in the
mirror, you can see yourself as he sees you. What do you see?
I really struggle with this sort of experiment in visualization.
It is so not real.
Now see 'Tuning In' on p130:
- Do you have some favourite spots where you enjoy walking or
sitting with the Lord? Take time to recall some of those meeting
locations.
- Are you able to 'go there' in your mind? Are you able to sense
where Jesus is in that place when you are there with him? Give
it a try right now!
However well meaning this sort of sentiment is, it just doesn't
seem to line up with the scriptures. For instance where can we
find evidence for this following statement (p232)?:
"Everyone - even the most wounded or fragmented soul - has a
safe place in his or her heart in which to meet Jesus ... a
meeting place enables you to find Jesus in a safe place rather
than searching frantically for him in the middle of a traumatic
memory."
What's with the safe place? I find the whole concept of a
meeting place fueled by active imagination to be rather strange.
More from 'Tuning In' on p 138:
- Ask God to lead you into the meeting place of your heart. If
your heart is his home or temple or castle, what does it look
like? What are its features?
- Find Jesus there and ask him to give you a guided tour.
Surely this simplistic attempt at visualization can only lead to
fantasies of the imagination which might be interesting or
comforting but how real are they in the real Holy Spirit? Let me
try and review how Brad deals with the subject of the
imagination.
On p98, the first definition of the imagination is that it is
like a screen upon which the mind projects images. Further, the
soul is the projector, the flesh and the spirit are the films,
and the will is the projectionist that chooses what will be
shown. Now it seems that if the imagination is like a screen
then it is a passive concept. But Brad hastens to dismiss that
idea (p99).
On p101, he develops the imagination as a God-given ability of
our hearts to: paint inner pictures, see through inner windows
and enter through inner doorways. Now this has got my attention.
The painting of inner pictures is called the 'active'
imagination and is also identified with visualization. But there
is a 'higher' or 'passive' imagination, a transition from our
picture into an open window through which we peer out into the
spiritual realms. But there is even another level: 'Interactive
Imagination':
- At this level we actually step through the internal doorway of
our hearts into spiritual meeting places with God.' (p110)
This must be the process needed in all the 'Tuning In'
exercises. Use the active imagination to visualize the imagery,
then transition into a light trance state where upon you step
into the place where you can ask Jesus any question you like and
get an answer. I use the phrase 'light trance state' as the
general purpose of listening prayer, contemplative prayer,
centering or meditation as a spiritual discipline is to bring
about a state of altered consciousness. Despite Brad's lengthy
warnings and explanations of how not to be deceived his basic
teaching on the meeting place seems to be a doorway for just
that.
I was quite alarmed with the section, 'A final secret' (p194),
that mentions listening prayer with the children in Brad's
church. A trend had developed where the children would tell
their parents what the Lord had shared with them but then add -
"He also told me some secrets, but I am not allowed to share
them with you." Brad accepts this as consistent with Matthew
11:26, but it feels really creepy to me. I do not like the sound
of anything that puts a barrier between parents and children. It
could be what a deceptive spirit would do, leading the children
deeper into deception.
If I have a concern about the teaching I have a similar concern
about many of his references and quotes. For instance, at the
end of the chapter on Imagination he says that the words of
George MacDonald strengthened his faith in times of doubt and he
quotes several lines from the fantasy novel - 'Lilith'. But the
very subject of Lilith is a hot potato, ranging from a female
Mesopotamian storm demon to the apocryphal first wife of Adam!
Not a very helpful source to draw from in the spirit.
For the unsuspecting protestant this book also reads like an
introduction to Roman Catholicism, with positive references to
the use of the Rosary, the Stations of the Cross, Labyrinths,
numerous mystics and especially to St. Ignatius Loyola, the
founder of the Jesuits. Brad lists (p126) how Loyola recommended
activating each of the 5 senses in meditation and warmly states
that the Jesuits became Roman Catholicism's most powerful
missionary movement (p127). We also know from history that one
of the Jesuits main missions was to advance the counter
reformation against the evangelical protestants in the sixteenth
century and beyond. Interesting!
In closing I would encourage readers to have a look at my August
2008 mid month notes where I give the scriptural basis for
'Entering the sanctuary by the Blood of Christ. Obviously you
can also surf the net endlessly on any topic - I found this link
quite helpful for further reading on this subject:
Contemplative Prayer and the Evangelical Church by Ray Yungen
www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com/contemplativeprayerarticlebyray.pdf
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