to pray
a haiku poem about the practice of manifesting vs. prayer
called to manifest? no, the Lord calls us to pray. there's only one way.
About
The New Age movement has alarmingly seeped its way into the Church, especially when it comes to the now widespread practice of manifesting. In a Psychology Today article, manifesting is defined and described like this:
Manifesting is the idea that, through the power of belief, we can effectively "think" a goal into becoming reality. It's a form of "magical thinking," or the need to believe that one’s hopes and desires can have an effect on how the world turns…At its core, manifesting represents an expression of beliefs like "mind over matter," or the idea that our thoughts can affect the external world, and the “law of attraction,” or the idea that our thoughts determine what we "attract," for good or for ill.1
It seems it has become such a popular practice because conceptually, it puts the power and control over one’s own life into one’s own hands, or one’s own mind. This makes it an anti-biblical practice because Scripture teaches that God is the one with the power and authority over our lives, not us. Rather than seeking to control our own lives, we are to look to the One who is already in control. The biblical solution to addressing our concerns about life is to bring them all to the Lord in prayer.
Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. - Philippians 4:5-7
Our hope and trust is to be in Christ’s strength, not our own. Manifesting will get us nowhere; let’s take the time to pray.
article link: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/manifesting