Bible Question:
Thank You Everybody ahead of time for helping me with this I got a letter from my sister. From what she wrote I could see that she is very confused and "Totally" on the wrong path. I wrote back and told her. Jusus "LETS" me help Him, one thing He told me I should do is....When I see someome I know is acting wrong or thinking wrong ..I should tell them they are wrong and tell them the right way...I am not supposed to try to embarrass them or shame them or stuff like that.. only say whats right,, and then if they want to know more.. I can tell them more about God and stuff.. but never try to push religion on them... only if its thies choice to know more I can go on.. and not to judge them......So anyhow... since I read about how lost my sister is. (by the way, my sis wrote that old myth "I've been good all my life,...blah..blah..blah) ..... So I told her she had alot of stuff wrong and I would try to explain stuff to her,, and I wouldn't make stuff up.. or tell her what "I" thought.. Only give her answers out of the Bible... and if I didn't know, I would find out... BUT only if she asks me to..(I said to her) In other words.. You have to ask me to help you..I wont write more about this unles you write me back and ask me to help you.........She wrote back and asked me...I got back a really long letter with so many questions and reason that were wrong.. she has been told so mant LIES.....I need help with this and it will take quite a long time ..I am not going to rush through or skip anything. My sister is reaching out. Here are my sistere EXACT words.....Prayer can come from praying to God and it can come from an energy source in your head....(THAT'S HER FIRST SENTENCE) Remember: I told her, I would not rush through or jump around...I want to answer her whole letter but I could not get past the first word...(PRAYER)..I wrote back and asked her...First of all..Please explain to me what you think prayer is.....I hope you all, out there, will help me along with this.. I really dont know any chapter and verse... I know Jesus though,,, and I know He is letting me Help my sister....As for advice for me to write her.. I will need the scripture and ALSO the now day words of what it means. so I can put it in wouds I can relate to her.....This is going to take awhile,, because i will have many questions myself....P.S. For anybody who writes back....as I said...I don't know much, but I know the truth when I hear it and I know a lie when I hear one too ..Thank You |
Bible Answer: Hi Legsrandall, The subject of prayer is large and the recommendation to find a book on it is really good advice. Even though you have a good prayer life, learning more about what the Bible says about prayer can help you to better understand in such a way that you can help others. But to address what your sister said: "Prayer can come from praying to God and it can come from an energy source in your head" That idea 'energy source' is New Age-speak for other spirits. New Agers speak of spirit beings as 'energies' these days. I would address this directly by taking her to 1 John 4:1-6. Read that passage in a few different versions. It tells us that we should not believe every spirit, but that we should test the spirits to see if they are of God. Every spirit that confirms Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh is of God, and every spirit that rejects Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh is not of God. So if there is some 'energy' in her head guiding her prayer, you can help her to discern if it confirms the truth about Jesus. It may help her to realize that 'energies' in our heads are not from God. But she would probably need to discover that herself by testing rather than by you just telling her so. We also learn from the passage that those who are of God hear the apostles of Jesus. In other words, the teachings of Scripture are accepted and believed by those who are of God. I would encourage you to study that passage and go through it with her, if she would be willing to do that. The book of 1 John was written to address what was in that day, a very early form of the New Age type beliefs we see in the world today. The Bible also teaches us to pray "in the Holy Spirit" (Jude 20) which is not the same as prayer coming from 'energies in your head.' You can know prayer is 'in the Holy Spirit' if the prayer lines up with what is written in Scripture. If it is contrary, then you know it is not in the Holy Spirit. It may also help to know that Satan counterfeits everything that God gives, and that we need to know the difference. 2 Cor 11:3-4 shows that Satan can deceive people so that they preach a different Jesus, believe a different gospel, and receive a different spirit not the Holy Spirit. Many people who have fallen for the New Age beliefs want to believe the truth and I pray that showing these things to your sister will help her to believe and know the truth. Your sister in Christ, Enteuxis |