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thejumpingsheep's review
1.0
I hate it when this happens. I pick out a seemingly innocent Christian nonfiction book and then have to get out the highlighter and pen and start marking up and debating with the author. I was worried right from the start with this book as I read on the back cover "Are your secret, innermost thoughts robbing you of health and happiness?" Ugghhh! How do we get off in America assuming that we are supposed to be healthy and happy all the time. Tell the persecuted Christians they just need to fix their thoughts to be healthy. Anyway, I digress. I was also concerned when I saw her talk about meditative prayer. The Bible does tell us to meditate on the Word of God but nowhere does it say this is some sort of formula of prayer that will heal us. So like I said as I was reading (and I only made it through the first lie) I marked up the text. I want to share my concerns with you.
On page 14 she says, "I believed that God's will was for me to have an abundant, healthy life." Ummm where does it say that in Scripture? We are actually promised trials and tribulations. God's will is not only about having an abundant, healthy life. It is about shaping and refining us which can come through periods of illness and periods of lack.
On pages 17-18 she lists many verses to help support her meditative prayer formula (Romans 12:2, Genesis 24:63, Joshua 1:8, Psalms 19:4,and Psalms 145:5) but all of these examples are about mediating on Scripture not some sort of meditative prayer where you conjer up some image and think/pray on it. We are to mediate on the Word of God, which means to think about it and learn about it, not to just repeat it over and over or take one verse out of context and make a picture to go with it. On page 19 she says, "so I let my imagination go to work." I know that when the Biblical writers were talking about meditating on the Scriptures they weren't talking about using your imagination. They were talking about learning the truth.
There were tons of more warning signs such as her telling you what position to take to do meditative prayer and letting you know to use the Scriptures she provided if you want to. I could go on but I think you get the point. This kind of thinking is dangerous. If you want to renew your mind and transform it with the Word of God, then memorize the Word, read it daily, think on it throughout the day, study it; but don't use your imagination to come up with some weird truth of your own.
So as you have probably already concluded I do not recommend this book. Theology and interpreting Scripture by the historical context and not by our experience is important. Unfortunately that is not the popular American "Christian" way. Just stick with the Word!
I was given a copy of this book from Tyndale Publishers in exchange for my honest opinion. Obviously, all views are my own, and the fact I got it for free did not change my opinion. :)
On page 14 she says, "I believed that God's will was for me to have an abundant, healthy life." Ummm where does it say that in Scripture? We are actually promised trials and tribulations. God's will is not only about having an abundant, healthy life. It is about shaping and refining us which can come through periods of illness and periods of lack.
On pages 17-18 she lists many verses to help support her meditative prayer formula (Romans 12:2, Genesis 24:63, Joshua 1:8, Psalms 19:4,and Psalms 145:5) but all of these examples are about mediating on Scripture not some sort of meditative prayer where you conjer up some image and think/pray on it. We are to mediate on the Word of God, which means to think about it and learn about it, not to just repeat it over and over or take one verse out of context and make a picture to go with it. On page 19 she says, "so I let my imagination go to work." I know that when the Biblical writers were talking about meditating on the Scriptures they weren't talking about using your imagination. They were talking about learning the truth.
There were tons of more warning signs such as her telling you what position to take to do meditative prayer and letting you know to use the Scriptures she provided if you want to. I could go on but I think you get the point. This kind of thinking is dangerous. If you want to renew your mind and transform it with the Word of God, then memorize the Word, read it daily, think on it throughout the day, study it; but don't use your imagination to come up with some weird truth of your own.
So as you have probably already concluded I do not recommend this book. Theology and interpreting Scripture by the historical context and not by our experience is important. Unfortunately that is not the popular American "Christian" way. Just stick with the Word!
I was given a copy of this book from Tyndale Publishers in exchange for my honest opinion. Obviously, all views are my own, and the fact I got it for free did not change my opinion. :)
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