Avoid the occult (at all costs) - Friday Praise & Pray (for others) January 20, 2023
Updated: Jan 27, 2023
As the year began, the Lord spoke to us about being His children so we receive His best. This required we make changes for the better. Changes that glorified Him, bringing us further into His blessings and mercies. These changes included treating others the way we want to be treated. And upon further consideration, we discovered that how we communicate about people was as important as how we treat them.
Today, we look at another practical step that brings us closer to God. We shall consider the issue of occult practices and the Lord's call to each of us to stay far away from them.
What does the occult entail? Practitioners of the occult seek to dominate, manipulate and control other people, nature and circumstances. To that end, they seek out knowledge and power from sources other than the Lord. Whether their goal is to for perceived 'good' or evil is irrelevant. The occult appears normal and oftentimes, harmless. It is all around us and thus, hard to identify for what it truly is. Consider the ease of access to astrology/horoscope/zodiac. What does it aim to do? It claims to tell you about your life based on the stars in the sky. However, God wants His people to know that He, and not the things He created, is the source of all knowledge. And by turning to these created things, by seeing them as a source of understanding, people end up reverencing them and serving them, which was never God's intention (Deuteronomy 4:19).
Pay attention to Deuteronomy 18:10-11 - You must never sacrifice your sons or daughters by burning them alive, practice black magic, be a fortuneteller, witch, or sorcerer, cast spells, ask ghosts or spirits for help, or consult the dead (GWT). Despite these commands, each of us has enjoyed movies and television shows where characters concocted spells, made magical potions, or communicated with the dead as necromancers. In fact, many of us actually know people who do one or more of these things on a regular basis. Yet, God's instruction is to stay away from such practices.
Sadly, many don't realize that God wants us to come to Him for all our needs. Isaiah 8:19 - Someone may say to you, “Let’s ask the mediums and those who consult the spirits of the dead. With their whisperings and mutterings, they will tell us what to do.” But shouldn’t people ask God for guidance? Should the living seek guidance from the dead? (NLT). The reason why God wants His people to come to Him is so they are not deceived and led into the snares of satan. For satan's goal is to cause God's children to sin and thereby fall out of His blessings and into curses.
The devil's lies make too many think they can't hear the Lord but, God speaks to each and everyone of us. He has not hidden Himself or His voice (James 1:17). The key is to put in the time to hear Him speak in the way He wants to communicate with you. He wants the ears of your heart to ring with the cadence of His words. There is no shortcut to this, you will have to put in the work (and don't assume it's much), accept His grace to hear and consistently seek to hear. And when this becomes the pattern, there will be no need to consult mediums, psychics, spell casters or necromancers.
Next Tuesday, we shall review some consequences that befall practitioners of the occult. For an example, return to the series on Jezebel - a witch, murderess, and worshipper of false gods. Until then, I pray you will take this message to heart. I pray you will seek God for the answers to the questions you have. By His grace, you will deepen your relationship with Him, whereby His voice is as familiar to you as it was to Adam when he was in the Garden of Eden. IJMN, Amen.
Please join us as we fellowship together at Noon EST for an hour during today's Praise & Pray (for others). Come ready with your reasons for thanking God (even if it's just because He is the Almighty). Bring the people/situations/places you want to lift up in prayer and a heart willing to honor the Lord. I pray you will be well-blessed, IJMN, Amen.
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