Positive Thinking Prayer (Q&A)

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See the Prayer and Praying Series here

Q: What role does positive thinking prayer play in a person’s life and relationship with God?

A: There are many philosophies in life that essentially extract God, Jesus and The Holy Spirit out of Bible concepts, and apply them in a humanistic manner. Positive thinking is just one of them, and though it has some helpful aspects, it is yet another deception to accomplish satan’s ultimate objective on Earth – to extract ‘The Life’ from concepts expounded in Scripture, and thus get us to believe what effectively is a lie.

The so-called gospel of positive thinking was popularized by Norman Vincent Peale, childhood pastor of Trump, who reportedly preached positive thinking and belief in, and love of self. I see absolutely nothing in God’s Word, The Bible, that is even minimally supportive of this approach to life, and especially prayer. Rather, this is directly contrary to just about every Biblical concept I am aware of.

satan’s objective is to present to us a variety of counterfeits that include just enough Truth to get us to bite his bait. Folks who do not know the Truth of Scripture, are thus easily deceived, and so they bite his bait. he keeps ‘the wool over their eyes’ long enough for them to die, not having a personal, intimate relationship with God through Jesus and Christ, Who died a cruel death to pay the price for our sinfulness. Voila! They lose, and he wins their company in the lake of fire …forever. Their choice is based on ignorance or flat out denial of Who God is, and what He has said, repeatedly, in so many ways and voices. He encourages and warns us, in love, then He respects our choices and responses, eternally.

Prayer from God’s perspective is effectively returning the essence of His Word (His desires, promises, etc.) back to Him, in faith, based on having an intimate relationship with Him through Christ. Apart from this, He effectively does not hear so-called prayers, especially from those He calls ‘spiritually dead’, i.e., having no relationship with Him through Jesus as Savior and Lord. The only prayer He is committed to hear from spiritually dead folks is their prayer of repentance and salvation. Otherwise, their prayers are essentially ‘return-to-sender’ prayers. To Him, prayer is not our positive thoughts, no matter how honorable we think they may be. He knows our thoughts well before we think them! Prayer is a form of worship of, and honor to Him, in the Name of His Son, Jesus, as The Almighty Sovereign, Creator, and Judge Potentate, and high respect for what He has said in His Word concerning creation, life, and especially the life of His born-again saints. While ‘praying in the Spirit’ is indeed designed to ‘build up ourselves in our most holy faith’, i.e., our faith in God, His Word, His love and His will (Jude 20), it certainly is not designed simply to build up our carnal confidence so we can succeed in our worldly desires, apart from being grounded and rooted in Him. Apart from a relationship with God through Christ, and with Christ through His Word, and by His Spirit, positive thinking prayers are a deceptive counterfeits, designed to get our eye off of the Truth of Scripture. On this, I must be unapologetically clear.

Here is a handy way to think of prayer from God’s perspective laid out in The Bible:

P --> Personal relationship with God through Jesus as Savior and Lord

R --> Return God’s Word to Him, putting Him in remembrance, and activating your faith

A --> Always and only pray in the Name of Jesus, and follow-up with persistent praise and thanksgiving

Y --> Yield the results to Him, in faith, trusting His will is done in ALL things pertaining to the lives of His believer saints