According to Ray Yungen, Christians are lulled into Contemplative Prayer (CP) by the emphasis on seeking the Kingdom of God and greater piety — especially vulnerable are Christians who are not grounded firmly in the faith. Those who practice CP seek to experience God in an inexplicable way. Church leaders and pastors should be able […]
Archive | Contemplative Prayer
Revealing Quotes by Influential Contemplatives
In this article we are sharing a list of quotes by influential contemplatives. Some on the list may surprise you. For example, Rick Warren advocates contemplative prayer in his best-selling book Purpose Driven Life. Many of you will be surprised to learn who made this comment: [I]f we are not still before Him [God], we will never truly know […]
Taizé Worship – Growing in Popularity, But Roots Are in Mystical Monasticism
What could we find wrong with young people from all over the world gathering together to pray? Especially when those who participate say that during their prayer time they experience “peace, faith and trust.” Taizé (prounced tuh-zay) is a tiny monastic community nestled in the French countryside. The community was founded in 1940 by Roger […]
Spiritual Disciplines and the Appearance of Wisdom
Spiritual Formation….Contemplative/Centering/Apopathic/Breath Prayer….”Christian Yoga“….Enneagram (you’ll learn about this below) are terms Bible believing evangelicals must become familiar with. All of these practices have been introduced into mainstream evangelicalism. Where do they come from? You don’t have to dig very deep to discover that practices such as these are rooted in Eastern mysticism. In other words, […]
Remembering the enticing appeal of Richard Foster and Beth Moore’s Be Still film
You’ll want to remember how certain esteemed Christian leaders introduced the evangelical community to contemplative prayer (CP), also referred to as centering prayer, breath prayer, meditation and listening prayer. Why is this important to remember? For the reason that CP is steeped in Roman Catholic mysticism and is highly unbiblical. Yet Christian celebs such as Richard Foster […]
The Interface of Medieval Mysticism and Buddhist Mindfulness Meditation
Pam Frost informs us of the influence Eastern mysticism has had on the modern Church, thanks largely to high-profile Protestant’s affinity for the teaching of Roman Catholic mystic monks such as Thomas Merton, Basil Pennington, William Menninger and Thomas Keating. The Desert Fathers, as they are called, embraced the beliefs of Neoplatonism (Frost explains this […]
Rick Warren gets bolder in promoting breath prayer
Several years ago when Rick Warren promoted the pagan mantra technique of Centering Prayer on his Pastor’s Toolbox site, the post was yanked down when concerned Christians became alarmed and spoke up. Perhaps he was dipping a toe in the contemplative water to see if others would join him in the shallow end of the […]
Calvary Chapel, Bill Hybels, and Jesuit Mysticism
Roger Oakland of Understand the Times International says that Calvary Chapel has a new found connection with Bill Hybels, one of the architects of the seeker-sensitive movement. Oakland wonders how big of an impact this union will have. There’s a program Willow Creek implemented by Bill Hybels’ son-in-law Aaron Niequist called The Practice that Oakland sees as “the epitome […]
IHOP – Feeding the Undiscerning
Doug Evans of Asleep No More delves into IHOP-KC guru Mike Bickle’s background. Evans uncovers solid evidence that Bickle’s teaching on prayer is highly unbiblical yet, unbelievably, the man heads up a noted “Christian” prayer ministry. What are young people who flock to IHOP exposed to? Contemplative prayer. Allow me to explain. CP is a prayer […]
Celebrating the Atonement and Resurrection While Promoting Contemplative Prayer — A Profound Contradiction
By Lighthouse Trails In 1922, liberal pastor and theologian Harry Emerson Fosdick stated the following words in his sermon titled “Will the Fundamentalists Win?”: “It is interesting to note where the Fundamentalists are driving in their stakes to mark out the deadline of doctrine around the church, across which no one is to pass except […]