Contemplative Prayer?

Contemplative prayer stuff is dangerous folks.

I caution everyone to stay away from making the mind 'passive' during prayer. God never intends us to go into neutral when we pray but to make our requests known to Him based on His word, etc.

There is a huge ...MASSIVE...amount of stuff from many different good discernment ministries that is exposing contemplative - centering prayer. Basically the centering prayer 'method' comes from the East and has been integrated into "Christianity" by contemplatives such as Thomas Merton, Bede Griffiths, etc.

Here is our SRN page on Contemplative and the dangers contemplative stuff gets into.

Richard Foster is por-contemplative according to his book Celebration of Discipline. Here is a Richard Foster archive at Lighthouse Trails Research Project
http://www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com/researchtopics.htm#F

Do A POWER SEARCH here!
Emerging Church Discernment POWER Search

...and here you can fire away and see the mass of stuff about the dangers of the Contemplative Spirituality approach.

Contemplative Spirituality Discernment Research Archives
Apprising Ministries Contemplative Spirituality Archive
Christian Research Service Contemplative Archive
Critical Issues Commentary Archive
Eastern Regional Watch Archive
Kjos Ministries ArchiveLet Us Reason Archive
Lighthouse Trails Research Project Archive
One Truth Ministries
Spiritual Research Network Contemplative Archive
Understand The Times Archive


We have many books in our research library that have to do with mysticism, Buddhism, Hindu prayer techniques, etc. And I also have Richard Fosters book [s]. When I match up his "method" for getting in touch with the "Divine", it parallels Eastern religious techniques to a scary degree.

We encourage people to stick with the basics of reading the Word and praying as we have always done...and always been blessed by God in doing so. No need to go out on the fringe with so many others who seek an experience before seeking the Word and knowing THE WORD... through His Word.

The Bible on Prayer: “Let nothing hinder thee from praying always” (Eccl.18:22); “Watch ye, therefore, praying at all times, that you may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that are to come, and to stand before the Son of Man” (Lk. 21:36); “Rejoice in your hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer” (Rom. 12:12); “Pray at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication” (Eph. 6:18); “Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving” (Col. 4:2); “I desire therefore that men should pray in every place, lifting holy hands” (1 Tim. 2:8); “Pray without ceasing” (5:17).

Pray on folks and "Test all things, hold fast to that which is good. Abstain from every appearance of evil" (1 Thess.5:21).

~SRN