Know the Truth

A NOTE ON THE KING JAMES VERSION- PART I

There are some people who believe the King James Version (KJV) of the Bible is superior to all other English translations of the Bible. This movement is called the “King James Only”. Adherents of the King James Only Movement are largely Evangelicals who believe that the KJV is the most accurate English version of the Bible ever translated. They also believe that other English versions of the Bible produced after the KJV were corrupted.

Is this the true situation of things?

The KJV is by far the most popular English translation of the Bible. It is the 3rd Authorized English version, the 1st and 2nd been the Great Bible (1539) and the Bishops’ Bible (1568) respectively. The translation was commissioned in 1604 by King James VI & I primarily to correct the translational inaccuracies the Puritans observed in the Bishops’ Bible which was then in use in the Anglican Church. It was also noted that the Bishops’ Bible did not reflect the ecclesiology and the episcopal structure of the Church of England and its beliefs about ordained clergy accurately. These observations gave birth to the new translation.

The new translation (KJV) was published in 1611 and became an instant success. Several editions were produced after the first edition. The popular KJV in circulation today is the Oxford standard edition of 1769. Since its first edition, the KJV dominated the landscape of the English-speaking world until the mid-20th century when newer translations began to challenge its dominance.

To an objective mind, the KJV which was first published in the early 17th century cannot be the most accurate English translation of the Bible. In reality, this version of the English Bible is plagued by certain shortcomings which the reader needs to be aware of to avoid interpretation errors.

The KJV was translated with fewer Hebrew and Greek manuscripts of the Bible compared to the volumes we now have. The Old Testament portion of the KJV was translated from a group of Hebrew texts (the Masoretic texts) that were transcribed between the 7th to the 10th century AD. Modern Bible scholars who seek to understand the Old Testament scriptures use a variety of sources apart from the Masoretic texts. These sources include early Greek translation (Septuagint), the Samaritan Pentateuch, the Syriac translation (Pesh*tta), the Dead Sea Scrolls, and quotations from rabbinic manuscripts which are mostly older than the oldest surviving Masoretic texts and sometimes present significant differences.

The 3rd edition of the Erasmus version of the Greek New Testament (Textus receptus or the received text) was used in translating the New Testament portion of the KJV. Erasmus used seven partial late Greek manuscripts which were of Byzantine origin, except one, to compile the Textus receptus. Five of the manuscripts date the 12th century while two date the 15th century. Erasmus had three manuscripts for the Gospels, four for the Pauline epistles, two for the other epistles, and only one for the book of Revelation which was not complete. He translated the last six verses of Revelation out of a Latin version of the New Testament because they were not available in any of the manuscripts.

Also, Erasmus inserted the “Johannine Comma” (1 John 5:7) into the Textus receptus which is not in most of the Greek manuscripts of the New Testament. He added this verse, which he found in a 16th-century minuscule Greek manuscript (Codex Montfortianus), to stop those who were accusing him of imbibing Arianism (the belief that Jesus is not God).

Many Hebrew and Greek manuscripts of the Bible have been discovered after the first translation of the KJV, which were used by the translators of more recent English translations. For example, the Dead Sea scrolls, a large catchment of Hebrew manuscripts, were discovered between 1946 to 1956. There are now over 5,800 New Testament manuscripts that have been categorized into four groups by text type. These include the Alexandrian, Western, Caesarean (the Gospels only), and Byzantine text types.

The Alexandrian text type is the basis of modern Bible translations. Most New Testament textual critics believe it is the closest representative of the autographs for some reasons. For example, the Alexandrian manuscripts are the oldest found New Testament manuscripts to date. Some of the earliest Church Fathers’ scriptural quotations are found in them. Again, the Alexandrian texts are more often considered to be the ones that can best explain the source of the variant readings found in other text types.

Also, the English language used in the KJV is now archaic. The meanings of several of the words that were used have changed over time. These include words like "conversation" which now means "conduct," "study" which now means "diligence", "communication" which now means "sharing" etc. This outdated language may make it difficult for the modern English speaker to have a good understanding of Scripture. Moreover, the English vocabulary was limited at the time the translation was conducted. Hence, some of the keywords may not have been translated appropriately from the original language due to this constraint.

The other reality about the KJV we have to face is that the understanding of the Hebrew and Greek languages at the time it was translated was limited compared to what obtained at the time the more recent translations like the American Standard Version (1900) and the others that came after were translated. It is natural that the KJV would have some translational errors while these newer translations would be more accurate. The reader needs to be aware that several English translations after the KJV now reflect the contents of the Hebrew and Greek manuscripts of the Bible more accurately. Even the KJV now has a modern version (New King James Version) that reflects the contents of the Hebrew and Greek manuscripts of the Bible more accurately.

An excerpt from "Basic Principles of Biblical Interpretation" (to be published soon)

To be continued...

Do you know Martin Luther never intended to leave the Catholic Church?

The selling of indulgences and other awkward practices prompted him to lead a reformation, which was not itself a violent protest.

The reformation movement was more of an attempt to help the church rediscover what it had lost to the prevailing Greek culture.

At the end, Martin Luther and other labeled protesters were excommunicated from the Orthodox Church. This was how the Lutheran church was birthed.

Over time, the most prominent reformer in the person of John Calvin at some point disagreed with Martin Luther and broke away.

Before you knew it another division occurred which laid the foundation for the Presbyterian and reformed churches.

Subsequently, the AnaBaptists were yet another splinter group, resulting in the Amish, menonites amd Quakers, who now have many divisions within themselves as do the Lutherans, Baptists and Presbyterians.

In the mid-1500s, king Henry VIII of England wouldn’t accept the pope’s refusal to grant the marriage annulment he wanted, so he broke from Rome and started the Anglican Church. The puritans and the Methodists later broke away from the Anglicans.

Why am I digging up all of these?

It’s because of how men had become so divided despite claiming to be of the same Heavenly Father and all part of the commonwealth of the family of God in heaven.

If truth must be told, our lack of intimacy with our Heavenly Father is most times revealed by our inability to live in harmony with one another. Divisions are inevitable when that is the case.

This division thing have long being coming and in this modern times it’s almost accepted as normal.

The apostle Paul said:

“Some of you are saying, “I am a follower of Paul.” Others are saying, “I follow Apollos,” or “I follow Peter,” or “I follow only Christ.”

Has Christ been divided into factions? Was I, Paul, crucified for you? Were any of you baptized in the name of Paul? Of course not!”(1 Corinthians 1:12-13).

Christ is not divided, but the visible church has been and will continue to be divided as long as we find our identity in someone or something other than Christ.

ANOTHER THOUGHT on TITHES!!!!

If tithe is a law in the Old covenant, then the book of Hebrews clearly said the Law was abolished.

But the tithe was before the law?
In other words, your teaching on tithe is based on before the law?
That means in teaching tithe you should NEVER near Exodus to Malachi?

So who's your model for tithe before the law?

Abraham and Jacob!!

1. Since it was before the law, that means it is NO LAW for Believers to tithe. Because for it to be a law, that means it's compulsory!!

2. Scripture told us that Jacob made that as a vow (we aren't talking about "vow" now!!).
And he MADE the vow on his own. God didn't ask him to.

And he made the vow ONLY ONCE.

We don't even know whether he eventually fulfilled the vow.

3. Abraham also did his VOLUNTARILY. The God that asked him to sacrifice his son, would for sure had also commanded him to give tithe, for which He didn't.

4. Abraham gave tithe from spoils of war not even from his own income or wealth. And Scripture didn't even tell us that it ever happened again!!! And guess what, The New testament used this story not to teach tithe but to SHOW the GREATNESS of Christ!!!

Anyone who can't see the magnificence of Christ in the story of Abraham and Melchizedek (a type of Christ), can't see the Gospel any other place. And anyone who twists this story to "enforce " tithe on someone is an enemy of the Gospel.

5. And why do you want to make a law out of what Abraham did voluntarily, and why do you also ignore the one that Abraham was commanded to obey? Why haven't you carried your first son to go and slaughter for God?

Ohhh, you can't because that was a direct command from God to Abraham?

But people must pay tithe as Abraham did when God didn't even command Abraham to do that!!!

6. So what exactly are you teaching about tithe ?

Are you saying Abraham's example is worthy of emulation?

But are we at a loss in the New Testament as to what we should do with the resources God has given to us?

Why struggle with the story of Abraham and Jacob when we have clear instructions in the New Testament on giving?

Are we also safe to copy other things Abraham and Jacob did for which God didn't outrightly condemn?

If we do, will you not go to the New Testament to tell us, it is not good to sleep with your maid, that we must stay faithful to our spouses, you will tell us it is a sin to tell lies, you will tell us it is evil to cheat, etc.

7. Even if you are stubbornly going to teach tithe according to the law, why not teach it exactly as it was clearly taught?
Why adjust the law when you yourself are not the Law Giver?

Why demand for money, when it was STRICTLY food substances? Or you don't know there was money in that time, yet food was demanded ?

When you read "there may be food in my storehouse" in Malachi, don't you know it was FOOD literally?

Why not teach at least the three types of tithe clearly taught in the Old Testament?

Why receive the tithes when you're not a LEVITE but from a particular Tribe in Nigeria?

Why do you still receive them and still own inheritances even when those who received them owned NOTHING?

OHHH, you don't know you're sinning against God by owing a land?

8. If we probe further, you will see that you stand Guilty before God as a Law Breaker!!!

9. If you teach that as Believers, we must be FAITHFUL STEWARDS of the resources that God blesses us with, and that it might be a wise thing to do, if you DECIDE out of your CHEERFUL heart to set aside certain percentages of your income to SUPPORT the spread of the Gospel and the care of the needy, you are on track.

Whatever that percentage might be, leave that decision to the Believer in Christ to make.

1 to 100%

The abounding Grace in his heart will certainly work out the extent and frequency and nature of his giving!!!

Don't MANIPULATE.
Don't threaten.

Teach like Paul did in 2 Cor 8 and 9.

Then COMMAND them to Pay their TAXES. That is the ONLY MANDATORY giving, expressly taught by Jesus and the Apostles.

Shallow Christianity Can Take You To Church, But Not To Heaven

The ignorance of their own religion that exists in Christianity is scary. And this ignorance does not exist only amongst the congregation, it is almost as pervasive amongst the clergy, especially amongst the unregulated Pentecostal and evangelical churches.

In fact, so pervasive is this ignorance that it has created Frankenstein monsters, who are the creation of pastors who are themselves unlearned on what they profess to teach, but nevertheless teach it with authority.

One area where this ignorance is most pervasive is in the articles of our faith, and especially something as elementary as The Bible.

Many Christians do not understand that The Bible is not Scripture, though it contains some translations of Scripture.

Scripture is defined in 2 Timothy 3:16, which says:

“All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.”

In other words Scripture is the inspired word of God. Paul, who wrote this, was himself a practicing Jew, as was Christ and as were His disciples.

To understand what Scripture is, you need to understand what Judaism is.

Jews do not consider all the books in our present Bible as Scripture. In fact, if you read Scripture, you will not find the word Bible in it. The Bible is a set of books (usually 66, but more if you are a Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Coptic, Ethiopian Orthodox, or Assyrian Christian), that were agreed upon by human beings at various councils, chief of which is The Council of Rome in the year 382 AD.

The term Old Testament, which we use in Christianity is a completely Christian construct, that sometimes misleads Christians into thinking that what they call the Old Testament is obsolete.

When you see the words Scripture used in The Bible by a Jew, such as Christ, or His disciples, they are referring to the Torah, which are the five Books of Moses, and the Neviʾim, which refers to the prophets that were inspired and instructed to write their ‘thus says The LORD’ works of prophecy and guidance.

There is a third part of the Jewish canon, which is called Ketuvim. The Ketuvim is considered as religious poetry and books of wisdom. They are not books of law.

Why is it important to know this?

Because, the Torah is the Law from God and the Neviʾim are prophets speaking subsequent laws and directives from God. However, the Ketuvim are works of religious poetry and wisdom, which are meant to inspire believers, but they were not meant to alter or have precedence over the Torah or Neviʾim.

So, for instance, notice what Christ said in Matthew 5:17:

“Think not that I am come to destroy THE LAW, or THE PROPHETS: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.”

Notice His emphasis. It is on “the law, or the prophets.”

Now, the challenge in Christianity is that many Christians, including pastors, are unaware of this, because they have been deceived by the Word Bible, and automatically equate Bible with Scripture.

Take a book like Songs of Solomon. It is a book of almost erotic poetry, in which the word ‘God’ is not even mentioned. Let me even shock you deeper, the author of Songs of Solomon is unknown. Oh! You thought King Solomon wrote it? No he did not. It is not known who wrote it.

The book itself is considered harmless allegories, which is read by Jews with the understanding that it is not to guide religious doctrine. But many Christians do not know that. To speak in pidgin English, dem just carry am put for head!

Then there is the book called Proverbs of Solomon, or the Book of Proverbs. This book is part of the Ketuvim, and while it is an inspirational work, it is not meant to create any doctrine that will counter the doctrines in the Law (Torah) or the Prophets (Neviʾim).

For instance, if the Law of Moses or the Prophets set a doctrine on any issue, and the Book of Proverbs says something that can arguably be used to counter, or adjust or avoid that doctrine, then the Law of Moses or the Prophets supersedes, because they are the undisputed “thus says The LORD” word. But many Christians do not understand that, and this leads to confusion, arguments, and apathy.

Then when you come to what Christians call the New Testament, we have to understand that Christ Himself never wrote any book. So, the best we can get of the word of God are the words of eyewitnesses, of which the books of Mark and John are the most reliable.

In fact, all the four Gospels, except the Book John, are believed to have been based off the Gospel of Mark, which is the oldest Book amongst the four Gospels and was written by an eyewitness.

Now, going to Paul. I am surprised when many Christians are surprised that though the writings of Paul are good, and Godly, Paul himself never claimed that he was speaking on the instruction of God all the time.

Most of his writings are in that light, however, not all are to be taken like that, and to his own credit, Paul does tell us, but because many of us do not read Scripture by ourselves, and are beguiled by that word, Bible, we miss seeing what is there in plain sight.

Paul was a genuine man of God, sent by Christ to minister to we, the Gentiles. But we must understand that some (not all) of his writings were personal letters he wrote to specific communities of The Way (as Christianity was called then) or the Sect of the Nazarene (another name by which early Christianity was known).

And the reason why I am surprised when Christians are surprised is because Paul himself did not hide this fact. If you read his writings, he says it.

For example, if you read 1 Corinthians 7:12, that verse says:

“To the rest I say this (I, not the Lord): If any brother has a wife who is not a believer and she is willing to live with him, he must not divorce her.”

Now, if you read 1 Corinthians 4:3 in the King James Version, it says:

“But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged of you, or of man's judgment: yea, I judge not mine own self.”

Now, the above verse is quite hard to understand when read in the KJV. However, if you read it in more modern translations, Paul’s meaning is clearer. For example, in the New Living Translation, the same verse says:

“As for me, it matters very little how I might be evaluated by you or by any human authority. I don’t even trust my own judgment on this point.”

Again, if you read 1 Timothy 2:12, Paul says:

“I do not permit a woman to teach or to assume authority over a man; she must be quiet.”

Here, Paul is not giving Scripture or doctrine. He is giving his own opinion, and he does not hide it. He makes it very clear that these are his own rules for his own personal ministry, the way one denomination sets rules that do not apply to another. This is what is called dogma.

Christ Himself did not take this Pauline attitude towards women. Obviously, God has set a command, through Moses, that the man is the head of the family. However, Moses allowed Miriam to speak. In Exodus 15:20-21, Miriam was called a Prophet, and she spoke in the assembly:

“And Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a timbrel in her hand; and all the women went out after her with timbrels and with dances. And Miriam answered them, Sing ye to the LORD, for he hath triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea.”

Also, God gave Israel a female Judge to lead them in the person of Deborah. We see this in Judges 4:4:

“And Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lapidoth, she judged Israel at that time.”

Notice how she was described. She was described as ‘the wife of Lapidoth.’ Meaning that even while she led Israel, she was still subject to her husband.

For those who do not know what a Scriptural judge is, it meant a ruler over the people of Israel, who stood in the place of Moses, and was selected by God to guide the nation.

And Christ Himself allowed women to speak to Him and in His Assembly, we see this in John 11:21-22:

““Lord,” Martha said to Jesus, “if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask.”

So, why did Paul say what he said about women? Because that was his personal opinion, reflecting his personal biases.

God is perfect. His words are Law when He speaks the “thus says the LORD” word through His prophets. Christ is perfect. His words are law and doctrine. However, the words of anyone who contradicts Them are neither perfect, nor Law.

This is why I have urged Christians to stop depending on pastors and church denominations. Get Scripture yourself and read it. If you can, go to Israel and learn from the Jews, because as Christ said, “salvation is from the Jews”-John 4:22.

Because of Scripture, I went to Israel, Palestine (a different country from Israel), Egypt, Ethiopia, Greece, Italy, The Vatican and Spain, amongst others.

My conclusion after reading Scripture and visiting these places, is that I would have been blind as a bat about my faith, if I sat down in one church, listening to one pastor and shouting Hallelujah, without searching the Scriptures myself.

Now, please do not just accept what you have just read hook, line or sinker. Research it. Make sure I am not deceiving you.

Reno Omokri

Some Common Misconceptions People Have About Scripture

One of the biggest challenges in Christianity, or Christ Followership, is the fact that most Christians do what they are told by men, rather than what they are commanded by God to do in Scripture.

That is why there are so many traditions in Christianity, because believers do not study Scripture. Instead, we “cancel the word of God in order to hand down your own tradition”-Mark 7:13.

As a result, I took it upon myself to study Scripture and use it to dispel some common misconceptions. Here is an initial stab at this. Space will not permit me to fully tackle this issue. Hopefully, I will do a book about it in the future.

1. God Did Not Give Adam a Wife:

Too often, we have been taught that God gave Adam a wife, and sadly, many men have used this as authority for the ungodly practice whereby their pastors have ‘visions’ and ‘dreams’ about whom they ought to marry. Many people have entered into unhappy nuptials because of this lack of understanding of Scripture.

God never gave Adam a wife.

Genesis 2:22-23 says:

“Then the LORD God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man. The man said, "This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called 'woman,' for she was taken out of man."

God did not give Eve to Adam as his wife. He created Eve and brought her to Adam, and it was Adam who made a free will decision and accepted her and made her his wife.

2. God Never Cursed Man:

Many people accept the lie told to them that God cursed man after the fall from of man, occasioned by the disobedience of our first human parents. This is an outright lie. God never cursed man.

God loves you. God can’t hate you. God can’t curse you. God can’t allow evil into your life. God does not plan evil for you. His thoughts towards you are for good and not for evil.That God loves you is an unchangeable fact. So, get rid of any thoughts that are contrary to that fact. God can’t hate you!

What actually happened as a result of the fall of man?

Genesis 3:17 says:

“Cursed is the ground because of you;
through painful toil you will eat food from it all the days of your life.

God cursed the ground. He did not curse man. And this is corroborated in Genesis 5:29, which says:

“He named him Noah and said, "He will comfort us in the labor and painful toil of our hands caused by the ground the LORD has cursed."

3. God Updates Man Remotely From Heaven:

Many people have raised doubts about Scripture, because of the changes in man’s lifespan, abilities, and the different races on Earth, being that we all come from one ancestor, because as Acts 17:26 states:

“From one man he made all the nations,”

There is no contradiction. Scripture remains inerrant. The answer to that conundrum can be found in Genesis 6:3, which says:

“Then the LORD said, "My Spirit will not contend with humans forever, for they are mortal; their days will be a hundred and twenty years."

Notice the words “My Spirit”.

If you read the creation account in Genesis chapters 1 and 2, you will notice that God did not mention His Spirit when He created man. In fact, the major reason why man is more precious to God than His other creations is that, whereas He spoke all other creations into being, Scripture tells us that He formed us by His own hand. We see this in Genesis 2:7:

“Then the LORD God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.”

In Genesis 6:3, God uses the word “My Spirit” because God was giving a remote update from heaven to the spirit He put in man, directing it to reduce man’s longevity to 120 years in much the way a firm life Apple gives remote updates to Apple devices, like iPhones, from the California offices. One of the ways this was accomplished is that man began to eat red meat. Prior to that time, man did not eat red meat.

This is corroborated by Job 32:8:

“There is a spirit within people, the breath of the Almighty within them, that makes them intelligent.”

What is Apple‘s ability to remotely control their devices from their head office called? It is called “Intelligent design”. Here, science is copying God.

God could and can still update man’s genetic properties remotely from heaven through His Internet (His Spirit), just as your smartphone manufacturer can alter the longevity, behaviour and quality of your phone remotely through the Internet

4. Noah Did Not Hunt The Animals He Had In The Ark. Also, There Were Few Aquatic Animals in the Ark:

Many people reject Scripture because they claim that Noah’s Ark could not possibly have contained all the animals on Earth, and that Noah could not have caught each animal, even with help from his family.

And they are right. Scripture does not say that Noah caught the animals on the Ark.

Genesis 6:20 says:

“Two of every kind of bird, of every kind of animal and of every kind of creature that moves along the ground will come to you to be kept alive.”

Noah did not go hunting for the animals. The animals came to Noah. He did not go to them. They were remotely updated by God from heaven and ordered to go to him.

Also, notice that that Scripture says “every kind of creature that moves along the ground”. What this means is that aquatic animals did not come to Noah, for the simple reason that they did not need an Ark to survive a flood. They thrived during the flood.

5. Melchizedek, Not Christ, Performed The First Holy Communion

I have heard pastors and clergymen preach that Christ instituted the Holy Communion. That is false. The first Holy Communion was instituted by a mysterious Figure known as Melchizedek, in Genesis 14:18-19:

“Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. He was priest of God Most High, and he blessed Abram, saying, "Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth.”

It was after this incident that God changed Abraham’s name from Abram to Abraham in Genesis 17:5.

Christ re-instituted the Holy Communion in Luke 22:19. But notice what Paul says about a man who has accepted Christ and taken the Holy Communion after baptism, in 2 Corinthians 5:17:

“If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”

You see, just as Melchizedek’s communion led to Abram‘s change to become Abraham, Christ’s Communion will lead you to become a new man.

6. Sleeping With Married Women Can Kill You:

One of the most sacred institutions in life is marriage. It is often thought that there is no consequence to sleeping with a married woman. But there is. But there is!

Genesis 20:3 says:

“God came to Abimelek in a dream one night and said to him, "You are as good as dead because of the woman you have taken; she is a married woman."

Sleeping with a married woman can lead to death. I do not know if the same is true for a sleeping with a married man, because Scripture is silent about that, and there is no Scripture specifically condemning polygamy, although, I believe Christ condemned it in Mark 10:8:

“And the two will become one flesh.' So they are no longer two, but one flesh.”

I do not see how three can become one flesh. However, please note very strongly that this is MY OWN PERSONAL OPINION. I am not being led by the Spirit on this. It is my dogma. It is not the Word of God.

7. God Did Not Consider Ishmael As Abraham’s Son:

This will offend many people, especially Muslims. However, according to Scripture (and you must understand that prophet Mohammed accepted the Books of Moses as being of divine origin), God did not consider Ishmael as Abraham’s son AFTER Isaac was born (not before).

We see this in Genesis 22:2:

“Then God said, "Take your son, your only son, whom you love--Isaac--and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on a mountain I will show you."

Notice the words “only son”. Note that Ishmael was 14 years old when Isaac was born, yet when Abraham was told to sacrifice Isaac, God called Isaac his only son.

God did not consider Ishmael as Abraham's son after the birth of Isaac.

8. Silent Prayers Are Answered Faster Than Spoken Prayers:

I have seen too many pastors and clergymen tell their congregations to open their mouths and pray, because there is no silent prayer in Scripture. That type of talk is borne out of ignorance.

Scripture records the fastest prayer in the Old Testament as first Genesis 24:45:

"Before I finished praying in my heart, Rebekah came out, with her jar on her shoulder. She went down to the spring and drew water, and I said to her, 'Please give me a drink.'

Another potent silent prayer was Hannah’s prayer of-1 Samuel 1:13:

“Hannah was praying in her heart, and her lips were moving but her voice was not heard. Eli thought she was drunk.”

And in the New Testament, the fastest prayer ever answered is in Matthew 9:21:

“For she said within herself, If I may but touch his garment, I shall be whole.”

Silent prayers are very valid. This is corroborated by Ephesians 3:20:

“Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us.”

Your thoughts are prayers. As a matter of fact, if what you pray with your mouth contradicts what you say with your heart, it is what you say in your heart that will prevail, because as 1 Samuel 16:7 teaches:

“The LORD does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart."

9. Meditation Is Not a New Age or Eastern Religious Practice:

I have heard many pastors teach that meditation is a New Age practice and should be avoided. That is not true. Meditation is just like prayer. Prayer is good if you are praying to the one true God, and bad if you are praying to a dead god or an idol.

In fact, the patriarchs practiced the art of meditation. We see this in Genesis 24:63:

“Isaac went out to meditate in the field at the eventide: and he lifted up his eyes, and saw, and, behold, the camels were coming.”

I have taken great pains to break these misconceptions down and demystify them for you. However, please read Scripture for yourself. It will stabilise you on the Rock of Christ and prevent you from being tossed to and fro by every wind of doctrine.

Please do follow what is doctrinal. Follow what is Scriptural.

God has a plan to prosper you and help you achieve your heart’s desire. However, if you do not come into agreement with God’s plan for you, God’s plan for you will not come to pass. You need to have a good relationship with your God and with yourself and that can only happen when you read and understand Scripture by yourself, instead of living your life following dogma.

Reno Omokri