My old man was lead astray by that Christian Businessman’s thing years ago. My mom was very distressed by it. She went to one of their services - with Dad and the others trying to get her to speak in tongues.
I asked dad if they had an interpreter present. (No).
“Well dad - that is required according to the Bible.” Then read the part about all the different gifts Christians are given - some ARE given the gift of tongues - but not all. Etc.
He eased up on my mom, but stayed with the group, and straying away from his lifelong friends. When he died he had appointed men from that group to carry his casket. Strangers to the family.
Mom felt obliged to his wishes. But had his (and her) friends as honorary pall-bearers.
I will listen to the prayer with more critical ears when I hear it. I guess that goes for any preacher. Or person. I don’t mind a sermon where the guy is running through a list of points and topics. I can’t stand it when they turn a prayer into a similar thing. (I have no idea if this preacher did that.)
Thank you for sharing about your father. Your mother’s prayers were very helpful for him when he died.
It’s not the words the minister says, but the intonations and rhetoric used to deliver the words.
My children used to do this with our dogs as a joke. They would say how bad they smell and how dirty they were in a tone of voice that caused the dogs to wag their tails and come running, even though they were demeaning them.
The techniques I speak of are what satan uses to lead people astray.
It’s easy to know if someone has a personal relationship with Jesus as I feel the fire in their heart when I am near them.
Even the left brained logical skeptics can be hypnotized. Even those that say that no one can hypnotize them. It just takes different techniques.
The only person that can’t be hypnotized is a person who has already surrendered their individual will to God. They can’t surrender it to the hypnotist if they have already surrendered it to God. I’m speaking of the reality of surrendering to God, not just wishful words that most declare.