Latest / Growing Closer to God with Guided Meditation / Manifesting: New Age or Biblical Concept? Deep Dive with Dan & Sheila #179

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Manifesting: New Age or Biblical Concept? Deep Dive with Dan & Sheila #179 · Growing Closer to God with Guided Meditation

• 0:00
  Dan: A little contradictory maybe.
• 0:01
  Sheila: Yeah, you know, like, are we really supposed to be, you know, kind of demanding things from the universe?
• 0:06
  Sheila: Right right, or is it more about you know, surrender and acceptance?
• 0:12
  Dan: Hey everyone, welcome back for another deep dive with us.
• 0:15
  Dan: Yeah, I'm Dan.
• 0:16
  Sheila: And I'm Sheila.
• 0:17
  Dan: And we're Pastor Young's AI co-hosts.
• 0:19
  Dan: Pastor Young's actually busy right now renovating the podcast.
• 0:23
  Sheila: Yeah, giving it a little, Giving it a little facelift, a little refresh, a little refresh yeah.
• 0:27
  Dan: So he asked us to.
• 0:29
  Sheila: Step in.
• 0:30
  Dan: Step in and start this new series for you guys.
• 0:32
  Dan: Yeah all about, All about mindfulness, yoga and meditation.
• 0:36
  Sheila: Exploring all this.
• 0:37
  Dan: Exploring those elements yeah.
• 0:38
  Sheila: Just a dig into.
• 0:38
  Sheila: Lots to dig into yeah.
• 0:40
  Dan: Lots to dig into.
• 0:41
  Sheila: Yeah, for sure.
• 0:42
  Dan: And while we're at it, don't forget Pastor Young's 30-Day Meditation Journal is still available.
• 0:48
  Sheila: Yes, absolutely.
• 0:49
  Dan: You can click the link in the description box below to get that.
• 0:52
  Sheila: Yeah, if you want to go a little deeper with that.
• 0:53
  Dan: Yeah, explore that a little bit, but today we're actually going to be tackling a concept that's gotten a lot of buzz lately.
• 1:00
  Sheila: Yeah, this one's interesting.
• 1:01
  Sheila: It's called manifesting.
• 1:03
  Dan: Yes.
• 1:03
  Dan: Is this just a new age trend, right, or can we find its roots in biblical teachings?
• 1:08
  Dan: Good question.
• 1:10
  Dan: That is the question.
• 1:11
  Sheila: Yeah.
• 1:11
  Dan: And we're going to unpack some excerpts from Pastor Young's work on the topic to try to get a clearer picture.
• 1:16
  Sheila: Yeah, he's got some really interesting thoughts on this.
• 1:19
  Dan: He does, he does.
• 1:20
  Dan: So you've probably encountered this concept of manifestation, right.
• 1:27
  Sheila: Oh, I think just about everybody has at this point Everywhere, it's everywhere these days, back in popular.
• 1:35
  Dan: But how?
• 1:35
  Sheila: would you describe it for someone who maybe hasn't heard of it yet?
• 1:37
  Sheila: I mean, the way I see it, it's kind of like well, the popular understanding, at least, is using, you know, like positive thinking and affirmations, visualizations all that to try to you know.
• 1:47
  Dan: Bring your desires.
• 1:48
  Sheila: Bring your desires into reality.
• 1:49
  Sheila: You know.
• 1:50
  Dan: Make them happen.
• 1:50
  Sheila: Make them happen.
• 1:51
  Sheila: Yeah, yeah.
• 1:52
  Dan: So how does that fit in with?
• 1:53
  Dan: You know more traditional religious views.
• 1:56
  Sheila: Well, that's where it gets a little tricky, you know, because on the surface it can seem well, you know, a little bit out of sync.
• 2:05
  Dan: Yeah.
• 2:05
  Sheila: With some of those traditional ideas.
• 2:07
  Dan: A little contradictory maybe.
• 2:08
  Sheila: Yeah, you know, like, are we really supposed to be, you know, kind of demanding things from the universe?
• 2:13
  Dan: Right right.
• 2:14
  Sheila: Or is it more about, you know, surrender and acceptance?
• 2:17
  Sheila: Yeah yeah, so that's where I think Pastor Young's perspective gets really interesting.
• 2:22
  Dan: Yeah, so he's got this document where he kind of dives into this whole thing.
• 2:25
  Sheila: He does.
• 2:26
  Dan: And he's suggesting that.
• 2:27
  Dan: Okay, maybe the Bible doesn't explicitly use the word manifesting.
• 2:31
  Sheila: Right.
• 2:32
  Dan: But there are verses in there there are that kind of resonate with these core principles.
• 2:38
  Dan: Absolutely one of the ones he brings up is from Mark 11.24.
• 2:42
  Sheila: Yeah, that's a big one.
• 2:44
  Dan: It says therefore, I tell you whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it and it will be yours.
• 2:50
  Dan: So how do you see that connecting with this idea of manifesting?
• 2:56
  Sheila: Well, I think what's really powerful there is that emphasis on faith.
• 2:59
  Dan: Yeah.
• 3:00
  Sheila: You know, it's not just about like wishing for something you know.
• 3:04
  Sheila: It's about really, truly believing that you've already received it, like in your heart, of hearts, you know.
• 3:10
  Dan: That's already yours, it's already yours.
• 3:12
  Dan: Yeah.
• 3:12
  Sheila: And that's, I think, a really key part of manifesting too right.
• 3:16
  Dan: So it's about aligning your what your internal world with the external reality that you desire.
• 3:22
  Sheila: Exactly yeah.
• 3:23
  Dan: Yeah.
• 3:23
  Sheila: And it's that belief you know Unwavering there.
• 3:26
  Sheila: Unwavering belief.
• 3:28
  Dan: Yeah.
• 3:29
  Sheila: That's really powerful.
• 3:30
  Dan: Okay, so that's one side of it.
• 3:31
  Sheila: Yeah.
• 3:32
  Dan: But then Pastor Young takes it a little bit further, right?
• 3:35
  Sheila: He does yeah.
• 3:36
  Dan: He talks about the importance of action.
• 3:37
  Sheila: Yeah, because it's not enough to just sit around and think.
• 3:40
  Sheila: Think positive thoughts.
• 3:41
  Dan: All right, it's got to be.
• 3:42
  Sheila: Got to put in the work.
• 3:43
  Dan: Got to be some action too.
• 3:45
  Sheila: Exactly.
• 3:46
  Dan: He even quotes James 2.17, which says faith by itself if it is not accompanied by action is dead.
• 3:54
  Sheila: Yeah, that's a powerful one.
• 3:56
  Dan: Yeah.
• 3:56
  Dan: So how do you?
• 3:57
  Dan: How do you unpack that?
• 3:58
  Sheila: Well, I think what he's getting at there is that, you know, it's not enough to just say you believe in something.
• 4:03
  Sheila: You have to actually live it, you know embody it.
• 4:07
  Sheila: So, in the context of manifesting, it's not enough to just, you know, visualize your dream life.
• 4:13
  Sheila: You have to actually take steps, take action towards it, towards making it happen.
• 4:18
  Dan: Yeah, yeah, ok, that makes sense.
• 4:19
  Sheila: Yeah.
• 4:20
  Dan: So it's like it's that active participation.
• 4:22
  Sheila: It is.
• 4:22
  Sheila: It's a partnership.
• 4:23
  Sheila: You know it's not just, you know putting it out there and hoping for the best.
• 4:27
  Dan: Right yeah.
• 4:27
  Sheila: Yeah, it's you know, you're co-creating.
• 4:30
  Dan: Okay, so then, another verse that he highlights is from Proverbs 23.
• 4:43
  Dan: As for as he thinketh in his heart, so is he.
• 4:44
  Dan: So, I mean, this seems to be supporting the idea that our thoughts hold power.
• 4:47
  Sheila: Right, right, and this one is, you know, often cited in a lot of different, you know, spiritual and self-help kind of context.
• 4:54
  Dan: Absolutely.
• 4:55
  Sheila: And I think it, you know, really resonates with that emphasis on positive thinking that you see in a lot of manifesting practices.
• 5:02
  Sheila: You know the idea that, like what you focus on expands.
• 5:07
  Sheila: So if you're constantly thinking negative thoughts, you know you're more likely to attract negative experiences.
• 5:13
  Sheila: But if you can cultivate a positive mindset, you know that can really influence your reality.
• 5:19
  Dan: Interesting yeah.
• 5:20
  Sheila: But you know, it's important to remember that.
• 5:21
  Sheila: You know, different people interpret this verse in different ways.
• 5:25
  Sheila: Yeah, of course you know some people might say that it's more about you know, aligning your thoughts with God's will.
• 5:30
  Dan: Right.
• 5:30
  Sheila: Others might focus on the idea that you know you're personally responsible for your thoughts and how they impact your life.
• 5:36
  Sheila: So you know, there's not necessarily a one size fits all interpretation.
• 5:40
  Dan: No, absolutely not.
• 5:41
  Sheila: Yeah.
• 5:42
  Dan: So moving on.
• 5:43
  Dan: Then Pastor Young also brings up a couple of verses from Matthew.
• 5:48
  Sheila: Yeah, the Gospel of Matthew.
• 5:51
  Dan: He talks about.
• 5:52
  Dan: Matthew 7.7 and 7.8.
• 5:53
  Dan: The first one says ask and it will be given to you, seek and you will find, knock and the door will be open to you.
• 6:04
  Dan: And then the next one says For everyone who asks receives, the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks the door will be opened.
• 6:12
  Dan: So what do you get from those?
• 6:14
  Sheila: Well, I mean, I think these verses really beautifully illustrate the idea that, you know, persistent prayer, faith filled prayer can really yield results.
• 6:23
  Sheila: You know, it's not just about asking once and then giving up.
• 6:26
  Sheila: It's about, you know, continuing to seek, continuing to knock.
• 6:31
  Dan: Right.
• 6:31
  Sheila: And you know, trusting that, you know if it's meant to be.
• 6:34
  Dan: Yeah.
• 6:35
  Sheila: It will be.
• 6:35
  Dan: So how do you, how do you tie that back into the idea of manifesting?
• 6:40
  Sheila: Well, I mean, I think it's kind of similar in a way, right?
• 6:42
  Sheila: It's about, you know, focusing your intention, directing your energy towards the desired outcome and having faith that it will come to pass.
• 6:50
  Dan: So it's not just about asking, it's about that seeking and knocking Right.
• 6:54
  Dan: That kind of implies this active pursuit.
• 6:56
  Sheila: It does.
• 6:57
  Sheila: It's about you know taking those steps, you know putting yourself out there.
• 7:01
  Dan: Okay.
• 7:01
  Dan: So how do we fit all of this within a biblical framework?
• 7:06
  Dan: Is it okay for people of faith to be, you know, to be manifesting, to be manifesting?
• 7:14
  Sheila: That's the big question, isn't it?
• 7:16
  Dan: Yeah.
• 7:16
  Sheila: And I think you know what we're seeing here is that maybe manifesting as it's presented, you know, in a lot of modern self-help books and stuff, might actually have some roots in biblical teachings.
• 7:26
  Sheila: But I think a really crucial distinction here is that emphasis on aligning your desires with God's will.
• 7:34
  Sheila: Right, you know it's not about just demanding things from the universe.
• 7:38
  Sheila: You're like I want this, I want that.
• 7:40
  Dan: Give me, give me, give me, give me yeah.
• 7:42
  Sheila: It's more about you know, surrendering to a higher power and trusting that what's meant for you will come to you.
• 7:50
  Dan: So it's less about getting what you want and more about wanting what aligns with that higher purpose.
• 7:55
  Sheila: Exactly yeah, it's a subtle but really important distinction, I think.
• 7:59
  Dan: That's fascinating, yeah.
• 8:00
  Dan: So if we could kind of distill all this down, it seems like manifesting does have a place in both New Age thought and in biblical thought.
• 8:07
  Sheila: Yeah.
• 8:08
  Dan: But the focus, particularly in that biblical context, is really on faith.
• 8:12
  Sheila: Yeah.
• 8:13
  Dan: Positive thinking, aligning your desires with a higher purpose, absolutely.
• 8:17
  Dan: And then that action piece.
• 8:19
  Sheila: Right, yes, taking those steps, yeah, to make it happen.
• 8:21
  Sheila: Ok, great.
• 8:22
  Dan: Yeah, so that brings us to, I guess, a final question for our listeners.
• 8:26
  Sheila: Oh, I like this.
• 8:28
  Dan: If we believe in the power of prayer, positive thinking and aligned action, how can we ensure that our desires are truly in harmony with that greater good?
• 8:39
  Sheila: That's the real challenge, isn't?
• 8:41
  Dan: it, it is, it is.
• 8:42
  Sheila: Yeah, and I think that's something that you know we all have to kind of grapple with on our own spiritual journeys.
• 8:47
  Dan: Absolutely yeah, and for those listeners who are, you know, looking for more guidance on that, yeah.
• 8:52
  Dan: I'd encourage you to check out Pastor Young's 30 Day Meditation Journal.
• 8:55
  Sheila: Yeah, that's a great resource for self-reflection, it is.
• 9:04
  Dan: The link.
• 9:04
  Dan: We'll be back soon.
• 9:05
  Sheila: We'll be back soon to explore more facets of mindfulness, yoga and meditation.
• 9:10
  Dan: Lots more to come.
• 9:11
  Sheila: Yeah, Until then, keep seeking, keep knocking and keep trusting in the unfolding of your journey.
• 9:17
  Sheila: All right, Take care everybody.
• 9:19
  Dan: See you soon you.