Hanscom - Magic vs. Prayer

In the book, The Spell of the Sensuous by Abram, he discusses how a tribal culture in Asia performed magic to ensure their land was protected and was producing food. He described how some villages would have tribal shamans that would act as intermediaries between the human community and the larger ecological field, performing constant rituals to ensure that the relation between the two is balanced and reciprocal. They believed their rituals directly correlated with the scale of a harvest or the size of a hunt. Magic usually means the power to manipulate the world, or to affect change without relationship. This tribal culture was heavily relying on this type of "magic" to ensure their well being. There was no relationship involved with this practice, because the tribal shamans believed that the environment had no choice but to respond to their rituals and sacrifices.

I thought it was interesting how magic is contrasted to prayer in the context of Christian's relationship with God. It is said sometimes in Christian circles that "God is not a vending machine." Although He promised that if we ask, we will receive, it doesn't mean He will give us $1,000,000 when we ask in faith. He doesn't bend his will to ours, but He calls us to submit to His perfect will in prayer. Prayer is different from magic because prayer involves a dialogue with the power. Magic is not about relationship--it's about affecting change without relationship. There is no magic formula to prayer, either.

A good example of God exercising His dominion and power in response to a man's prayer is a story about Moses. In the book of Exodus in the Old Testament of the Bible, Moses asks God to tell him His name. Moses asked God this question because he wanted to have power when he spoke God's name. However, God did not tell Moses His name and in effect remained the One in the highest place of authority and power. God knew that Moses wanted to use His name as if it were a magical word that changed the world around him. This shows how prayer differs from magic. God still remains the One in power and control when it comes to answering our power, and we are the ones that bow to His sovereignty.

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