Word of Faith teaching entices people with flashy looking prizes and appears to give people the means by which they can attain them. This is appealing to the flesh which not only wants to be blessed, but actually wants to do something in order to merit it. In this manner, Bible based teaching that was meant to encourage faith in believers, actually has the effect of stirring-up the flesh.
Through Word of Faith - Christians seemingly don’t have to keep rules they cannot keep; neither do they have to serve in church in a role they don’t want to perform. That’s why name-it-and-claim it is so popular: just confess that something is yours because of what the Bible says – and you will have it. But this approach can make a work, a rule, something the believer “must do” – in order to experience the manifest presence of God.
It seems that the “prize” of reading Word of Faith books, is that you believe they can yield you principles and formulas that will give you a sense of control over your life, and dare I say it, control over God.
I like what The Message Bible says about “formulas”:
13 "Don't look for shortcuts to God. The market is flooded with surefire, easygoing formulas for a successful life that can be practiced in your spare time. Don't fall for that stuff, even though crowds of people do.
Matthew 7:13 msg
5 "And when you come before God, don't turn that into a theatrical production either. All these people making a regular show out of their prayers, hoping for stardom! Do you think God sits in a box seat? 6 "Here's what I want you to do: Find a quiet, secluded place so you won't be tempted to role-play before God. Just be there as simply and honestly as you can manage. The focus will shift from you to God, and you will begin to sense his grace. 7 "The world is full of so-called prayer warriors who are prayer-ignorant. They're full of formulas and programs and advice, peddling techniques for getting what you want from God. 8 Don't fall for that nonsense. This is your Father you are dealing with, and he knows better than you what you need.
Matthew 6:5-8 msg
In Matthew 6:6 in The Message Bible, we see a vital clue as to how to how we should pray in order to experience the grace of God: The focus will shift from you to God, and you will begin to sense his grace. Isn’t that what the Christian life is all about?
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