Manifesting: New Age or Biblical Concept? Deep Dive with Dan & Sheila #179

Have you ever wondered how the concept of manifesting could align with biblical teachings? Join us for a profound exploration as we engage with Pastor Young, who offers an enlightening view on this topic. We promise that by the end of this episode, you'll have a deeper understanding of how faith, positive thinking, and proactive steps can harmonize in a co-creative process that shapes your reality. With insights from the Bible, specifically Mark 11:24, James 2:17, and Proverbs 23, we challenge the boundaries between modern practices of manifestation and traditional religious beliefs, emphasizing the power of belief and action.

Our journey doesn't stop there—aligning personal desires with the greater good is another terrain we tread through the lenses of prayer and intentionality. Pastor Young's guidance on individual spiritual journeys highlights the need for self-reflection to ensure aspirations resonate with a higher purpose. His 30 Day Meditation Journal emerges as a tool for those seeking deeper introspection. We're excited to continue this conversation in future episodes, where we'll explore more about mindfulness, yoga, and meditation. Until then, we encourage you to keep seeking, knocking, and trusting in the journey's unfolding.

Transcript

Manifesting in Biblical Perspective

Dan 0:00

A little contradictory maybe.

Sheila 0:01

Yeah, you know, like, are we really supposed to be, you know, kind of demanding things from the universe? Right right, or is it more about you know, surrender and acceptance?

Dan 0:12

Hey everyone, welcome back for another deep dive with us. Yeah, I'm Dan.

Sheila 0:16

And I'm Sheila.

Dan 0:17

And we're Pastor Young's AI co-hosts. Pastor Young's actually busy right now renovating the podcast.

Sheila 0:23

Yeah, giving it a little, Giving it a little facelift, a little refresh, a little refresh yeah.

Dan 0:27

So he asked us to.

Sheila 0:29

Step in.

Dan 0:30

Step in and start this new series for you guys. Yeah all about, All about mindfulness, yoga and meditation.

Sheila 0:36

Exploring all this.

Dan 0:37

Exploring those elements yeah.

Sheila 0:38

Just a dig into. Lots to dig into yeah.

Dan 0:40

Lots to dig into.

Sheila 0:41

Yeah, for sure.

Dan 0:42

And while we're at it, don't forget Pastor Young's 30-Day Meditation Journal is still available.

Sheila 0:48

Yes, absolutely.

Dan 0:49

You can click the link in the description box below to get that.

Sheila 0:52

Yeah, if you want to go a little deeper with that.

Dan 0:53

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.

Sheila 1:00

Yeah, this one's interesting. It's called manifesting.

Dan 1:03

Yes. Is this just a new age trend, right, or can we find its roots in biblical teachings? Good question. That is the question.

Sheila 1:11

Yeah.

Dan 1:11

And we're going to unpack some excerpts from Pastor Young's work on the topic to try to get a clearer picture.

Sheila 1:16

Yeah, he's got some really interesting thoughts on this.

Dan 1:19

He does, he does. So you've probably encountered this concept of manifestation, right.

Sheila 1:27

Oh, I think just about everybody has at this point Everywhere, it's everywhere these days, back in popular.

Dan 1:35

But how?

Sheila 1:35

would you describe it for someone who maybe hasn't heard of it yet? 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.

Dan 1:47

Bring your desires.

Sheila 1:48

Bring your desires into reality. You know.

Dan 1:50

Make them happen.

Sheila 1:50

Make them happen. Yeah, yeah.

Dan 1:52

So how does that fit in with? You know more traditional religious views.

Sheila 1:56

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.

Dan 2:05

Yeah.

Sheila 2:05

With some of those traditional ideas.

Dan 2:07

A little contradictory maybe.

Sheila 2:08

Yeah, you know, like, are we really supposed to be, you know, kind of demanding things from the universe?

Dan 2:13

Right right.

Sheila 2:14

Or is it more about, you know, surrender and acceptance? Yeah yeah, so that's where I think Pastor Young's perspective gets really interesting.

Dan 2:22

Yeah, so he's got this document where he kind of dives into this whole thing.

Sheila 2:25

He does.

Dan 2:26

And he's suggesting that. Okay, maybe the Bible doesn't explicitly use the word manifesting.

Sheila 2:31

Right.

Dan 2:32

But there are verses in there there are that kind of resonate with these core principles. Absolutely one of the ones he brings up is from Mark 11.24.

Sheila 2:42

Yeah, that's a big one.

Dan 2:44

It says therefore, I tell you whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it and it will be yours. So how do you see that connecting with this idea of manifesting?

Sheila 2:56

Well, I think what's really powerful there is that emphasis on faith.

Dan 2:59

Yeah.

Sheila 3:00

You know, it's not just about like wishing for something you know. It's about really, truly believing that you've already received it, like in your heart, of hearts, you know.

Dan 3:10

That's already yours, it's already yours. Yeah.

Sheila 3:12

And that's, I think, a really key part of manifesting too right.

Dan 3:16

So it's about aligning your what your internal world with the external reality that you desire.

Sheila 3:22

Exactly yeah.

Dan 3:23

Yeah.

Sheila 3:23

And it's that belief you know Unwavering there. Unwavering belief.

Dan 3:28

Yeah.

Sheila 3:29

That's really powerful.

Dan 3:30

Okay, so that's one side of it.

Sheila 3:31

Yeah.

Dan 3:32

But then Pastor Young takes it a little bit further, right?

Sheila 3:35

He does yeah.

Dan 3:36

He talks about the importance of action.

Sheila 3:37

Yeah, because it's not enough to just sit around and think. Think positive thoughts.

Dan 3:41

All right, it's got to be.

Sheila 3:42

Got to put in the work.

Dan 3:43

Got to be some action too.

Sheila 3:45

Exactly.

Dan 3:46

He even quotes James 2.17, which says faith by itself if it is not accompanied by action is dead.

Sheila 3:54

Yeah, that's a powerful one.

Dan 3:56

Yeah. So how do you? How do you unpack that?

Sheila 3:58

Well, I think what he's getting at there is that, you know, it's not enough to just say you believe in something. You have to actually live it, you know embody it. So, in the context of manifesting, it's not enough to just, you know, visualize your dream life. You have to actually take steps, take action towards it, towards making it happen.

Dan 4:18

Yeah, yeah, ok, that makes sense.

Sheila 4:19

Yeah.

Dan 4:20

So it's like it's that active participation.

Sheila 4:22

It is. It's a partnership. You know it's not just, you know putting it out there and hoping for the best.

Dan 4:27

Right yeah.

Sheila 4:27

Yeah, it's you know, you're co-creating.

Dan 4:30

Okay, so then, another verse that he highlights is from Proverbs 23. As for as he thinketh in his heart, so is he. So, I mean, this seems to be supporting the idea that our thoughts hold power.

Sheila 4:47

Right, right, and this one is, you know, often cited in a lot of different, you know, spiritual and self-help kind of context.

Dan 4:54

Absolutely.

Sheila 4:55

And I think it, you know, really resonates with that emphasis on positive thinking that you see in a lot of manifesting practices. You know the idea that, like what you focus on expands. So if you're constantly thinking negative thoughts, you know you're more likely to attract negative experiences. But if you can cultivate a positive mindset, you know that can really influence your reality.

Dan 5:19

Interesting yeah.

Sheila 5:20

But you know, it's important to remember that. You know, different people interpret this verse in different ways. Yeah, of course you know some people might say that it's more about you know, aligning your thoughts with God's will.

Dan 5:30

Right.

Sheila 5:30

Others might focus on the idea that you know you're personally responsible for your thoughts and how they impact your life. So you know, there's not necessarily a one size fits all interpretation.

Dan 5:40

No, absolutely not.

Sheila 5:41

Yeah.

Dan 5:42

So moving on. Then Pastor Young also brings up a couple of verses from Matthew.

Sheila 5:48

Yeah, the Gospel of Matthew.

Dan 5:51

He talks about. Matthew 7.7 and 7.8. 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. 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. So what do you get from those?

Sheila 6:14

Well, I mean, I think these verses really beautifully illustrate the idea that, you know, persistent prayer, faith filled prayer can really yield results. You know, it's not just about asking once and then giving up. It's about, you know, continuing to seek, continuing to knock.

Dan 6:31

Right.

Sheila 6:31

And you know, trusting that, you know if it's meant to be.

Dan 6:34

Yeah.

Sheila 6:35

It will be.

Dan 6:35

So how do you, how do you tie that back into the idea of manifesting?

Sheila 6:40

Well, I mean, I think it's kind of similar in a way, right? It's about, you know, focusing your intention, directing your energy towards the desired outcome and having faith that it will come to pass.

Dan 6:50

So it's not just about asking, it's about that seeking and knocking Right. That kind of implies this active pursuit.

Sheila 6:56

It does. It's about you know taking those steps, you know putting yourself out there.

Dan 7:01

Okay. So how do we fit all of this within a biblical framework? Is it okay for people of faith to be, you know, to be manifesting, to be manifesting?

Sheila 7:14

That's the big question, isn't it?

Dan 7:16

Yeah.

Sheila 7:16

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. But I think a really crucial distinction here is that emphasis on aligning your desires with God's will. Right, you know it's not about just demanding things from the universe. You're like I want this, I want that.

Dan 7:40

Give me, give me, give me, give me yeah.

Sheila 7:42

It's more about you know, surrendering to a higher power and trusting that what's meant for you will come to you.

Dan 7:50

So it's less about getting what you want and more about wanting what aligns with that higher purpose.

Sheila 7:55

Exactly yeah, it's a subtle but really important distinction, I think.

Dan 7:59

That's fascinating, yeah. 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.

Sheila 8:07

Yeah.

Dan 8:08

But the focus, particularly in that biblical context, is really on faith.

Sheila 8:12

Yeah.

Dan 8:13

Positive thinking, aligning your desires with a higher purpose, absolutely. And then that action piece.

Journey to Spiritual Alignment

Sheila 8:19

Right, yes, taking those steps, yeah, to make it happen. Ok, great.

Dan 8:22

Yeah, so that brings us to, I guess, a final question for our listeners.

Sheila 8:26

Oh, I like this.

Dan 8:28

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?

Sheila 8:39

That's the real challenge, isn't?

Dan 8:41

it, it is, it is.

Sheila 8:42

Yeah, and I think that's something that you know we all have to kind of grapple with on our own spiritual journeys.

Dan 8:47

Absolutely yeah, and for those listeners who are, you know, looking for more guidance on that, yeah. I'd encourage you to check out Pastor Young's 30 Day Meditation Journal.

Sheila 8:55

Yeah, that's a great resource for self-reflection, it is.

Dan 9:04

The link. We'll be back soon.

Sheila 9:05

We'll be back soon to explore more facets of mindfulness, yoga and meditation.

Dan 9:10

Lots more to come.

Sheila 9:11

Yeah, Until then, keep seeking, keep knocking and keep trusting in the unfolding of your journey. All right, Take care everybody.

Dan 9:19

See you soon you.