Ok, you guys know that our culture is pervasive with images of Christ. Even in the evangelical community the Bible story books, movies, magazines etc carry a plethora of these artists rendition of what Christ looked like. Now unconsciously I was conditioned to believe that Christ actually looked like that. So after being converted when I pray I automatically will imagine that image while praying. i.e I would actually pray to the figment.

Now I understand that that is gross idolatry, and I want to get out of it.

For those who overcame this problem, how did you do it? How can I simply blank my mind of images while praying?

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~Keon Garraway~ Brooklyn, NY Member of Franklin Square OPC

Love for God demonstrated by the love for our children in giving them a God centered education is the only hope for our country. by David Morrow
Pslam 71:20 [Thou], which hast shewed me great and sore troubles, shalt quicken me again, and shalt bring me up again from the depths of the earth.

I can very much relate to what you are saying. We have been bombarded with stereotypical images of Christ. This is true of God the Father as well (think of Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel, well, don't think of it, well, you know what I mean )

It does take a conscious effort by faith, the Holy Spirit helping us in our need, to remove such images from our minds. It helps to realize that they are false, inaccurate, teachers of lies. Isaiah 53 teaches us that Christ "hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him, " in contrast to the halo'd Adonis-type pictures that we see. It is also helpful to consider how he is portrayed in Daniel and Revelations, in his awesome holiness and power. I mention these references not to conjure up new mental images, but to show that our cultural stereotypical images are just fashioning God in our own image, not as he is really portrayed in the Scriptures. Our minds and hearts are to be filled with the Word of God. Calvin says that our hearts are factories of idols. Therefore, we need to avoid such images, though they are all around us, and dwell upon God's Word instead. Let us beware, by God's grace, of any mental image of our own making, and hold fast to Christ as he is revealed to us in the Scriptures, by faith. Be a mental and spiritual iconoclast!

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Andrew Myers
Husband of Jessica, Father of Jackson, Katie and Samuel
Member, Presbyterian Reformed Church of Northern Virginia
Warrenton, VA USA
Editor, The Matthew Poole Project

"Let your Morning Thoughts, and your last Evening Thoughts, be what shall become of you to all Eternity." -- Matthew Poole

For the longest time, in my younger years, I pictured God the Father as George Burns. <sigh>

One way would to focus solely upon scripture; literally the text. My opinion, understand this, instead of focusing upon the gross nature of this sin, see as well the chronic assault of the first commandment that you and I are as well guilty of. Stop there. Work on that one; you will as well never be able to NOT break this commandment. May this fact haunt you as well! It's interesting that certain sins assault us more than the others. When was the last time you were haunted by breaking the first commandment? Practically speaking, your heart is in the correct place; look to Christ. He accomplished that which is impossible for us worms.

Hope this helps.

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Scott Bushey
Husband to Tina, father to Nicole, Danielle and Zoe
Member First Presbyterian Church of Margate PCA

Sad thing is that I didn't really know how deep rooted this bad practice was until I actually try to rid myself of it. Even while praying it seems automatic that images come up, with these images being a one to one clone of the very images around us.

Thanks for the words of wisdom, Brothers.

[Edited on 7-28-2005 by Slippery]

For we walk by faith, not by sight. 2 Cor. 5.7

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Heb. 1.1