I know that the charismatics do it, but can we?


If we entered a home or avillage, town, etc where magic or very blatant superstition and animistic ritual is practiced, can we pray over that town or proclaim the town clean? Should we pray over the house we are in so that evil practices do not harm us? Should we pray that evil spirits leave the village?

One town I went to stated that for many years after a local evanglest entered no one believed and treated him roughly, but for the sake of his prayers, the spirits left the forest and did not bother them further.

Can we claim places for Christ and proclaim them clean?

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Pergamum


"If a commission by an earthly king is considered a honor, how can a commission by a Heavenly King be considered a sacrifice?"
-- David Livingstone

Charismatics aren't the only ones...this is also common amoung fundamental baptists.

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JC
URCNA
PA

"Forgiveness is primarily for our own sake, so that we no longer carry the burden of resentment. But to forgive does not mean we will allow injustice again." --Jack Kornfield

Hmmm....is it common among us?

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Pergamum


"If a commission by an earthly king is considered a honor, how can a commission by a Heavenly King be considered a sacrifice?"
-- David Livingstone

dunno...I found it to be superstitious.

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JC
URCNA
PA

"Forgiveness is primarily for our own sake, so that we no longer carry the burden of resentment. But to forgive does not mean we will allow injustice again." --Jack Kornfield

I suppose something such as a service opening a new building for public worship is fine, as long as the place is not treated beyond being merely a place, and there are no special ceremonies tending to say the contrary. The Westminster Divines rejected any superstitious view of "holy' places. "As no place is capable of any holiness, under pretence of whatsoever dedication or consecration; so neither is it subject to such pollution by any superstition formerly used, and now laid aside, as may render it unlawful or inconvenient for Christians to meet together therein for the publick worship of God. And therefore we hold it requisite, that the places of publick assembling for worship among us should be continued and employed to that use." Westminster Directory for the Publick Worship of God, An Appendix Touching Days and Places for Publick Worship.

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Chris Coldwell
Lakewood Presbyterian Church (PCA), Member
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I don't know if the practice is correct, but I think we can see from the Gospels that demons can possess non-human animals which is something I wouldn't expect. Maybe they can reside in inanimate objects as well. I certainly don't think the place where you pray matters at all--God hears our prayers wherever we are.

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Scott Roper
Member, Redeemer Presbyterian Church (PCA): "A bunch of hippie Calvinists"
Winston-Salem, NC

If people put a place under a curse, or a place was the site of occult practices can a mere place be any more evil than another?

An example: In village X near where I went last month a local guy said that demons haunted the jungle until an evangelist came. The local guy said no one believed at that point, but that the evil spirits nonetheless fled the evangelsit's presence and did not bother them any longer unless invited back.

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Pergamum


"If a commission by an earthly king is considered a honor, how can a commission by a Heavenly King be considered a sacrifice?"
-- David Livingstone