June 1, 2021
We’re getting real. Like very real. We’re going countercultural and speaking some truth that a LOT of people need to hear. We’re talking about manifestation.
Especially in the creative entrepreneurship “girl boss” industry you’ve probably heard people use that word a lot. And if not the word manifestation itself, you’ve probably heard words associated with the concept creep into the language people use like “vibes”, “energy”, “universe”, “affirmations”, “vibrations”, “I manifested it,” etc.
We have a LOT to say on this topic because honestly, manifestation works. It’s popular because there IS some truth to it. Absolutely. The words and thoughts we speak over ourselves DO have power and they CAN bring about change. Yet there’s a fine line where manifestation is just not it and becomes off base to the Biblical truth God speaks in the Bible.
If you’ve listened to any of our past episodes or have followed us for any amount of time, you know we’re speaking to this topic based on our worldview and beliefs based on Scripture. Wonder why we believe manifestation completely misses the mark? Keep reading.
Today we’re tackling a popular word and movement that’s been very popular over the past few years: Manifestation.
Definition of manifestation: through regular meditation and positive, constructive thought you can make dreams and desires become reality. Spiritual manifestation holds the truth that if you really want something and believe it’s possible it WILL happen.
That is the bare bones of what we mean when we say manifestation and what a lot of people mean too.
The words and thoughts you speak and think over yourself and about yourself DO have power. That’s straight-up Biblical. The Bible says our words DO matter. We are going to go through a list of scriptures that talk about words and thought mattering.
We did an episode on this in 2019 in Ep. 8 Why Your Words Matter, where we didn’t talk about manifestation but we did bring up Biblical truth in there on the words that you speak over yourself and the thoughts that you have do matter. If you haven’t checked that episode out, we highly recommend you do so.
Proverbs 18:21 “Life and death are in the power of the tongue.”
The words that you speak, that come out of your mouth create life or death.
Proverbs 15:4 “Gentle words bring life and health; a deceitful tongue crushes the spirit.”
Proverbs 12:14 “From the fruit of his mouth, a man is satisfied with good.”
What you speak from the fruit of your mouth you reap rewards or eat of the fruit of your mouth.
Philippians 4:8 “Whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable — if anything is excellent or praiseworthy — think about such things.”
We wanted to collect both why words matter but also why our thoughts matter. That pinpoints when you think of things when you are thinking those thoughts about yourself, your life, or others. That matters and that will bring about actuality.
Proverbs 23:7 “As someone thinks within himself, so he is.”
All of these verses are affirming the definition of manifestation on the surface. However, the biggest issue with manifestation is that it’s SOOO close to the truth, but it misses the mark. Even in the Christian culture. A lot of people are saying “I’m going to manifest this and speak good words over myself, I am going to proclaim something to happen and it will”. We get where that comes from, especially from Bible-believing Christians. That is what the enemy does though, in everything, he tries to have stuff as close to the truth as possible because he is trying to disguise it. He creates something close to the truth and then creates this plot twist at the end that pulls you away from the actual result that the Lord has intended for you. That is where Satan thrives. He thrives on tricking us and deceiving us and getting us close to the truth and then NOPE!
Manifestation at its core of you speaking and saying these things into existence completely takes God out of the equation. There is no recognition of higher power or authority in your life. It takes your Savior out of His rightful place in your life and instead you’re placing yourself on His throne.
Manifestation is US trying to will ourselves to make something happen with NO reliance or acknowledgment or glory of God and His will. It’s in our strength and what WE can make happen for OURSELVES. It often does work because Biblical truth is still true even when people are using it and don’t understand it. Words have power, thoughts have power, and when you do speak something over yourself, such as wanting a happy day and you wake up saying “today is going to be a happy day”. That is going to be true because you are choosing joy. That is still Biblical and it’s not even that, that within itself is bad. The concept of manifestation is so powerfully Biblical, waking up and saying I choose joy because the Lord is my strength and joy. That type of thing is powerful.
God delights in us when we do that and partner with Him and His truth. When you are doing it without the Lord in the equation, doing it on your strength based on your selfish desires that’s when stuff goes downhill. That’s when we lose focus on who God is. When we place ourselves on His throne and think it is on our own might, strength, and power and that is far from the truth.
Our words and thoughts have so much power and that is true whether or not you believe in the Lord or read the Bible, it is still true. His truth still reigns despite what you think of it, which is why manifestation works. The reality is we are completely ignoring God and not submitting ourselves to a higher authority of why He created us in the first place. God created you for a purpose and you can live your life completely ignoring Him. You can do that, you have free will. There is something magical that happens when you let Him into the conversation. When you submit, “Lord take my life and do with it what you will”. There is an alignment that happens that is not an alignment with the universe. It is a true alignment that you are walking in the purpose that the Lord created you for and you’re not trying to go against it.
The word submitting can come across as strong but when you walk with God there is so much joy. There is so much fruit. You are not just a puppet on a string. You are not powerless. You are operating in partnership with the power of the Holy Spirit. God sent His son Jesus down to earth to die on the cross to take the power and authority that we as man gave back to Satan in the garden at the fall. Take it back from him and give it back to us as His children here on earth.
We are the body of Jesus Christ here on earth and we move. We are supposed to be the people reaching out and taking hold of things. We are supposed to be the light and salt here on earth. We are not powerless puppets on a string waiting for God to move our hands. He has given us clear direction in His word that says what His will is for us and we get to stand up and fight for that. We get to stand up and make that change in our world, in our lives, and the lives around us.
When you hear the phrase “surrender your life to the Lord” that does not mean sitting around and doing nothing or being a little puppet. You are called to be a warrior in partnership with the creator of the universe and directly in alignment operating out of the power of the Holy Spirit. The same spirit that rose Jesus from the grave, that conquered death, that took that authority back from Satan that is now in our hands. All of this in saying God’s will, He has made His will clear in scripture and we as His people get to stand up and partner with Him. We won’t move till your kingdom comes. We won’t move till heaven comes to earth. We won’t move until we see that healing in our lives. We won’t move till we see your will be done.
Surrendering your heart and desires to the Lord doesn’t mean that they are wiped away, that means that God will come in alignment with our hearts and power happens. It’s an explosion of truth in our lives that we get to run with, hand in hand with the Lord.
Submitting yourself to the Lord sounds like putting yourself in a box, it sounds like less freedom, it sounds like chains being put on your life, but in actuality when you submit your life to the Lord and His purpose for you and how He created you. Your walking in that alignment and walk in that powerful calling that He intentionally created you for and by doing that it brings more freedom, joy, peace, and understanding. It brings fruit in your life that is going to be so much more than you could do separately or selfishly apart from Him.
Submitting yourself to the Lord is connecting yourself to the power source. Connecting you to the root system that goes down. It’s not disconnecting you from all life and joy and happiness. It is plugging you into that power source because you can’t do this as a lone little branch out there. Try that without the Lord and it will be frustrating. It’s like a little branch trying to grow pears or oranges on it and trying so hard because in your own strength you are weaker than the power source. While you will be able to produce fruit, it is still Biblical, it still works because speaking things into existence works you might produce four fruits but if your little branch is connected to the source? Imagine the amount of fruit your life could produce if your branch is connected to the tree source.
The reality is when we focus on our own strength:
When we DO submit ourselves to the Lord, to His truths, to His word, to His will, we become freer. It’s not that He takes away every desire we have and we have to live this unhappy begrudged existence.
Psalm 37:4 “Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart.”
Without him we could make a beautiful life, we’re not saying you can’t make all your dreams come true without Him because you can. God’s dreams are bigger and better. They might not look like how you imagined but the Lord will switch your perspective and He will bring so much more joy than you could ever think possible.
Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
Does that sound like chains? Like freedom taken away?
Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”
That is a beautiful truth of why manifestation misses the mark because it is leaning on your own understanding. Your own strength, your own willpower, and trusting in yourself.
Matthew 6:10 “your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”
Manifestation says “MY kingdom come. MY will be done.”
The Gospel says “YOUR kingdom come. YOUR will be done.”
Deuteronomy 8:17-19 “Beware lest you say in your heart, ‘My power and the might of my hand have gotten me this wealth.’ You shall remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you power to get wealth, that he may confirm his covenant that he swore to your fathers, as it is this day. And if you forget the Lord your God and go after other gods and serve them and worship them, I solemnly warn you today that you shall surely perish.”
That is such a beautiful picture of serving other gods can look like serving yourself over God. This is what manifestation is, not that when you are manifesting things that you aren’t serving God but it is a slippery slope and can lead to that. We all love to manifest money. It’s not wrong to ask or want to gain money but the money that we receive is not ours, it’s the Lords. He is the one who gives it to us, it’s not of our own manifestation or willpower. It is not a reward for us being these positive people. It is coming as a tool and a resource that the Lord can trust you with to sew back in His kingdom and to bless you for walking with Him. Money is not evil, the love of money is evil, and having it become your god.
It’s the understanding that we are not God. We are not perfect. But we serve a God who is.
We’re fallen, imperfect human beings. We mess up. We make mistakes. We’re not perfect. And relying on ourselves instead of our Creator will only lead to emptiness and lack of purpose.
Psalm 16:11 – “You make known to me the path of life; in your presence, there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.”
It’s in Him, He is the source, He is the creator of this entire universe. Look around you at the beauty and everything around you and see that. That is from Him. He spoke this into existence, He created you, He knitted you together in your mother’s womb. It is from Him. He makes known the path of life.
Daily affirmations or waking up and proclaiming that over your day is not bad. Or even mediation is Biblical within the context of scripture. God tells us to meditate on His word day and night (Psalm 1:2 and Joshua 1:8). Praying and meditating over scripture is powerful and it works. You are meditating over the Lord and His word and what it speaks to you and that is so powerful and will change your mindset.
Meditating on anything other than the Lord or His word is a slippery slope of putting our desires and thoughts in His place in our hearts and minds, rather than what His word says. That is where the affirmation and meditation can get off-kilter to the Bible.
For example here is a verse for financial strain or feeling inadequate for a new job: “The Lord is my shepherd; I lack nothing.” – Psalm 23:1
Even at that moment, you lack nothing because God is leading you. That is so powerful and true and is within the beauty and the power of what the Lord says. God is wanting to speak to your heart and be content with where you are. Even though you may not have or be where you want right now, you are still living in abundance because the Lord is your shepherd and you lack nothing.
Manifestation is SO close to the truth God created.
We DO have the ability to impact what happens in our life, God has given that to us, our thoughts and words do matter – but it’s when we partner with JESUS that we’re walking in the fullness of what He intended and power falls in our lives.
So today, we just want to encourage you: meditate on HIS word. Speak scripture as affirmations over your life. Dive DEEP into His presence, there’s so much joy, peace, and power there.
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WASSUP FRIENDS. We’re Evie + Lindsey, co-founders of this wild partayyy called The Heart University. Our goal is to empower entrepreneurs to kick freaking BUTT in their businesses, dive down into the heart of their why and how, and serve you with all possible tools you’ll need to up-level your business game and CRUSH those goals of yours.
Whether you’re coming to an in-person workshop, joining our online course, or soaking up all the strategies via this blog or our podcast, we’re STOKED you’re here + can’t wait to see you out there kicking butt.
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