Chapter 14.19

Mega Mysticism & Modern Counseling

A Partial Critique of Theophostic Prayer Ministry

Table of Topics

A) Understanding Theophostic Prayer Ministry

B) Specifically Responding to Theophostic Prayer Ministry

B.1) Claiming supernatural direct divine revelation

B.2) A disparagement of Spirit-liberated reason

B.3) Misinterpreting emotion as the Holy Spirit

B.4) Using erroneous interpretations and applications of Scripture

B.5) Confusing salvation experience with ongoing revelatory experiences

B.6) An unbiblical acceptance of the “illumination of the Spirit” theory

B.7) Leading people on to expect a direct revelation from Jesus

Publications & Particulars

Primary Points

• Dr. Smith’s belief in mega mysticism causes him to misinterpret the reason the counseling method is effective, and leads people to expect extra-biblical sources of divine revelation, all of which results in many Christians being unnecessarily wary of Theophostic Prayer Counseling.
• The central component to prayer counseling is that the person must experience a miraculous, personal encounter with Christ.
• The truth that sets the person free is not coming from the “outside” of the person from Jesus, but from “inside” the person from the part of their mind that already knows the truth.
• Instead of praying for Jesus to speak miraculously and directly to them, simply ask a question like: “What would Jesus say to you in that place?” Or “What would you say now to that person you were.”
• This author has administered thousands of hours of successful counseling and the automatic implication that “Jesus” or the “Holy Spirit” must “speak” in order for healing and transformation to occur is simply not true.
• Smith: “I never try to interpret what people are experiencing. . . . I might say, “Lord Jesus, we thank you for the image you have given this person, but we do not understand what it means. Will You interpret it for him?”
• Dr. Smith’s understanding of the problem is incorrect. The reason that a person may not fully experience the truth they “know” is because while the conscious part of their mind fully believes the truth, there are parts of their subconscious mind that are still deceived. The need is not to “experience” more of the truth in order to more fully believe it, but for more of the mind to cognitively know the truth.
• Emotion is what makes truth or teaching feel more “experiential” rather than “cognitive,” not a different type of truth or a unique operation of the Holy Spirit.

A) A General Understanding & Response to Theophostic Prayer Ministry

In chapter 4.7 of Knowing Our God we described the need to address our past experiences and subconscious beliefs through a particular approach to counseling. This approach is perhaps best known as Theophostic Prayer Ministry (TPM), prayer counseling, or listening prayer. ^[1] It has been popularized particularly by Dr. Ed Smith and has proven its effectiveness in setting Christians free from damaging lies. Indeed, the ministry’s website reports:

Theophostic Prayer has found its way into over 140 countries worldwide. Over 100,000 people have taken the training sharing God’s freedom to the masses. Based upon the testimony of thousands, God is doing a marvelous thing to touch the lives of the “downtrodden.” ^[2]

This author is personally very grateful to Dr. Smith for revolutionizing his pastoral counseling ministry and equipping him to see some amazing transformations in people’s lives. Many of the criticisms and concerns regarding the ministry are inaccurate or unnecessary. Again, the basics of the principals and approach is provided in chapter 4.7.

In spite of all the praise we would give Dr. Smith and others using this approach, we believe Dr. Smith’s belief in mega mysticism causes him to misinterpret the reason the counseling method is effective, and leads people to expect extra-biblical sources of divine revelation, all of which results in many Christians being unnecessarily wary of Theophostic Prayer Counseling.

The central component to prayer counseling is that the person must experience a miraculous, personal encounter with Jesus Christ or the Holy Spirit in order to receive the truth that will set them free from lies. This “experience” is specifically facilitated in a crucial place in the counseling process when Jesus is asked to provide truth. In demonstration videos, Dr. Smith usually prays something like, “Jesus, what do you want this person to know about this lie?” ^[3]

This is why the approach is called prayer counseling: you are asking Jesus to provide revelation to the person’s mind. This clearly leads the counselee to expect Jesus to personally, and miraculously speak to them. As discussed throughout Book 14, we do not believe there is any biblical support or promises that God regularly “speaks” to us in this manner. Accordingly, we believe Dr. Smith has misinterpreted why theophostic prayer ministry is effective.

There are two primary dangers to misinterpreting why TPM works. First, it can introduce and/or reinforce a false belief that Jesus wants to speak to us apart from Scripture. The author has noticed that if not understood and handled correctly, TPM can teach people to be mega mystical.

Secondly, mega mysticism can severely hinder someone’s ability to actually fight their personal spiritual warfare. If it is believed that God must still do something supernatural to enable them to process the needed truth, then they will be powerless. As we have written elsewhere:

In fact, a major problem with super-supernaturalizing the real process by which we apply Scripture to our lives is to leave Christians defenseless. The author has worked with a number of Christians who believed picking up and using “the sword of the Spirit” was God’s job, not theirs. Accordingly, they were “waiting on God” to rescue them from the onslaught of negative, sinful thinking in their mind.

It was not until they recognized their God-given ability and responsibility to fight themselves, did they begin to have victory. The biblical statement “take up the shield of faith” is a command for us to do, not a promise of what God will do. And it is a command to believe the correct biblical truth that defeats the particular lie we are being attacked with. And our Spirit-liberated reason is able to do that.

God will not do for us what He has already enabled us to do. If we think we cannot walk without some sort of divine intervention, then we will not walk. Likewise, if we do not think we are capable of fighting the devil by taking up the sword of the Spirit and applying the Scriptures to the lies we are being attacked with, we will not do it. We will be “waiting on God,” which sounds spiritual, but because in this case it is not biblical, the devil takes great advantage of it. We have already been enabled to successfully process truth for spiritual battle. God has given us a sword (the truth in Scripture) and the means to use it (our Spirit-liberated reason) and we just need to use them both! ^[4]

Contrary to the belief of many, it is important to distinguish what is natural and what is miraculous. Only God can do miracles, and so if we are not able to do something that needs to be done we are dependent on God to perform a miracle. But what if it is something God has already enabled us to do? Will He do it for us and bypass our deception? Probably not.

When we teach people that something is God’s work instead of a work He has enabled us to do, we remove their sense of responsibility, neutralize their God-given power, and deceive them about their identity in Christ. All of which is precisely what the devil wants.

For example, when someone prays for God to help them forgive someone, I stop them and tell them that God has already enabled them to forgive. They need to take responsibility to do it because it is in their power to do it. There is nothing more God needs to do for them to forgive someone. But what if they believe there is and they are left with waiting for this power and ability to forgive? They will not forgive and the power will never come because they have been deceived into thinking they do not have it.

Likewise, when we pray in a counseling session something like “Jesus help this person realize the truth they need” we are implying that this is something they cannot do, but God must do. What if they don’t experience a realization of the truth? Is it because Jesus isn’t doing something? Does the person just need to wait? Why are we praying something that God has already given us the ability to do and is expecting us to do? Again, it sounds so spiritual, but what Scripture would people point to to suggest we are not already able to obey the commands to “take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God?” (Eph 6:16-17).

There are several simple and short corrections to Dr. Smith’s understanding of the transformation process occurring in Theophostic Prayer Ministry. First, the intensity of the experience is not due to some miraculous revelation of the Spirit, but to the pent-up emotions that are commonly released and absolved in sessions.

Secondly, the truth that sets the person free is not coming from the “outside” of the person from Jesus, but from “inside” the person from the part of their mind that already knows the truth. Encountering a memory that is controlling us accesses the subconscious mind, and all that is needed is for our mind to transfer the truth we know from our conscious (logical) mind, to the wounded part of the subconscious mind and healing, mind renewal, and “experiential” knowledge occurs. And again, the reason it feels “experiential” is because of all the emotions often involved in our painful memories that are being accessed and absolved.

Again, the truth in the session does not come from “Jesus” but from their conscious mind. In fact, if the person does not possess the needed truth in their conscious mind, they will not be able to process the lies. This highlights the importance of ensuring that the person has a solid foundation in their identity in Christ so they will have the truth necessary to process any lies they discover in their subconscious.

Jesus will normally not bypass the absence of our correct beliefs to directly supply the truth needed in the memory being accessed. This truth needs to come from convictions they already possess in their mind, but just need to be applied to another part of their mind.

Even those who claim to see visions and hear voices in their head during a theophostic session, are merely processing truth the way they normally do. Visually oriented people are much more likely to “see” the truth. This does not mean, however, that the person is actually receiving a revelatory vision from God as experienced by biblical Prophets, for example.

Thirdly, all of this can be accomplished without implying or expecting a direct word from Jesus. Accordingly, in order to avoid confusion and an unbiblical and unhealthy expectation of such a thing, we suggest changing the way we help people realize the truth when lies are exposed in their past or subconscious mind. Instead of praying for Jesus to speak miraculously and directly to them, simply ask a question like: “What would Jesus say to you in that place?” Or “What would you say now to that person you were?” This engages the conscious part of their mind that knows the truth that is needed to replace the lie that the other part of their mind believed.

In fact, the reason the theophostic approach is so effective is that the questions enable the counselee to get to the painful memory where the truth needs to be applied and experienced. While Dr. Smith understandably tries to downplay the part the counselor plays in helping the counselee discover the truth (he denies on his website that his approach is counseling at all), it is the skillful use of questions that obviously facilitates a successful session. In fact, one of the most important factors in successful theophostic sessions is the skill with which the counselor asks questions to help people expose their lies and believe the truth.

This author has administered thousands of hours of successful counseling with these very questions, and the automatic implication that “Jesus” or the “Holy Spirit” must “speak” in order for healing and transformation to occur is simply not true. In other words, God may do a miracle and speak to someone directly if needed, but in my experience that has rarely if ever been necessary, and it is unbiblical, unnecessary, and potentially dangerous to suggest or imply otherwise.

For whatever it is worth, the author has voiced these concerns to three individuals who are experts in theophostic counseling and do it for a living. All three agreed that the more mystical approach is unnecessary and potentially misleading. In fact, it would seem that each successive training manual that Dr. Smith has published, describes the process in increasingly less mystical terms. Nonetheless, his most recent manual (2007) has unnecessary and potentially misleading mystical material, especially in Chapter 11, “Mind Renewal.”

B) A More Specific Response to Theophostic Prayer Ministry

B.1) Claiming supernatural direct divine revelation

In Dr. Smith’s training videos, statements such as the following are regularly made: “Let’s see what the Lord has for you” or “Jesus is there something you want so and so to know?” These statements are prayers for Jesus to personally reveal to the counselee the truth that will set them free. In essence, Dr. Smith encourages people to pray and expect revelation from Jesus. This is precisely why he refers to it as Theophostic Prayer Ministry, because Jesus will be the personal counselor and He will be accessed (like an oracle ^[5]) through asking Him. This is mega mysticism and it encourages people to believe in the rather immediate provision of specific, personal, extra-biblical direct divine revelation.

Dr. Smith writes:

Theophostic Prayer ministry simply encourages people to listen as the Lord reveals His truth to their hearts and minds. Of course, bible study, teaching, and preaching are important, but apart from the intervention of the Holy Spirit we cannot fully know truth. ^[6] Jesus said that when “The Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you in all the truth (John 16:13).

Regardless of how much Dr. Smith desires to defend himself against the charge of promoting divine revelation apart from Scripture, he remains guilty of it. His opinion is that knowing Scripture is not enough, but that we must “listen as the Lord reveals His truth,” or “the Holy Spirit delivers it to the heart.” That is the language of a mega mystic, if not also neoorthodox theology which insists some miraculous operation must occur constantly between us and Scripture in order to make it the word of God. The verse Dr. Smith uses to support the idea that Jesus or the Holy Spirit speaks to us apart from the written text of Scripture is John 16:13 which we have demonstrated elsewhere teaches no such thing. ^[7]

Dr. Smith continues:

I believe that the primary way our triune God communicates with His children is through His written Word interpreted and imparted by the Holy Spirit, but I also believe the Holy Spirit speaks heart-to-heart to the believer in a personal fashion. For example, if I feel a nudge to share my Christian testimony while sitting next to a person on an airplane, I trust that this is the voice of the Holy Spirit. . . .

Any personal communication from the Holy Spirit does not constitute new revelation in the sense that it adds to or subtracts from the truth God has given us in the Holy Scriptures. However, the Lord still speaks to His sheep and they still hear, know, and follow His voice (John 10:27). ^[8]

To “feel a nudge” to do something that Scripture already tells us to do, like love people and evangelize, does not constitute evidence of a direct message from the Holy Spirit. And how else would such specific direction happen except by some sort of divine/human mental telepathy which we have demonstrated elsewhere has no biblical precedent, examples, or instruction regarding the life of believers. ^[9]

In addition, if the content of such revelation does not add to anything in Scripture, why is it so desperately needed as Dr. Smith claims? Elsewhere, Dr. Smith writes: “The truths people receive during a ministry session are already contained in some form in the Bible.” ^[10] Then why do we need to hear it in a direct encounter with Jesus Himself?

Finally, as clearly demonstrated elsewhere, using John 10:27 as a proof text that we hear Christ apart from Scripture, is irresponsible hermeneutics, and one is led to question the quality of Bible training Dr. Smith has received. ^[11]

Elsewhere, Dr. Smith writes:

Someone might ask, “Why listen [for extra-biblical revelation] when we can just read the Bible?” That is exactly what we should be doing daily. However, we are also commanded to pray and to listen [where?], and when we listen we should expect to receive something [divine/human mental telepathy?]. Prayer should be a two-way experience and not just our words filling the air. We want the Holy Spirit to commune and converse with us [but we don’t always get what we want]. Sometimes this occurs through the remembrance of the written Word of God coming to mind at just the right moment; other times it comes through a thought that ministers truth to our hearts. ^[12]

We have demonstrated elsewhere that there is no biblical support for the idea that the purpose of prayer is revelation. ^[13] And how dare Dr. Smith imply that normal biblical prayer in which requests are made is “just our words filling the air.” Finally, “remembrance” of the word “at just the right moment” or being ministered to by the truth can certainly occur through the God-ordained function of the written Scripture and our Spirit-liberated reason.

Elsewhere, Dr. Smith clearly invites people to experience direct revelation from Jesus when he explains:

I never try to interpret what people are experiencing. If they are unsure of what the symbols mean, I defer their concerns and questions back to Jesus. I might say, “Lord Jesus, we thank you for the image you have given this person, [through mental telepathy? An extra-biblical revelation?] but we do not understand what it means. Will You interpret it for him?” ^[14]

Such an interpretation from Jesus would require a revelatory experience that would be rather identical to what biblical Apostles and Prophets experienced. And why does Jesus have to tell us such things? Why isn’t our God-given Spirit-liberated reason adequate for us to understand the truth being conveyed? This is how we always interpret and apply God’s word at other times.

Dr. Smith gives more evidence that the realization of truth can be explained with God-ordained cognitive functions rather than a “revelation” when he admits:

During Theophostic Prayer Ministry, many people simply receive truth through the words that come to their minds. These words rarely convey deep theological insights, but rather personalized simple truth. ^[15]

This has been the authors experience as well, and such “simple truth” is surely something our Spirit-liberated reason is able to process without the need of some miraculous revelation from Jesus. In fact, the way that Dr. Smith describes how he experiences the truth in counseling sessions can easily be explained as a cognitive process, not a miraculous one:

Personally, when I receive ministry and connect with the presence of Christ I rarely see mentally perceived images or hear anything; I usually just receive a realization of the truth. If people neither see nor hear truth from the Lord after identifying the core belief, yet seem to find resolution, then they may be what I call a “no-see/no-hear” person. This type of person will simply receive a “realization of truth. The very presence of Jesus is truth, whether we see, hear, or just realize it. ^[16]

Why claim a special experience of Jesus if you experience a “realization of the truth”? Why do we have a brain at all? Which leads us to our next point.

B.2) A disparagement of Spirit-liberated reason

Dr. Smith writes:

There is a vast difference between learning about God cognitively and encountering him relationally [experientially]. . . . Logical truth is that which I rationally know to be true, but may not know personally and experientially. . . . It is easy to believe logically that we are loved and fully accepted by God when we experientially hear Him tell us “I love you” in our painful memory experiences. . . . [T]here is a difference in knowing the truth at the experiential level as opposed to the cranial level. ^[17]

First, Dr. Smith commits the fallacy of “faculty psychology” which we have discussed elsewhere and is the unbiblical and misleading idea that there is a difference between the metaphorical human “head” and “heart.” ^[18] And like many others, he uses this fallacy to disparage cognitive knowledge, which is actually what all knowledge is and no more. As described more fully below, some knowledge is more emotional than others, but that does not make it any more valuable or true.

Secondly, throughout Dr. Smith’s writings he disparages the God-ordained place and ability of our logical faculties through our Spirit-liberated reason to correctly and effectively understand and apply the truths of Scripture. For arguments against such a notion see elsewhere. ^[19]

Thirdly, it is interesting to note that Dr. Smith does not mention the need for a divine revelatory experience for the person to successfully complete all the other steps of the process. He recognizes our mind is capable of recognizing harmful emotions, and remembering where those emotions come from. Accordingly, in a description of how to access painful memories he writes:

[F]ocus intensely on the emotions. . . . With the emotions clearly in focus, allow your mind [not Spirit?] to connect you to the place and time you felt these same feelings for the first time . . . Allow your mind to associate to the memory . . . allow your mind to do its work. ^[20]

Admittedly, he adds here, “Ask the Lord to help you with this,” ^[21] but he clearly implies that the mind is capable of these steps. Why then is miraculous divine intervention so necessary in the last step in which we simply apply the truth to the memory?

Likewise, one will notice that Dr. Smith asks people a lot of questions in a TPM session. They are often pointed questions to help the person realize the lies they are believing, and the truth that will set them free. In fact, the skillful use of questions is so vital to the success of the counseling that it would be more accurate to label it “question counseling” rather than “prayer counseling.” Nevertheless, our point here is that Dr. Smith never implies that some sort of special revelation or operation of the Spirit is necessary to equip the counselor to know the questions that need to be asked. It would appear that Dr. Smith, and any other effective TPM counselor, is actually using the logical aspect of their mind to simply respond to what the counselee is saying. At least they do not claim the same need for divine intervention to process the counseling, that they claim the recipient needs.

Finally, Dr. Smith makes the distinction between logical knowledge and experiential knowledge as if the former does not really affect us. This is his explanation for why a person can “logically” believe God loves them, but their emotions reveal they do not “experientially” believe God loves them. Therefore, the cure is to “experience” the truth rather than simply know it.

First of all, Dr. Smith’s understanding of the problem is incorrect. The reason that a person may not fully experience the truth they “know” is because while the conscious part of their mind fully believes the truth, there are parts of their subconscious mind that are still deceived. The need is not to “experience” more of the truth in order to more fully believe it, but for more of the mind to know the truth. It is not because there is an inferior type of truth or knowledge in our mind (cognitive vs. experiential), but because the only kind of truth God made us to have (cognitive) is not possessed by all the mind. When it is, and even those subconscious parts of our mind are renewed with the truth, our “cognitive dissonance” and conflicting beliefs will be resolved and we will believe that truth with all our heart and mind. At least it will feel more that way.

Accordingly, it is not “experiential” truth, nor a miracle of Jesus that people are experiencing when they have a powerful, transforming realization of the truth. Rather, there is a great deal of emotion involved in the experience. This is what makes truth or teaching feel more “experiential” rather than “cognitive”: more emotion, not a different type of truth or a unique operation of the Holy Spirit. All psychologists know that truth taught or experienced when our emotions are raised has a more profound effect on us and even feels more powerful.

Dr. Smith, in fact, admits that his concept of “experiential” knowledge occurs in emotional environments when he writes:

Most of what I read day to day in the Bible is merely head knowledge and not my personal experience, even though I have been a Christian for over 35 years. His written Word is too vast and deep for me to have even scratched the surface experientially of all it contains. However, there are passages that I “know” to be true and then there are others that I just know from rote memorization [In fact he believes them with equal certainty, although some truths may cause more emotion].

I never cease to be amazed how a passage I have known all my life suddenly comes to life during a trial or difficult moment [emotional environment]. I connect with the Lord and the Spirit illuminates the Word in a new way as never before [at least it feels that way because of the emotion involved]. Sometimes as we pass through dark and difficult [emotional] times, the Word seems to come alive in ways that it does not when life is uneventful [and unemotional]. ^[22]

B.3) Misinterpreting emotion as the Holy Spirit

Dr. Smith writes:

If you have difficulty believing that God still communicates with the believer [directly, apart from Scripture], wait until you witness a deeply wounded person come into freedom by hearing the voice of the Shepherd. I believe that the Holy Spirit is communicating to the believer’s heart and bringing truth. ^[23]

This author has also witnessed amazing transformations using Dr. Smith’s guidelines and have seen people rather immediately and completely set free from the most traumatic and wounding experiences imaginable, including rape, incest, torture, etc. But there has been no need to imply that they must have a direct communication from the Holy Spirit, nor did they need one. The logical truth in their conscious mind was able to set free the wounded, deceived part of their subconscious mind.

B.4) Claims to extra-biblical revelation are based on erroneous interpretations and applications of Scripture

Dr. Smith writes:

When Jesus departed this earth, He sent the Spirit of Truth to us to lead us into all truth (John 15:26; 16:7). I believe it is the person of the Holy Spirit who communicates truth to people during Theophostic Prayer Ministry sessions. One of the primary roles of the Holy Spirit is to bear witness about Jesus. The Apostle John quoted Jesus’ teaching about the role of the Holy Spirit with the following words: “WHEN THE HELPER COMES, WHOM I WILL SEND YOU FROM THE FATHER, THAT IS, THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH WHO PROCEEDS FROM THE FATHER, HE WILL BEAR WITNESS ABOUT ME” (John 15:26, ESV). . . . [T]he Holy Spirit interprets our prayers, intercedes for us and speaks to us (Romans 8:26). ^[24]

Again, we have demonstrated elsewhere that John 15:26 and 16:7 are not promises of ongoing revelatory experiences for believers today. Secondly, we have demonstrated that “helper” or “counselor” are incorrect and misleading translations of the Greek word paraklēte used in the verses Dr. Smith references. The actual meaning is “advocate” as in one who speaks for you, not as one who speaks to you. ^[25] And Dr. Smith’s use of Romans 8:26 does not deserve comment as it says nothing about the Spirit speaking “to us” as he claims.

Elsewhere Dr. Smith lists several Scriptures on which he feels TPM is based on and none of them promise some sort or divine/human mental telepathy or “private inspiration,” of the Holy Spirit because there are no such promises in Scripture. ^[26]

B.5) Confusing the salvation experience with ongoing revelatory experiences

Dr. Smith writes:

The day that I committed my heart and life to the Lord I heard his voice. I was not reading the open Bible when I experienced this salvation . . . I was a 19-year-old kid torn up in pain and distraught over things that were going on in my life. I heard the voice of God in my heart that day as He called me to follow Him. I prayed by myself and asked the Lord to come into my heart. I know without any doubt that I became a new creature in that moment and began what has become an almost 40-year journey with the Lord. Jesus himself said in Revelation 3:20, “BEHOLD, I STAND AT THE DOOR AND KNOCK AND IF ANY MAN HEAR MY VOICE I WILL COME INTO HIM’. ^[27]

Conversion and regeneration are, of course, miraculous and even highly emotional events that may give a person the impression that God “spoke” to them. But, of course, Dr. Smith did not actually hear a voice, but rather experienced regeneration. Accordingly, as we have demonstrated concerning Revelation 3:20, Scriptures describing the salvation process and specifically addressed to unbelievers are not proof texts for expecting direct revelation from God apart from Scripture. ^[28]

Likewise, Dr. Smith quotes 2 Timothy 2:24-26 and writes:

Head knowledge has little or no impact on a person unless the Holy Spirit delivers it to the heart. In 2 Timothy 2:24-26, the Apostle Paul advised: “The Lord’s bond servant must . . . be kind to all, able to teach, patient when wronged, with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition, if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will.”

Notice that we servants of the Lord are called to teach and correct those who oppose us, but it is God who accomplishes the task of setting people free. Until He grants them repentance, they cannot come to know the truth and escape the devil’s snare. In TPM sessions, we see that people get free when they receive the truth from the One who is Truth (John 16:12). ^[29]

Contrary to Dr. Smith, we have demonstrated elsewhere regarding 2 Timothy 2:24-26 that those who are “doing wrong” to a minister of the Gospel and are “in opposition” to the minister and “held captive” by the “devil” “to do his will” are unregenerated, unbelieving false teachers, not born again, Spirit-indwelled, spiritually alive, and therefore enlightened believers. ^[30] In fact, the other two places in the NT where it speaks of God giving or facilitating repentance, it is in the context of unregenerate unbelievers (cf. Acts 5:31; Rom 2:4). Dr. Smith’s claim that God must do something supernatural to those already indwelled with the Spirit and made a new creation in order for them to repent (change or renew their mind) is not biblical. Born again believers have already been enabled to change and renew their mind with God’s word.

B.6) An unbiblical acceptance of the “illumination of the Spirit” theory

Dr. Smith writes:

The Holy Spirit is Truth. He is the dispenser of all truth as well as the believer’s teacher and counselor. The written Word is our primary source of truth, but we need the Holy Spirit to interpret and illuminate it. Unless the Holy Spirit reveals truth, we cannot fully receive it in our intermost being so that it illuminates our souls and releases us from the bondage of lie-based thinking.

Jesus said this concerning the role of the Holy Spirit, “WHEN HE, THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH, COMES, HE WILL GUIDE YOU INTO ALL TRUTH. HE WILL NOT SPEAK ON HIS OWN; HE WILL SPEAK ONLY WHAT HE HEARS, AND HE WILL TELL YOU WHAT IS YET TO COME” (John 16:13). All the teaching and preaching we do is in vain if the Holy Spirit does not implant the message in the heart of the person. Truth needs a preacher to deliver it . . . but it is the Holy Spirit that imparts it, brings it to life and changes lives. ^[31]

Dr. Smith elsewhere claims, “apart from the intervention of the Holy Spirit we cannot fully know truth.” ^[32] This is the mistake people make regarding the theory of the “illumination of the Spirit” which we have discussed thoroughly elsewhere. ^[33] Of course at the time of regeneration our devil-darkened reason is replaced with our Spirit-liberated reason which, contrary to Dr. Smith and many mega mystics, does enable us to “fully know truth” from the very sources that they denigrate: “bible study, teaching, and preaching.” There are no Scriptures that prescribe or promise an on-going ministry of sporadic miraculous intervention of the Spirit that “illumines” us. Regeneration and the indwelling of the Spirit immediately give us a Spirit-liberated reason that enables us to understand, appreciate, and apply God’s word.

As for the proper understanding of John 16:13 we have demonstrated elsewhere that this was a promise of divine revelation specifically for the Apostles who would write Scripture. ^[34] This is particularly true of the promise “He will tell you what is yet to come,” which was fulfilled in John’s writing of Revelation. No right-minded Christian would claim that such knowledge of the future directly from the Holy Spirit is promised to Christians today, and therefore this promise should not be used to suggest some sort of miraculous, revealing ministry of the Holy Spirit.

B.7) Deceptively & harmfully leading people on to expect a direct revelation from Jesus

Dr. Smith writes:

When I refer to the Lord “speaking” to a person during a ministry session, I use the term generically to refer to all the different ways God presents truth to
an individual. God’s Spirit may [telepathically?] convey truth through thoughts and words, visual imagery, or a sense of His presence. ^[35]

By assuming and suggesting that there are many ways, apart from Scripture, that, “God presents truth to an individual,” Dr. Smith sets up a person to expect something apart from the understanding and application of Scripture by our Spirit-liberated reason. In spite of his denials that he does not lead people on in this way, notice how he administers a counseling session:

When I want to know what a person is experiencing during a ministry session, I simply ask the question, “What is it that you see, sense, feel, or hear?” [how about simply “realize”?]. This question covers all the bases and enables the person to report more accurately what is going on. I never make suggestions as to how a person may be receiving truth from God and avoid any statements that imply that the person should have a particular experience [his categories do this very thing] . . . He may reveal truth through mental word pictures or simply through a realization of truth [so why not add “realization” implying normal, God-ordained cognitive functions to his question?]. ^[36]

It would be safer, more honest, and more biblical to simply ask, “What would Jesus say to you,” or “What would you say now to that person you were” without implying they will see or hear anything. Accordingly, Dr. Tucker writes:

There is a downside to the creeping subjectivism that is so prevalent in contemporary Christian [counseling] . . . It’s all too easy to make presumptuous claims of having a special message from God—especially if a voice is brought forth through the right techniques and methods. Does God speak only at our beck and call? Does God speak only when we appropriate a novel system or twelve-step program? ^[37]

Like Dr. Smith, this author has worked with people who experience mental images as they cognitively process truth. Dr. Smith writes:

God often moves outside the realm of speech and communicates to people in the form of symbolic mental pictures. Usually these pictures are snapshots of truth, such as the Lord holding them and comforting them, washing them off and cleaning them, smiling and affirming them, standing between them and their abuser, showing them that they are no longer small and childish but grown up, walking them to a place of peace, etc. ^[38]

Admittedly, “images” of truth rather than simple realizations of truth, are more likely to be interpreted as direct, divine, miraculous revelation. But why could they not also be products of the imaginative powers of our mind, simply putting the truth we need in picture form. Some people, in fact, think and cognitively process in more visual ways, and there is no need to claim that a revelation from Jesus has been experienced.

Our repeated response to mega mystical claims has been: 1) God can but rarely does give people miraculous revelatory visions, ^[39] 2) There are no biblical promises of any personal divine revelation apart from written Scripture, 3) If you rather constantly claim a source of divine revelation apart from written Scripture you are probably lying to yourself and others.

Publications & Particulars

1. For further information concerning the subconscious in Christian counseling see Ed Smith, visit http://www.theophostic.com. While there has been some critics of Theophostic Prayer Counseling, the testimonies regarding its sanctifying effects have been very encouraging. Likewise, while we do not agree with all of Dr. Smith’s perspectives as we discuss elsewhere (see section 3.27.H), we too have experienced very powerful, godly, encouraging results with “prayer counseling.”

   Concerning the critiques of it, the influential Christian Research Institute has concluded the following:

   Theophostic Prayer Ministry (TPM), founded by Ed M. Smith in 1996, is an approach to “mind renewal,” or the healing of emotional pain. TPM is perhaps the fastest-growing method of inner healing or healing of memories in evangelical churches today. After an exhaustive evaluation, the Christian Research Institute (CRI) detects nothing unbiblical about the core theory and practice of TPM. The theory seems elegant in its profound simplicity, and the anecdotal reports of its effectiveness in practice justify further investigation; nonetheless, much more scientific research needs to be done before even the more modest claims of TPM can be validated, and some of the extravagant claims seem unlikely ever to be established.

   CRI does have concerns about several peripheral issues regarding TPM, but we have been favorably impressed by Smith’s openness to constructive criticism and change. We caution Christians who practice or receive TPM to be discerning about Smith’s teachings on the sin nature, sanctification, and satanic ritual abuse, and to be aware that, despite major improvements, there are still several aspects of Smith’s teaching on spiritual warfare that CRI does not endorse. (Elliot Miller, “Theophostic Prayer Ministry: Christian Prayer, Occult Visualization, Or Secular Psychotherapy?” at http://www.equip.org).

   We will note that it seems rather arrogant for CRI to suggest that they have a definitive and complete understanding of such complex and historically debated topics as, “the sin nature, sanctification, and satanic ritual abuse.” In our opinion, Dr. Smith’s real views (instead of those imagined by his critics) on these doctrines do not violate any broadly and historically held positions, any peripheral differences from accepted norms are as worthy of consideration as any others, and such views certainly do not affect the legitimacy, nor the effectiveness of Theophostic Ministry. ↑

2. http://www.theophostic.com/aboutus.aspx. ↑

3. Theophostic Prayer Ministry: Ministry Demonstration Training, facilitated by Edward M. Smith (Edward M. Smith, 2006). ↑

4. Excerpt from section 3.5.C.2. ↑

5. Regarding oracles see section 14.18.A.2. ↑

6. Edward M. Smith, Theophostic Prayer Ministry: Basic Training Seminar Manual (New Creation, 2007), 26. ↑

7. Regarding the proper interpretation of John 16:13 see section 14.13.D. ↑

8. Smith, 156. ↑

9. Divine/human mental telepathy is the supposed process by which God places thoughts directly into our mind for the purpose of an extra-biblical source of divine guidance. It is central to the claims of mega mystics and the only logical way to describe how their claims to divine guidance occur when they at the same time claim that they are not physically seeing or hearing anything. We have demonstrated elsewhere that such a thing is never recorded in Scripture as a source of divine revelation. See chapter 4.6. ↑

10. Smith, 274. ↑

11. Regarding the proper interpretation of John 10:27 see section 14.14.C. ↑

12. Smith, 160. ↑

13. Regarding the unbiblical notion of “listening prayer” see section 14.9.F. ↑

14. Smith, 160. ↑

15. Ibid. ↑

16. Ibid., 161. ↑

17. Ibid., 26, 158. ↑

18. Regarding the fallacy of “faculty psychology” and the idea that there is a helpful distinction between the “head” and the “heart” see chapter 4.2. ↑

19. Regarding the God-ordained value and place of Spirit-liberated reason in relation to Scripture, see section 4.15.C and chapter 3.3. ↑

20. Smith, 187. ↑

21. Ibid ↑

22. Ibid., 158. ↑

23. Ibid. ↑

24. Ibid., 157. ↑

25. Regarding the proper interpretation of John 15:26 and 16:7 and the correct translation of paraklete see section 14.13.B. ↑

26. cf. Smith, 209-214. ↑

27. Ibid., 156-7. ↑

28. Regarding the proper interpretation of John 3:20 see section 14.14.C. ↑

29. Smith, 26. ↑

30. Regarding the proper interpretation of 2 Timothy 2:24-26 see section 4.16.A and esp. endnote there. ↑

31. Smith, 156. ↑

32. Ibid., 26. ↑

33. For a biblical critique of the theory of the “illumination of the Spirit” see chapter 3.5. ↑

34. Regarding the proper interpretation of John 16:13 see section 14.13.D. ↑

35. Smith, 159. ↑

36. Ibid. ↑

37. Tucker, 110. ↑

38. Smith, 160. ↑

39. Once again, we are not denying God’s freedom in doing any miracles He chooses. Accordingly, the initial experience that led Dr. Smith to his discovery of Theophostic Prayer Ministry could have been such a miracle. His website explains:

    Dr. Ed had tried everything he knew to do to get the truth into these women’s heads [including having them revisit the memory], yet nothing seemed to make much difference. Then in that one momentous moment Dr. Ed simply asked the Lord to speak to the woman’s heart and mind about what she believed that was causing her the emotional pain she carried. In that wonderful moment everything changed for her and for this ministry. She reported a freedom and peace like she had never had before. The pain dissolved and she left with a new found freedom that she holds to this day. Theophostic Prayer was born. (http://www.theophostic.com/ aboutus.aspx)

    It appears in the story that Dr. Smith did all of the things that actually, and more naturally, make Theophostic Prayer Ministry successful, including having the person revisit the memory, expose the lies, and replace them with the truth—to no effect. And indeed, if “natural” God-ordained processes are not sufficient to accomplish God’s will, then He will do a miracle, and perhaps he did with this woman.

    But Dr. Smith teaches that everyone should expect and needs this miracle to be healed, when in fact, in this author’s experience, it is rarely needed and there are much more “natural” explanations for what is occurring, and there is no biblical evidence for Dr. Smith’s claims. ↑