The Truth About Theophostic Prayer Ministry

Learn Why Theophostics is Dangerous for Christians - exposing inner healing.

l) minimizes the seriousness of sin, ...

2) minimizes the glory of forgiveness and repentance, ...

3) minimizes the power of spiritual disciplines ...

Sin-based theology or lie-based theology:

At the core, the difference between TPM and Evangelical Theology is the view of sin.  In basic terms, Theophostic Theology sees sin as the result of lies believed to lead to defective thinking and ultimately manifest as sin.  Evangelical Theology sees sin as the product of our fallen natures and corrupt flesh.  Clearly, these two views are polar opposites, and as always, we must search the scriptures for the truth on the issues of sin and healing; the question remains for Christian counselors and the evangelical community as a whole as to whether Smith's theological basis is consistent with responsible biblical doctrine.
2. A self-induced hypnotic state, which can lead to believing self-generated fantasies about one's past:

Another critical point to understand is that people are capable of hypnotizing themselves, referred to as creating a self-induced trance ...By relabelling hypnotic trance techniques 'Holy Spirit guidance,' Christian regressionists have misled clients to believe that they were not engaging in hypnosis when in fact they were."

3. Risk of the loss of familial relationships:

I believe there is a significant risk of the unnecessary loss of familial love for anyone who engages in Theophostic Prayer Ministry or any other type of inner healing modality.

4. Risk of falsely accusing innocent people due to entering into a hypnotic trance.

"Without the opportunity to defend themselves, people's reputations and families have been wiped out based on the whim of a hypnotic fantasy." The injustice that we as a society have engaged in is enormous

5. Divisiveness within churches.

Smith says if the pastor doesn't agree with Theophostic Ministry, it may be time to leave and find a church where it is possible to minister more freely.'" - Jan Fletcher, Lying Spirits. Theophostic Prayer Ministry brings conflict into churches. 

Theophostic is not biblical

1) Sin-based theology vs. lie-based theology.

"The most significant difference we have with Theophostic Prayer Ministry is whether sanctification is now complete or is something ongoing." -Philip Momoe, coauthor of a "Theological Analysis of Theophostic Prayer Ministry," quoted in Lying Spirits.

2) The assumption that a divine visitation will always occur upon initiating a Theophostic Prayer Ministry session.

"However, the idea that God's oniIripresence resides Within human memory or that God is somehow required to reveal his presence Within one's memory is neither part of orthodox theology nor a concept found in scripture. It - David Entwistle.

3) The assumption that a counterfeit or imaginary Jesus will be easily recognized.

On what basis are we to conclude whether the appearance of Jesus in TPM is literal or figurative, based on revelation or imagination?" - David Entwistle, quoted in Charisma Magazine, "Smith offers the following tests to determine whether or not the Jesus who appears to the person in a Theophostic Prayer Ministry session is really the genuine article. With an imposter Jesus, there will usually be no face or it will appear grey or hazy and sometimes have glowing eyes (usually red). According to Smith, another sign of a 'false Jesus' is that the words an imposter spirit speaks will be 'easily discerned as false. The real Jesus will feel loving, while the fake one will have no feeling, be like a cardboard figure, or be evil or hostile." -Jan Fletcher, Lying Spirits.

4) An explanation of the demonic realm based on Smith's exposition of "Dominion" theology, as explained in chapter 19 of Beyond Tolerable Recovery.

Example:

Here is a small sample of Smith's comments to the contrary, which are in the 2000 edition of Beyond Tolerable Recovery: "She could not see any visual of the event. I asked her to focus on the belief that she was trapped. ..(p. 49) "I asked her to focus... as she focused on this emotional/physical memory picture... (p. 50). I led him to locate the historical picture that matched his current feelings. (p. 50) I ask him to drift back through time. ..if after a few moments of 'drifting,' he does not connect a matching memory picture, I suggest he go to place where he lived as a child. .." (p. 51). "Visualize your husband touching you sexually."

..See your father having intercourse with you." (p. 370) For Smith to say that people are never told to visualize, anything is a bold and phenomenally contradictory statement easily disproved by simply reading his books.  "Smith offers the following tests to determine whether or not the Jesus who appears to the person in a Theophostic Prayer Ministry session is really the genuine article. With an imposter Jesus, 'there will usually be no face, or it will appear grey or hazy and sometimes have glowing eyes (usually red). According to Smith, another sign of a 'false Jesus' is that the words an imposter spirit speaks will be 'easily discerned as false.  The real Jesus will feel loving, while the fake one will have no feeling, or be like a cardboard figure, or be evil or hostile." -Jan Fletcher, Lying Spirits.

A New Ager: How do we measure these experiences for the Christian? Suppose the spiritual manifestation is the spirit guide of Bernie Siegel, the famous Jewish doctor and author of "Love, Medicine, and Miracles," who comes dressed as a Jewish hippie spouting universal love and acceptance for everyone regardless of their faith. In that case, many Christians will reject such a guide, even if this spirit brings the miracle of ridding them of cancer. But if the spiritual manifestation looks like Jesus, feels like Jesus, and seems to be Jesus, is that enough of a measurement?

Do we stop there based on an experience and a miracle, or do we go further and evaluate the experience based on scripture?

Sin based theology or lie-based theology?

At its core, the difference between Theophostic Prayer Ministry and Evangelical Theology is the view of sin. In basic terms, Theophostic Prayer Ministry Theology sees sin as the result of lies that have been believed, leading to defective thinking and ultimately manifesting as sin. Evangelical Theology sees sin as the product of our fallen natures and corrupt flesh. Clearly, these two views are polar opposites, and as always, we must search the Scriptures for the truth.  The truth is that any type of inner healing where you go back into memories is a Hindu practice.

On pages 224-225 of his book "Beyond Tolerable Recovery," Dr. Ed Smith says, "I have come to believe that there is a fundamental misconception about the root of sinful behavior (in the faithful Christian) and the reason~ that many people struggle with sin throughout their Christian lives. The fundamental misconception I am describing is what I call sin-based theology.

Sin-based theology believes that the root of my problem is sin. It says, Because I have sinned, I suffer and am in pain. To be free of my pain, I must repent of my sin, confess it to God, and choose to obey and apply the truth of God's Word. By this, I can walk in victory."

.Is the root of man's problem sin?

We must turn to God's Word for the answer. John 8::34-36:" Jesus answered them, Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave to sin. And a slaved onto abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever. Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free." Whatever the case, sin is problem enough to have required the coming of Jesus in the form of a man followed by His death on a cross to provide freedom to those enslaved by sin!

On page 225 Dr. Smith says, "The trouble with this belief is it doesn't work. We need to be honest about the success rate we are having trying to get people free through this approach. Is what we are doing truly producing" maintenance~freveic tory" by confessing repenting, and trying really hard?"

Are repentance and confession the proper responses to sin?

Matthew 4:1.7 "From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, "for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."

Mark 1: 14-15 "Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching that gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, 'The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent and believe in the gosple".

Luke 5:31-32 "Jesus answered and said to them, 'Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I have not come to call the rightous but sinners to repentence."

What does it mean to have believed the lie of the enemy?

Romans 7: 8-10 "But sin. taking opportunity by the commandment, produced in me all manner of evil desire. For apart from the law sin was dead. I was alive once without the law, but when the commandment came, sin revived and I died. And the commandment, which was to bring life, I found to bring death. For sin. taking occasion by the commandment. deceived me. and it killed me."

II Thessalonians 2:9-12 "The coming of the lawless one is according to the workings of Satan with all manner of evil desire with all power, signs and lying wonders, and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish because the did not receive the love of the truth that the mi ht be saved. And for this reason God will send them strong delusion that the should believe the lie, that they all may be condemned, who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness."

What is the ultimate lie?

I Corinthians 6:9-11 "Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God."

Galatians6 :7-9 Do not be deceived.  God is not mocked for whatever man sows that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlansing life.  And let us not grow weary  while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not loose heart."

The ultimate deception is to think that one can live a life of perpetual in and be saved. Nowhere in Scripture is the notion of a lifestyle of sin considered consistent with regeneration.

Other troubling statements made by Dr. Ed Smith in "Beyond Tolerable Recovery." 

On page 228, Dr. Smith speaks of true repentance, "True repentance is the inner mental change which occurs when God intercedes on our behalf in the darkness of our false thinking. When we receive truth in our innermost parts (subconscious mind), this truth will transfer and translate into our conscious awareness and outward behavior.

When we know the truth experientially, we can walk in true victory.  A fundamental rule of interpretation is that our experience must always be measured against God's Word; never is God's Word to be measured against our experience.

On page 235, Dr. Smith says, "It is time we began to proclaim the true Gospel. that says we are incapable of keeping any part of the law whether it be the Tora or the New Testament." The Bible says in II Peter 2:2-4 "Grace and peace be multiplied to you will the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and Godliness through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the diving nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust." In our own strength, we will always fail to meet God's righteous requirements of holiness. However, as God's power works through us we gain victory over sin.

Philippians 4:13 "I can do all thing~through Christ who strengthens me." The reality is that this is a process, which we call sanctification, that takes time as the Spirit of God transforms us into the very image of God."

Conclusion:

I share this information because I learned directly from Ed Smith and went for 3 years to get well.  I only got worse.  I thought I was getting better but the anxiety attacks increased because of blocked memories that I thought were being healed.  I got to the point if I heard the word, I would trance out and want to warn others in regards to Theophostic and other Inner Healing Modalies.

Traci Morin, speaker, minister, anxiety coach, teacher of deliverance, Who's Who of America
Touch of God International Ministries - a Christian Healing and Deliverance Ministry - Setting the Captives Free from demonic curses

Join Our Thrive Group Mentorship for Women - In a mentoring ministry, mentors help other women in the faith journey. They also equip younger women with the essentials to live godly lives. Never be alone