Sermon: The deceptive practises of diviners

WHO IS A DIVINER?

□ They discover hidden cause of events  or fortell the future by spiritual means.These could include rituals, spiritual practices, or interpretations of signs, omens, or visions 

□A diviner is a person who practices divination, seeking to gain hidden knowledge or insight through supernatural means, often in opposition to God's will.

Examples of diviners are Soothsayers, psychics,and mediums.

Soothsayers traditionally offer prophetic insights, psychics claim to perceive information beyond ordinary sensory perception, and mediums are often believed to communicate with spirits or the deceased to gain knowledge. 

 

CHARACTERISTICS OF A DIVINER

     

□Rely on occult powers,spiritual forces, or demonic entities.

Many diviners are believed to access hidden knowledge through supernatural means, which can include occult powers (like magic), spiritual forces, or in some cases, interactions with demonic entities. 

   

□Claim to predict the future,reveal hidden things, or guide decisions without acknowledging the sovereignty of God.

Many diviners claim to have the ability to predict future events, uncover secrets, or offer guidance on personal matters, often through methods that bypass or undermine religious authority or God's will.

□Use Tools or rituals (e.g.,Casting lots, Reading entrails, astrology)

Diviners often use various tools or rituals to interpret signs or gain insights. These could include casting lots, reading the entrails of sacrificed animals, interpreting dreams, or using divination systems like astrology, tarot cards, runes, or crystal balls.

Other tools or methods used to interpret signs or gain insights include:

 ◇Numerology:The study of numbers and their mystical significance.

 ◇Palmistry:Reading the lines and mounts on a person's palms to predict the future or interpret their personality.

 ◇Tea Leaf Reading: Interpreting the patterns left by tea leaves at the bottom of a cup.

 ◇Pendulum Divination (Dowsing): Using a pendulum to find answers or locate objects or places.

 ◇Scrying: Gazing into a reflective surface (like water, a mirror, or a crystal ball) to receive visions or insight.

□Claim to communicate with spirits or ancestors.

Many diviners claim to communicate with spirits, ancestors, or other worldly beings. This can include mediums who act as intermediaries between the living and the deceased. In some traditions, diviners may also seek to receive guidance from the spirits of nature or other supernatural entities, such as gods or angels.

□May Possess or claim special gifts or Intuition.

 Some diviners claim to possess innate abilities or heightened senses that allow them to perceive hidden truths. These may include clairvoyance (seeing beyond the ordinary), clairaudience (hearing beyond the normal), or other forms of extrasensory perception (ESP). 

□Offer guidance in personal or spiritual matters.

 Diviners may claim to offer advice on relationships, career, health, or even spiritual growth. They often position themselves as intermediaries who can provide clarity in decision-making, give warnings, or offer a deeper understanding of life's challenges.

□May be involved in healing or protection.

In some cultures, diviners also serve as healers, using spiritual practices to treat illness, remove curses, or protect individuals from harm. This could involve ritualistic practices, the use of charms, or invoking spiritual forces for protection.

□May be considered sacred or gifted in certain cultures.

 In many societies, diviners are revered as spiritual leaders or wise individuals.They may be seen as having a special connection to the divine, to the ancestors, or to mystical forces, which can grant them authority and respect within their communities.

□Can be perceived as manipulative or Exploitative.

In some cases, diviners may be seen as using their abilities to exploit vulnerable individuals. They may manipulate emotions or create fear in order to control clients or demand payment for their services. 

□May have a unique code of ethics or practices.

 Some diviners operate within a specific set of ethical or moral guidelines, which can vary widely depending on the tradition or culture they belong to. 

TYPES OF DIVINATION 

□Astrology and Horoscopes.

 Astrology involves the belief that the positions and movements of celestial bodies (planets, stars, the sun, and the moon) influence human affairs and natural phenomena. Astrologers create horoscopes based on a person's birth chart to predict future events or give guidance.

□Tasseography.

Tasseography is the practice of interpreting patterns made by tea leaves or coffee grounds left in a cup. The shapes or arrangements of the leaves are believed to hold symbolic meaning that can offer insights or predictions.

□Tarot Card Reading.

Tarot card reading involves using a deck of cards with symbolic imagery to gain insight into past, present, or future events. The cards are drawn in specific spreads, and their positions and combinations are interpreted to provide guidance.

□Numerology.

 Numerology is the study of the mystical significance of numbers. Numerologists believe that numbers have specific vibrational energies that influence events, personalities, and the future. Numerology is often used to analyze birthdates, names, and other numerical patterns.

□Scrying

Scrying is the practice of gazing into reflective surfaces (such as a crystal ball, water, mirrors, or flames) in order to see visions or receive spiritual insights. The images or impressions seen in the reflection are believed to offer guidance or reveal hidden knowledge.

□Lithomancy.

 Lithomancy involves using crystals, stones, or gemstones to gain insights. Stones are often cast or arranged in specific patterns, and their arrangement or energy is interpreted to provide answers to questions or predict future events.

□Bibliomancy.

 Bibliomancy is a form of divination that involves seeking guidance or prophecy from books. Usually, a book (often a sacred text like the Bible) is opened randomly, and the first passage or phrase read is interpreted as a message.

□Cartomancy.

Cartomancy is the practice of using a regular deck of playing cards (or special tarot decks) for divination. Each card has a specific meaning, and their combinations or placements are interpreted to provide answers or guidance.

□I-Ching (or Yijing).

The I-Ching, or Book of Changes, is an ancient Chinese divination system. It involves tossing coins (or sticks) to produce a hexagram, which is then interpreted according to the I-Ching text. This method offers philosophical guidance or predictions.

□Fortune Telling.

It generally refers to predictions about an individual's future based on divinatory practices.It can encompass various divinatory methods, including tarot reading, crystal ball gazing, palmistry, and more. 

□Cleromancy.

Cleromancy is a type of divination that involves casting lots, dice, or other objects to gain answers or predict future events.

□Dowsing (also called Divining or water witching).

Dowsing is a form of divination that uses a divining rod (often Y-shaped) or pendulum to locate hidden objects (like water, minerals, or treasure) or gain answers to questions. It's typically done by moving the rod or pendulum over a surface and interpreting the movement.

□Necromancy.

Necromancy is the practice of communicating with the dead, often to gain knowledge, power, or prophecy. It can involve summoning spirits, interpreting messages from the deceased, or seeking guidance from the underworld.

□Palmistry (Chiromancy).

 Palmistry, or chiromancy, is the art of reading the lines, mounts, and shapes of a person's hands (particularly the palms) to interpret their personality traits and predict future events. 

□Dream Interpretation.

 Dream interpretation involves analyzing the symbols and themes in dreams to uncover hidden messages or insights. Many believe that dreams are a form of divination, conveying messages from spiritual forces, the subconscious, or the future.

□Casting Lots.

Casting lots involves using random methods (such as drawing straws, rolling dice, or drawing sticks) to make decisions or receive divine guidance. 

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY ABOUT DIVINATION? 

□Divination is Forbidden by God.

◇Leviticus 19:31 commands that the believers should not seek after mediums or spiritists, emphasizing that doing so leads to defilement.

-Leviticus 19:31,"Give no regard to mediums and familiar spirits;do not seek after them to be defiled by them:I am the Lord your God."

◇Deuteronomy 18:10-12 categorizes divination, sorcery, witchcraft, and contacting the dead as abominations to the Lord.

-Deuteronomy 18:10-12,"There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or daughter pass through the fire,or one who practices witchcraft,or a soothsayer,or one who interprets omens,or a sorcerer,or one who conjures spells,or a medium,or a spiritist,or one who calls up the dead.For all who do these things are an abomination to the Lord..."

◇Leviticus 20:6 warns that anyone who turns to mediums or familiar spirits will be "cut off from his people."

-Leviticus 20:6,"And the person who turns to mediums and familiar spirits,to prostitute himself with them,I will set My face against that person and cut him off from his people."

□Consequences of Divination.

◇Malachi 3:5 speaks of God's judgment against those who practice sorcery, adultery, and perjury, linking these sins to divine wrath.

-Malachi 3:5,"And I will come near you for judgement;I will be a swift witness against sorcerers,against adulterers,against perjurers...."

◇2 kings 17:17-18 states that engaging in divination and witchcraft, provokes God to anger.Destruction follows such practices.

-2 kings 17:17-18,"And they caused their sons and daughters to pass through the fire, practised witchcraft and soothsaying,and sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the Lord,to provoke Him to anger.Therefore the Lord was very angry with Israel ,and removed them from His sight;there was none left but the tribe of Judah alone."

◇Micah 3:6-7 declares that false prophets and diviners will be ashamed and unable to receive answers from God.

-Micah 3:6-7,"Therefore you shall have night without vision,and you shall have darkness without divination;The sun shall go down on the prophets......So the seers shall be ashamed and the diviners abashed;indeed they shall all cover their lips;For there is no answer from God."

□Deception and Falsehood.

◇Zechariah 10:2 and Ezekiel 22:28 describe diviners as visionaries of lies, who speak falsehoods and deceive others with fake dreams and futile visions.

-Zechariah 10:2,"For the idols speak delusion;The diviners envision lies,And tell false dreams..."

-Ezekiel 22:28,"Her prophets plastered them with untempered mortar,seeing false visions ,and divining lies for them..."

◇Jeremiah 14:14 ,Jeremiah 27:9,and Jeremiah 29:8 further warn that diviners, false prophets, and dreamers speak lies that lead people astray from God's truth.

-Jeremiah 14:14,"The prophets prophesy lies in My name .....they prophesy to you a false vision,divination,a worthless thing,and the  deceit of their heart."

-Jeremiah 27:9,"Therefore do not listen to your prophets,your diviners,your dreamers,your soothsayers,or your sorcerers..."

-Jeremiah 29:8,"Do not let your prophets and your diviners who are in your midst deceive you ,nor listen to your dreams which you cause to be dreamed."

□Demonic source and spiritual danger.

 ◇Acts 16:16 tells the story of a slave girl with a spirit of divination, illustrating the demonic source of these practices.

-Acts 16:16,"Now it happened,as we went to prayer, that a certain slave girl possessed with a spirit of divination met us,who brought her masters much profit by fortune-telling."

◇Ezekiel 13:6-7 speaks against those who prophesy lies and engage in false divination, highlighting that such practices are futile and false.

-Ezekiel 13:6-7,"They have envisioned futility and false divination,saying ,Thus says the Lord! ....Have you not seen a futile vision,and have you not spoken false divination? 

□Diviners' madness and the wrath of God.

◇Isaiah 44:25 says that diviners will be brought to ruin, their deceitful practices leading to madness and destruction.

-Isaiah 44:25,"Who frustrates the signs of the babblers,and drives diviners mad."

◇Jeremiah 14:14 and Ezekiel 12:24. emphasize the futility of false prophecies, saying they are driven by lies and not by God's will.

-Jeremiah 14:14,"The prophets prophesy lies in My name. I have not sent them, commanded them,nor spoken to them.."

-Ezekiel 12:24,"For no more shall there be any false vision or flattering divination within the house of Israel. "

□The Lord forbids us from practicing divination or soothsaying. 

-Leviticus 19:26,"Nor shall you practise divination or soothsaying. "

□Avoid divination and practices contrary to God's word.

The Bible instructs believers to reject any form of occult practices such as divination, mediums, spiritism, or consulting the dead. These practices are considered an abomination to God.

-Isaiah 8:19-20,"And when they say to you ,"Seek those who are mediums and wizards ,who whisper and mutter,"should not a people seek their God? Should they seek the dead on behalf of the living?

 -Deuteronomy 18:10-12,"There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or daughter pass through the fire,or one who practices witchcraft,or a soothsayer,or one who interprets omens,or a sorcerer,or one who conjures spells,or a medium,or a spiritist,or one who calls up the dead.For all who do these things are an abomination to the Lord..."

THE DECEPTIVE PRACTISES OF DIVINERS 

□Cold Reading: This technique involves making general statements or asking vague questions that seem specific to the individual. The diviner may read the person's body language, facial expressions, or previous answers to adjust their statements, making it appear as though they have supernatural insight.

□Hot Reading: It involves the diviner using prior knowledge about a person to give the impression that they know personal details they could not possibly have known. This information can be gathered from social media, previous visits, or even from third parties.

□Barnum Effect: Diviners often rely on the Barnum effect, which is the tendency of people to accept vague or general statements about themselves as personally meaningful. 

□Confirmation Bias: Diviners may use the principle of confirmation bias by offering statements that are easily accepted as true by individuals looking for validation. When people hear something that resonates with their current beliefs or emotional state, they tend to focus on and remember those details, even if the overall reading is vague or incorrect.

□Overcharging and exploiting vulnerabilities: Many diviners prey on vulnerable individuals, such as those experiencing grief, anxiety, or uncertainty. They may charge large sums of money for readings, often offering follow-up sessions or selling products (like amulets or spells) that supposedly offer protection or improvement.

□Manipulation through fear: Some diviners create a sense of fear or urgency, warning individuals about impending doom or bad luck unless they follow a specific course of action, buy an object, or perform a ritual. 

□False Promises: Diviners often make promises of solving problems that may be difficult or impossible to fulfill. For example, a diviner might claim to be able to remove bad luck, bring back a lost lover, or secure a job opportunity, leaving individuals with unrealistic expectations.

□Isolation from Critical Thinking: By fostering an environment where people are encouraged to trust only the diviner’s words and reject rational, evidence-based thinking, diviners discourage independent thought. 

WHERE CHRISTIANS SHOULD SEEK GUIDANCE 

For born-again Christians, the Bible emphasizes that the only true source of guidance is God Himself. The practices of divination and seeking guidance from sources contrary to God's word are to be avoided, as they can lead believers away from the truth. 

□God is the only true source of guidance.

Christians are called to trust in God as the ultimate source of wisdom, direction, and understanding. Any other form of guidance, especially through divination or occult practices, is considered to be contrary to God's will and can be harmful spiritually.

-Psalm 32:8, "I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye."

-Isaiah 30:21,"Your ears shall hear a word behind you,saying,This is the way ,walk in it,"Whenever you turn to the right hand or whenever you turn to the left."

□Seek Guidance through God's word.

The Bible is a powerful tool for guidance, and Christians are encouraged to turn to Scripture for wisdom, direction, and understanding. God's word provides clarity for life decisions and spiritual growth.

-Psalm 119:105,"Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path."

-2 Timothy 3:16, "All Scripture is given by Inspiration of God,and is profitable for doctrine,for reproof,for correction,for instruction in righteousness."

□Seek Guidance from the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit is given to believers as a guide, counselor, and teacher. Christians should actively seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit, who helps them understand God’s will and empowers them to live according to His purposes.

-John 14:26,"But the helper,the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, He will teach you all things,and bring to your remembrance all things that i said to you"

-Romans 8:14,"For as many as are lead by the Spirit of God,these are sons of God."

□Pray for wisdom.

When seeking guidance, Christians are encouraged to pray for wisdom, and God promises to give wisdom generously to those who ask in faith.

 -James 1:5,"If any of you lacks wisdom, let them ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach,and it will be given to him."

PRAYERS

1)Lord, we ask for Your protection from the deceptive influence of diviners and occult forces. Surround us with Your heavenly armor and deliver us from every evil influence, in Jesus' name.

2)Father, grant us the gift of discernment to recognize and reject the works of divination and any form of deception in our lives. Help us to always seek Your wisdom and guidance, in Jesus' name.

3)In the name of Jesus,I  renounce and break every curse, enchantment, or spell spoken over my life through divination.I command every evil spirit to leave, and  declare freedom in Christ in Jesus' name.

4)Lord, teach us to trust in You alone for guidance. We reject all forms of divination and choose to rely on Your Word as our source of truth and wisdom in Jesus' name.

5)Heavenly Father, i commit myself to You today. Strengthen my faith and help me walk in Your truth, rejecting every false way. I trust in Your power and love to guide me in all things in Jesus' name.

6)Heavenly Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, I renounce every form of witchcraft in my life. I break every curse and bondage placed upon me through witchcraft, and I command every evil power behind it to be destroyed in Jesus' name.

7)Lord Jesus, I repent for any involvement in divination and for seeking answers outside of Your word. I break every tie to fortune-telling, tarot cards, astrology, and any other form of seeking knowledge from false sources. I declare myself free from the influence of diviners and call upon your mighty name to cleanse me from all the lies of the enemy in Jesus' name.

8)Father, I come before You today and renounce all practices of sorcery that have taken root in my life. I break every enchantment, spell, or hex that has been cast upon me, my family, or my loved ones. In the mighty name of Jesus, I dismantle every power of sorcery, and I declare victory over all evil in Jesus ' name.

9)Lord, I renounce any connection to mediums, spiritists, or anyone who claims to communicate with the dead. I ask for forgiveness for any involvement with these false practices. I declare that I will only seek Your guidance, O Lord, and that I will no longer trust in the dead or spirits in Jesus" name.

10)Almighty God, I renounce every form of occultism in my life. I break the chains of darkness and every tie to occult practices, including secret societies, black magic, and demonic rituals. I command every spirit of occult power to leave my life right now in Jesus ' name.

11)Lord, I come before You asking for deliverance from any bondage that has come through occult practices. I bind the spirit of witchcraft, sorcery, and every form of evil influence that has attached itself to me. I break free from every occult chain, and I declare that I am now free to walk in Your divine purpose and peace in Jesus' name.

12)Heavenly Father, I declare that I am free from any generational curses of witchcraft, sorcery, and occult practices. I break every demonic chain that has been passed down through my family line. I declare that the power of Jesus Christ is greater than every curse and that I am set free by the blood of the Lamb in Jesus' name.

13)Lord, I rebuke and renounce any lies I have believed about the power of witchcraft, sorcery, or any false powers. I declare that You are the only true source of power, and I choose to walk in Your light. I bind every spirit of deception, and I ask for Your truth to set me free. In Jesus’ name.

14)O Lord, I ask for healing and freedom from any soul ties I have formed through participation in occult practices. I break every spiritual link to witchcraft, divination, sorcery, and spiritism. I command every demonic spirit that has gained access through these practices to leave my life now in Jesus' name.

15)Father God, I pray for complete deliverance from all witchcraft in my life. I renounce any spirits of manipulation, control, and fear that have come through witchcraft and sorcery. I break every agreement I have made with darkness, and I stand firm in your power in Jesus' name.

16)Lord Jesus, I renounce any involvement in spiritism, including attempts to communicate with spirits, demons, or ancestors. I break all curses and chains placed upon me through these practices. I choose to trust only in the Holy Spirit for guidance and reject all false spirits in Jesus' name.

17)In the name of Jesus Christ, I take authority over every occult force that has influenced my life. I break the power of any occult rituals, secret knowledge, or demonic guidance that has been used against me. I call upon the blood of Jesus to cleanse me, and I declare my freedom from every force of darkness in Jesus' name.

18) I break every stronghold of divination that has held me captive. I renounce every form of fortune-telling, horoscopes, and psychic influence that has tried to lead me away from Your truth. I plead the blood of Jesus to wash away any involvement in these practices in Jesus' name.

19)Heavenly Father, I come against the spirits of witchcraft that are influencing my life. I bind every spirit of manipulation, rebellion, and control that has been empowered by witchcraft and sorcery. I break every chain and declare that these evil spirits no longer have any hold over me in Jesus' name.

20)Lord,release me from every curse, hex, and bondage associated with occult practices. I renounce any past involvement in secret or forbidden knowledge, and I break all ties to witchcraft and sorcery. I declare that I am set free and that no evil force can have dominion over my life in Jesus' name.

Thank you Lord for answering my prayers on Jesus' name,Amen.