Have you ever heard of people using Psalms as a prayer book?
Question:
Hello,
I was out running errands one day, and as I was waiting in line I started a conversation with a woman who was also waiting, and she mentioned something that seemed very strange to me. She professed to be a Christian and we were talking about prayer and then she said that she uses the Psalms along with candle burning to petition God. She said every psalm has a different use and that she owns a few books on the subject.
I looked one of them up when I got home, and what I found confused me. It seemed more like a spellbook than a prayer book, but this woman had said it was based on what Catholics do with their novenas or something.
Would you please explain this to me? As far as I know, the only thing God allowed in prayer to Him was incense.
Thank you for your time.
Answer:
How can I explain some other person's imaginary religion? Yes, there are people who corrupt the teachings of God in all sorts of ways. "I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel, which is not another; but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed. For do I now persuade men, or God? Or do I seek to please men? For if I still pleased men, I would not be a bondservant of Christ" (Galatians 1:6-10).
The Psalms are beautiful examples of prayers and songs. They can give you ideas for your own prayers, but they are not there to be recited as incantations.
Incense was used in Old Testament worship and only priests were allowed to burn it. It is not a part of Christian worship.
