Vision Quest ??

[Ladyday95]

What do you think about Vision Quests??

What is first thing comes to mind with words "Vision Quest"??

 

[Ladyday95]

For myself, it same as fasting and praying....

I often go on Vision Quest. In Native Amercan tradition. I search for God's will and search for answers to difficulties am having in life.

What are your thoughts??

 

[talitha]

What comes to mind is a Native American tradition of a young man's going out into the wilderness and depriving himself of food, drink, and sleep until he hallucinates because of the deprivation and is open to all sorts of spiritual input and attacks. Many times during these "quests" the young man will encounter a would-be spirit guide. In this context, I believe vision quest to be an occultic, counter-Christian practice. Our spiritual guide is to be the Holy Spirit, not an animal or a ghost, etc.

If we are submitted to God through Christ and fast and pray before Him, I believe He will protect us (Psalm 91:1), and the more general way that LadyDay described a vision quest seems fine. I would just avoid anything that was specifically sanctioned by gods other than Yahweh.


blessings
tal

 

[Ladyday95]

In this context, I believe vision quest to be an occultic, counter-Christian practice. Our spiritual guide is to be the Holy Spirit, not an animal or a ghost, etc.

As with everything thing else is all in how you do it or what you believe... anything can become occultic if you want it that way.... my vision quest's are only for God and the Holy Spirit is my guide but can take the form of animal or angels or friends.
Many people think of Vision quest's in Native American culture as you descibed, it may be true for some but for most have talked with is not true. Today Christain Vision Quest's are totally about seeking God's wisdom and Vision for life, either my own or someone else.

 

[heron]

For us, it might be as simple as turning off the extra input: news, radio, tapes...to give our brains a chance to think on their own. This allows the spirit (and Spirit) to have a say.

 

[FirstStrikeForce]

What do you think about Vision Quests??

What is first thing comes to mind with words "Vision Quest"??

While some native American tribes surely worshiped the one true God "the Great Spirit", there was a lot of animism here. We have the superior revelation, even above what was given to the Jews.

We have clear dictates for seeking God. If we wish to hear from God, and believe, we will receive.

I have gone in the woods to do this. I have gone homeless to do this. I have done this at my own home. I have done all of these things -- when I was started out.

Now, seeking God and doing His will is an everyday event, and I hear from Him regularly.

Looking for an "animal guide" or something like that is not good. Why would anyone look for an "animal guide" when God can explain everything to them?

One is very unclear, the other is very clear.

You do need to not focus on other Christians. They can make shamans look good sometimes. The only thing you need to focus on them about is to recall: how many truly seek God in private? How many fast, keep vigils, pray dilligently, and do other such expressions of seeking -- and make very carely to tell and in no way reveal such things to no one else?

The truth is you can fast and do vigils all you want... you can go out into the wilderness... you can bring the homeless poor right into your very house... you can work at soup kitchens and beg and plead God in sackcloth all day long... but when you tell or reveal this to other people -- right there you have lost your reward.

This is not a social event. We are all hypocrites.

We can not go, "Well, that does not matter to me! I am not a hypocrite! I have no hypocrisy in me!" I see people do this all the time, then they make their seeking into a social event. Then, they wonder why they never actually find anything. Actually, they do not wonder -- because they were never sent by God to seek in the first place.

In fact, I can only talk about these things and give such advice because I already got what I was seeking for when I did these things.

God gives us puzzles, mysteries... and being from God, and we know it, we desperately want to understand. That is what causes us to seek.

If we believe the words of other Christians who know of such things, then these things become such puzzles. So I allude to Scripture for those who can understand.

But, no one can believe such words -- unless they have the Spirit of God within them already showing them that such words are true.

 

[riders4c]

What comes to mind is a Native American tradition of a young man's going out into the wilderness and depriving himself of food, drink, and sleep until he hallucinates because of the deprivation and is open to all sorts of spiritual input and attacks. Many times during these "quests" the young man will encounter a would-be spirit guide. In this context, I believe vision quest to be an occultic, counter-Christian practice. Our spiritual guide is to be the Holy Spirit, not an animal or a ghost, etc.

If we are submitted to God through Christ and fast and pray before Him, I believe He will protect us (Psalm 91:1), and the more general way that LadyDay described a vision quest seems fine. I would just avoid anything that was specifically sanctioned by gods other than Yahweh.


blessings
tal

I used to feel the same way until I read this scripture. I always sensed a great spiritual presence on my walks in nature and just watching the animals in the wild. And now working with horses, I know they have so much to teach us on so many levels. This scripture best sums it up and just lets us open our hearts and our minds to allow God to teach us and show us things through his creation.

Job 12:7-10
New International Version (NIV)
7 “But ask the animals, and they will teach you,
or the birds in the sky, and they will tell you;
8 or speak to the earth, and it will teach you,
or let the fish in the sea inform you.
9 Which of all these does not know
that the hand of the Lord has done this?
10 In his hand is the life of every creature
and the breath of all mankind.

I think questing with the Holy Spirit is what is lacking in most of the way we currently practice our faith. There is so much out there that God wants to show us and we get too worried about whether its' ok or not ok. God knows and only cares about what is in our hearts and will lead us on good paths when we are truly seeking him. Seeking him in a spirit or vision quest is just that. Jesus said when he died he would send us the Holy Spirit to be our guide, our comforter, our teacher. The spirit of God is often seen through the wonders of his creation, including animals, bushes, rocks, water, etc. So I believe the Spirit will reveal things to us. You never know which animal is an angel (and God says you may entertain angels without even knowing it). Even Jesus went on a spiritual quest.

Mark 1:9-13
Amplified Bible (AMP)
9 In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan.
10 And when He came up out of the water, at once he [John] saw the heavens torn open and the [Holy] Spirit like a dove coming down [[a]to enter] into Him.
11 And there came a voice [c]out from within heaven, You are My Beloved Son; in You I am well pleased.
12 Immediately the [Holy] Spirit [from within] drove Him out into the wilderness (desert),
13 And He stayed in the wilderness (desert) forty days, being tempted [all the while] by Satan; and He was with the wild beasts, and the angels ministered to Him [continually].