”Our prayers may be awkward. Our attempts may be feeble. But since the power of prayer is in the One who hears it and not in the one who says it, our prayers do make a difference.” -Max Lucado
Does imagination play a role in active Christian faith?
As a person dominated by creativity and imagination in every aspect of living, I wholeheartedly cry, “YES!” My first point of evidence is the fact that I am fueled by imagination, and I am actively walking in faith. Before I get into trying to explain why I believe imagination does play a role in your faith, let me give you some context. Jono Kiminsky said, “There is a battle for your imagination [in the battle between God and evil].” Now, most people say satan is after your mind, your soul, or some other physical, or more prominent, conceptual part of yourself. Why would he say imagination? The context he put this word in begs a particular question. What do you mean by “imagination”?
Merriam- Webster’s Dictionary states multiple definitions for the word “imagination”.
- ability to confront and deal with a problem
- the thinking or active mind
- a creation of the mind
- an idealized or poetic creation
All of these start with the mind. Imagination can simply be creativity or something more. Imagination is creating an entire universe inside your head, then deciding it’s not good enough for the world outside. We create ideas in our minds before they ever become reality. We talk ourselves out of being afraid, or into disregarding our thoughts entirely. Imagination is the birthplace of understanding because understanding is “the ability to comprehend and perceive objects or ideas with good judgement”. Faith is probably one of the most mentally oriented challenges you will ever take on.
Prayer is a hard concept for most Christians. Except, no one is willing to admit they don’t get it or “can’t do it”. It feels like you’re just thinking things in your head. But it’s supposed to be a conversation. And people suggest- just talk out loud! But then it just feels like you’re talking to yourself! You feel more alone than ever. But I’ve devised a different path for prayer that seems to be working for me. I use my imagination. I make myself focus and really just listen. I know God’s not going to answer my prayers with a loud, booming voice. (Although, that would be legit.) But I try to listen. I want to hear God speak to me in ways others say He does or will. I use my imagination to pull a physical presence of God into my small bedroom. I feel like He just talks to me in a different way. It’s not obvious, but it’s enough for me. My actions speak for themselves. I find myself doing things and saying things that exemplify God’s will and character. It isn’t one of those “my body was moving on its own” experiences, but it definitely comes from God. It may be frustrating at times, but it does help me feel more fulfilled in my prayer life.
Faith definitely relies on imagination to thrive. Just think, when people ask us how we can just accept the many doctrines and proverbs of God, we have to identify the fact that part of it must be taken on faith! Faith is a “strong belief or trust in someone or something”. I have to trust that this God I serve and devote my life to is real. But when that first step is taken, He proves Himself beyond a shadow of a doubt. Satan lives in the shadows, so he shouldn’t have any power, right? God just proved Himself beyond the shadows. But Satan plays on our doubts. We all have them. Because after all of the fresh excitement of finding God and committing your life to Him, life goes on. You go back to old habits, someone dies, or something happens that turns your whole life around. And here comes Satan to put his arm around you, and pat you on the shoulder. “There, there. Why is this all happening to you?” And tell him you have no idea. None of this should be happening! You believe in God, don’t you? “Well, what has that done for you?”
Once your imagination gets going, there is no stopping it. The “what ifs” and “maybes” flood your mind and you doubt. If your imagination is compromised, it can devastatingly affect your physical state. You feel fear or sadness, and you might stay in bed or not eat anything for days. When your thoughts become negative and your mind imagines worst case scenarios, you tend to react in life towards that. We make decisions and are dictated by the emotions evoked by thought and imagination.
When you’re trying to tell someone else about your faith and “how God works”, it’s difficult. How can you help someone understand something they’ve never known? Most people use metaphors, analogies, and imagery. Showing someone a material object that they are able to recognize furthers their familiarity with the ideas we associate with God. You can conjure up anything with your imagination, and that will help the other person comprehend and grasp the concepts of the Father.
Lastly, most people will argue the point of imagination’s role in faith as nonexistent. Why? Because they either deem imagination useless, or they are perceiving this topic of imagination as “something not real”. When you search the word “imaginary”, the first meaning to show up is:
ADJECTIVE
- existing only in the imagination
Yes, it exists only in imagination. But whose?
