Tim Keller and Prayer

Psa 1:1 Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; 2 but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night.

Col 2:8 See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ.

Tim Keller sure is proud of himself.

Quote:

I like to use Luther's contemplative method that he outlines in his famous letter on prayer that he wrote to his barber....There are two kinds of Bible reading that I try to do. I read the psalms through every month using the Book of Common Prayer's daily office. I also read through the Bible using Robert Murray M'Cheyne's reading calendar.

Besides morning prayer (M'Cheyne, Psalms, meditation, and petition) and evening prayer (Psalms and repentance) I try as often as possible to take five minutes in the middle of the day to take a spiritual inventory, either by remembering the more spiritually radioactive ideas from my morning devotion, or by a quick look at my most besetting sins and idols. I do that to see whether so far that day I've given in to bad attitudes such as pride, coldness and hardness of heart, anxiety, and unkindness. If I see myself going wrong, the mid-day prayer can catch it. The problem with mid-day prayer is finding a time for it, since every day is different. All I need is to get alone for a few minutes, but that is often impossible, or more often than not I just forget. However, I carry a little guide to mid-day prayer in my wallet which I can take out and use.

End quote. Source.

Problems:

Luther taught a false gospel of justification and salvation by water sprinkling and the eucharist. Gal. 1:8-9 says such a man is accursed. He was blind to the Truth and promoted Romanism despite his tiff with his Mother Roman church. Between his Larger Catechism and 95 Theses, this is very clear. Therefore, use of this man is the broad road that leads to Rome.

The Book of Common Prayer is from Rome’s daughter the Anglican church. Why use what an illegitimate and dead church uses….unless you actually have common ground with them. In that case, then, one is lost. There is no life in the flesh.

I’ve noticed he’s gotten on the Piper-loves-M’Cheyen wagon. Seems that’s the latest trend. I find this troublesome.

There’s a lot of of pride and arrogance dripping from Keller as he props himself up as an example of Contemplative praying. First and foremost, Keller denies the Creation account as Genesis has dictated; he is very Emergent and worldly, and has promoted Eastern Mysticism at his church, in addition to his feminism in allowing women to teach men at church. Here’s a list of why he’s dangerous is here.

So he can pat himself on the back about how he’s found the secret to praying that is somehow on another spiritual plain (Gnostic); the fact of the matter is, the man doesn’t even hold Scripture very high, nor does he believe what it says. Scripture alone tells us to meditate on Scripture and on Christ---we don’t need all these programs and dead lost men who can’t lead us to Christ anyway, to bring us into a higher level of spirituality. That, however, is exactly what Keller seeks (his church taught “The Way Of the Monk” and Lectio Divina prayers). He is the blind leading the blind.

What Scripture says:

Eph 4:17 Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds. 18 They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart. 19 They have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity.

Eph 4:20 But that is not the way you learned Christ!-- 21 assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus, 22 to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires,23 and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, 24 and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.

Mat 6:6 "But you, when you pray, go into your inner room, close your door and pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.

Mat 6:7 "And when you are praying, do not use meaningless repetition as the Gentiles do, for they suppose that they will be heard for their many words.

Mat 6:8 "So do not be like them; for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.

Mat 6:9 "Pray, then, in this way: 'Our Father who is in heaven, Hallowed be Your name.

Mat 6:10 'Your kingdom come. Your will be done, On earth as it is in heaven.

Mat 6:11 'Give us this day our daily bread.

Mat 6:12 'And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.

Mat 6:13 'And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil. [For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.]'