| We are constantly being bombarded with images. | | | | gotten her little "zoom, zoom" car and didn't even |
| A lot of them are marketing and advertising | | | | realize it. |
| messages that we see on TV, billboards, or in the | | | | What would happen with our faith if we would do |
| paper. And when it comes to the Internet, | | | | the same thing that the marketers do, but |
| advertising is everywhere from email to almost | | | | substitute the desires that God has given us? |
| every web page you visit. But when it comes to | | | | Would we find that our desire for the things of |
| our lives and our faith, it's the images in our minds | | | | God would increase if we marketed them to |
| that have the greatest impact on us. | | | | ourselves? And would we experience greater faith |
| Advertisers and marketers have long understood | | | | if we had a clear picture in our minds of the |
| the power of imagery. If they can get a person | | | | things we are asking for? The answer is yes. |
| to imagine a certain feeling, and then associate | | | | But a lot of Christians have a problem with the |
| that feeling with a product, they have a much | | | | idea of visualization. The problem comes up |
| better chance of selling the product to that | | | | because the New Age movement has tried to |
| person. The use of the proper images is | | | | convince everyone that they invented the |
| extremely important because of the emotions | | | | concept. The truth is that visualization, picturing |
| they cause. | | | | things in our minds that we are seeking from |
| And once they get someone emotionally involved | | | | God, is an old biblical truth and not a New Age |
| with something, once they have created or | | | | phenomenon. |
| intensified the desire, the product is sold. The | | | | There are times when we "throw out the baby |
| simple truth is that most of us will more readily | | | | with the bathwater," and we really shouldn't do |
| buy something that we feel we really want over | | | | that with visualization. If we look at the Old |
| something that we just think we need. | | | | Testament example of Jacob in Genesis 30, he |
| A couple of years ago my wife was tired of | | | | used branches that he made to look like spots |
| driving around in our minivan. She really liked the | | | | and streaks in order to help him get a picture in |
| Mazda commercials with the cute little boy that | | | | his mind. He had asked God to help him provide |
| said, "Zoom, zoom!" And started talking about | | | | for his family. He came to an agreement with |
| wanting a little "zoom, zoom" car. About that time | | | | Laban, his father-in-law and boss, that he would |
| she got refrigerator magnet that had one of | | | | be able to keep all the spotted and speckled |
| those 3-D pictures that goes back and forth | | | | livestock. The branches helped him keep his |
| between two things. The one picture was of a | | | | request in mind, and God prospered him because |
| van and the other of the Mazda. | | | | of his faith. |
| Not long after that she was visiting some of her | | | | Is your faith struggling because you can't imagine |
| family and noticed how her nephew, his wife, and | | | | God actually answering your prayers? The answer |
| their baby, car seat and all, were crammed into | | | | may be to take some time and visualize, see |
| their little car. They talked about it and decided to | | | | yourself receiving your requests from God. The |
| trade straight across, our minivan for their Ford | | | | boost that your faith will receive could change the |
| Probe. What we found out later was that the | | | | way you pray, and your life. |
| Ford Probe was actually built by Mazda. She had | | | | |