I saw a television commercial in which they offered a gold charm that was supposed to protect me from all bad things…. So I went to see a spiritual guide and told him that a fortuneteller had told me that I was born with bad luck…. The guide listened to me and suggested that I come back right away with three white candles. I wouldn’t do it. So the guide said, “Come back on Tuesday.” I went back that day, and the guide told me to hold [the charm] and say some words. Then he said: “Your problem is very serious. You could have a heart attack or a stroke…. Come back tomorrow.”
I didn’t return, and I got rid of [the charm] and some energy stones. What do you suggest I do?
Dear Friend,
Fortune-tellers have been around for thousands of years. We can read about them in the story of King Saul, the first king of Israel, as well as in the stories of the prophet Daniel, the apostle Paul, and other well‑known historical figures including Jesus Christ Himself.
They are called sorcerers, practitioners of witchcraft, astrologers, and false prophets, but the thing that all of the accounts have in common is that the fortune-tellers are condemned by God and by His people. In some cases, the fortune-tellers are said to be from Satan himself, while in other cases they are ordinary liars who deceive people for money.
In your case, this deceiver is using fear to get money from you. You obviously didn’t feel good about the experience because you didn’t return the last time he asked you to, and you wrote to us for counsel. Our advice is this: Pray to God the Father in Jesus’ name and ask Him to guide you and to show you His will.
The apostle Paul, in his letter of advice to one of his fellow workers, Timothy, said, “For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.”(1) This instruction from Paul makes it clear that you don’t need anyone to talk to God on your behalf. You don’t need a so‑called spiritual guide, or a pastor, or a priest, or a deceased loved one. No one can pray in your place. Jesus Christ died on the cross to take away your sins and our sins, and to make it possible for us to reach God directly, without the intervention of anyone else.
When you turn to fortune-tellers and spiritual guides as a means to know God’s will or as a means to communicate with God, you are acting as if Jesus’ death on the cross is not enough for you. Charms, energy stones, and other religious icons are a way to practice religion, but they are not a way to know God personally. Read the Bible yourself if you want advice from God. Pray in your own words in Jesus’ name and ask God to show you what He wants from you. He will not disappoint you.
Your friends,
Linda and Charles
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1 1Ti 2:5