How do you define witchcraft?
Exodus 30: 7-8 says
7 “Aaron must burn fragrant incense on the altar every morning when he tends the lamps. 8 He must burn incense again when he lights the lamps at twilight so incense will burn regularly before the Lord for the generations to come.
[Psalm 141:2
May my prayer be set before you like incense. may the lifting up of my hands be like the evening sacrifice
[Revelation 8:3]
Another angel, who had a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense to offer, with the prayers of all God’s people, on the golden altar in front of the throne
None of these scriptures indicate that God has a problem with the burning of incense.
The scriptures that do take issue imply that the incense was offered to another god, which has nothing to do with the incense itself but the treaspassing of the Commandment:
You shall have no other gods before Me" (Exodus 20:3
As opposed to the act of burning incense in and of itself. Unless it is dedicated to a specific god or purpose, then it just smells nice so… Whats the problem?
As for smudging (burning sage/herb/incense), if it is used to clear negativity or evil spirits or demons from a given space or to prepare that space for spiritual practice, I would say that, for a Christian, it only matters by what name you do these things. Or by which god.
1Corinthians 10:30
[New Living Translation]
If I can thank God for the food and enjoy it, why should I be condemned for eating it?
Or
[Majority Standard Bible]
If I partake in the meal with thankfulness, why am I denounced because of that for which I give thanks?
If this aegument can apply to food, back when some people considered some food to be sinful to eat, why wouldn’t the same logic apply for a spiritual practice you do in the name of Christ? By the Holy Spirit? When God created the sage to begin with?
Perhaps it is a matter of conscience as well. If you think of it as witchcraft and you feel guilty at the thought of doing it, then don’t do it. Or if you are fine with it but others wont be, don’t tell them and don’t do it with them.
Salt is commonly used in witchcraft too. Would you stop using salt all together because a group of people use salt to dip their crystals or magic wands to clear hostile energies?
A lemon is said to clear negativity from a space too. You slice it in half and leave it in a room. And it makes the room smell good.
There is a practice of putting a pinapple above a door frame in order to magically get wealth.
Some people even take a certain turkey bone and have a contest to see who breaks off the bigger piece- then make a wish. Others make a wish after blowing out the candles on their birthday cake…
Salt, lemons, and pinapples, turkey bones, and the birthday cakes of children… Does evil know no bounds?
I define the spirit of witchcraft as trying to bend the will of another to your own will. Manipulating, controlling, decieving. Anything done for selfish gain that disrespects the will, personal boundaries or well being of another person, a group, the well being of the world, and of course the Will of God. Any spiritual practice that corrupts a person, takes posession of them, treats them as an object to be used, sickens them into decline, or moves them to do what you want them to do despite what they themselves would want or choose to do for themselves.
So praying that someone would love you, against their will, could be considered witchcraft.
Praying that someone would stay home with you because you are lonely instead of going to work or visiting their family could be considred witchcraft.
Praying for God to destroy your enemies or to do harm to others could be considered witchcraft.
Unless you pray for their absolute good, well being, safe keeping, preservation, maturity, salvation, or that God would help them to know the truth or percieve clearly…etc
So that not only does it matter by what God you pray, but also your intention for saying the prayer Does it line up with the nature of the Holy Spirit? And if not, perhaps the prayer itself needs to be meditated on and prayed about.
At least that is my opinion. Take it with a grain of…salt.
