Manifestation books promote a form of self-improvement that focuses on the Law of Attraction, mindset shifts, and spiritual growth to attract desired outcomes. Christians can be easily tempted into reading, believing and practising the principles and techniques promoted by the authors and influencers. It is a concern and Ministers Fellowship International, Singapore (MFIS) has issued a pastoral response to believers. Here it is:

“Dear Church family,

I want to speak to you as a pastor, not as a critic and certainly not as someone standing above you. In recent times, several books and teachings on manifestation, alignment, and attracting what you desire have found their way into Christian circles. Some of you have read them. Some of you have been recommended these books by friends. And some of you are simply trying to make sense of what you’re hearing.

Let me say this clearly at the start: if you’ve picked up one of these books, you are not doing something strange or rebellious. Most people who read them are not chasing deception; they’re chasing hope. They want healing. They want clarity. They want a breakthrough. They want to know that their lives matter and that something better is possible.

That desire is not wrong. But where we turn to satisfy that desire matters more than we often realise.

What concerns me is not the language of growth or healing. It’s the quiet shift that happens beneath the surface of many manifestation teachings, a shift that slowly moves our trust away from God and places it back onto ourselves.

Over time, faith can become technique. Prayer can become a process. God can begin to sound less like a loving Father and more like an impersonal force that responds if we get the steps right.

Scripture calls us to somewhere different.

When Jesus taught us to pray, He didn’t say, “Align yourself and speak it into being.” He taught us to say, “Your will be done.” That prayer isn’t passive, but it is surrendered. It recognises that God is not something we access; He is Someone we follow.

Many manifestation teachings talk about “the Universe” responding to our energy or alignment. But the God of the Bible is not an energy to tune into. He is the Lord who speaks, leads, corrects, loves, and sometimes says no because He sees what we cannot. We don’t manage Him; we trust Him.

Another thing I want to gently address is how healing is often framed in these teachings. Inner healing is presented as a way to remove blocks so you can finally attract the life you want. Healing becomes a tool to get outcomes.

In Scripture, healing serves a deeper purpose. God heals us so we can walk more freely with Him, love more fully, obey more deeply, and reflect Christ more clearly. Healing is not about becoming more powerful over life; it’s about becoming more yielded to God.

One of the most subtle dangers of manifestation thinking is that it slowly trains our hearts to continually ask, “What do I want?” instead of, “Lord, what are You doing?” It shifts the centre of gravity from surrender to self-management.

Biblical faith, on the other hand, doesn’t promise control; it promises presence. It doesn’t give us mastery over outcomes; it teaches us trust in the One who holds outcomes in His hands.

If you’ve been reading manifestation books, I’m not here to shame you or alarm you. But to invite you to pause and be honest before God.

Ask yourself:

• Has this drawn me closer to Jesus or made Him feel less necessary?

• Has prayer become more about getting results or staying surrendered?

• Am I learning to trust God more or myself more?

These are not accusatory questions. They are discerning ones.

The Holy Spirit does not lead us into self-sovereignty. He leads us into Christ-likeness. He forms in us a faith that rests, obeys, and trusts even when outcomes are uncertain.

Scripture still calls us to this simple, grounding truth:
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding.”

That is not a weakness. That is where real faith begins.

As your pastor, my heart is this: don’t settle for a spirituality that gives you techniques when God is offering you Himself. Don’t trade surrender for control. And don’t let anything, even something that sounds helpful, quietly replace Jesus at the centre of your faith.

Let us be a people who trust Him fully, walk with Him humbly, and follow Him faithfully no matter where the path leads.”

With love and care,

Pastor Gabriel Han

Ministers Fellowship International, Singapore