By Vlad Savchuk | June 23, 2025 | 7 minutes
7 Prayers That Could Turn Into Witchcraft
Did you know that certain prayers could actually align more with witchcraft than Christianity? People may say these types of prayers without realizing that they are doing more harm than good. Here are 7 types of prayers you should stay away from, according to Scripture.
Stop Using Prayer Like This
1. Treating Prayer Like Magic
The first misguided way to approach prayer is to see it as some magical tool that will solve things just when you say it.
The Bible says in Matthew 6:7, “And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words.” In other words, God desires authenticity not repetition without meaning. For instance, we see how the prophets of Baal (1 Kings 18:25-29) repeated chants hoping to get the response through repetition and frenzy. However, in the same passage, Elijah prayed a simple, heartfelt prayer once, and God answered immediately.
Now this does not mean that we cannot repeat our prayer to God because we see Jesus prayed three times the same prayer in the garden and Paul prayed many times for the Lord to remove the thorn out of his flesh. However, this means there is no need for mindless repetition of the same thing without the heart’s involvement.
2. Using People as Mediators Instead of Jesus
Secondly, I would encourage you to stop using people as mediators instead of Jesus (things like praying to Mary, saints, or angels, instead of Jesus). The Bible tells us clearly in 1 Timothy 2:5, “For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind.” That is not Mary or saints, but Christ Jesus.
Now could you ask another person to stand with you in prayer for a certain petition? Yes. However, it must never replace our own understanding that we each have direct access to God through Jesus and the cross. We don’t need to go through someone else.
Take the example of King Saul for instance. He was wrongfully trying to consult Samuel through a medium, in 1st Samuel 28. He tried to communicate through a deceased prophet instead of going directly to God, which was witchcraft. In contrast in other passage we see how Stephan prays directly to Jesus (Acts 7:59-60). He was fully aware that Christ alone is the mediator between God and humanity.
3. Trying to Manipulate Outcomes
Next, it’s important to never use prayer as an aim to manipulate. Using prayer to force God’s hand selfishly can be considered witchcraft. Scripture says in James 4:3, “When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives…” In other words, asking God to fulfill your personal desires, treating Him like a genie is not faith. It’s spiritual manipulation.
We see Simon the Sorcerer (Acts 8:18-23) attempted to buy power for personal gain, which brought to light his true motives. On the other hand, when we see the example of how prayer should be used, we see Jesus in the Gethsemane (Matthew 26:39) praying genuinely and submitting His will to the Fathers. He did not want to manipulate the outcomes, but rather trust God fully even through His suffering.
Another example of this form of manipulation is found in the mother of two disciples of Jesus who said “I want my son to sit on the right, and my other son to sit on the left.” It was almost as if she was saying “Hey Jesus, I love You, I honor You but I really want you to do this thing for me.” It was then that Jesus said to her, “you don’t know what you ask.” And I believe that those words tell us the heart God has for prayers like that.
4. Praying for Revenge or Harm
Another prayer to avoid is praying in order to bring curses and harm on your enemies. The Bible says in Romans 12:14 that we are to “Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.”
In Luke 9:51-56, James and John wanted to call fire down on the city that didn’t accept Jesus, but Jesus rebuked them and taught them, instead, that prayer should never be a tool of revenge. In fact, through His example we see that He prayed for forgiveness for people that are hurting Him on the cross (Luke 23:34). Jesus was not praying vengeance prayers, even on the cross. He is our ultimate example.
5. Seeking Spirits & Signs Over Scripture
It’s also important to avoid going to prayer to seek signs over what Scripture says. For instance, consulting spirit guides, horoscopes or demanding signs from God instead of trusting in His Word is a very dangerous path that can lead you towards witchcraft. Deuteronomy 18:10-12 says, “Let there be no one found among you who… engages in witchcraft or casts spells.” We also see Jesus saying in Matthew 12:39 that “A wicked generation asks for a sign.”
In other words, trusting in signs more than you trust in the Scripture is trusting in the supernatural more than in the God who created it. When King Saul was consulting a witch (1st Samuel 28), he was impatient, disobedient, and turned from God’s Word to seek supernatural guidance through forbidden practices. That cost him his life. Jesus on the other hand resists Satan in the wilderness and his temptation for supernatural shortcuts by relying strictly on the Scripture.
This shows us that we are to trust in God’s Word above the supernatural signs. They can’t be used as a replacement of relying on the Scripture.
6. Trusting in Spiritual Objects To Connect With God
Next, I would encourage you to stop trusting in spiritual objects instead of God’s Word, believing that they have spiritual power. The Scripture says in Acts 19:19 that many who practiced sorcery brought their scrolls and burned them publicly. This teaches us that the true power is in God and not in sacred objects, crystals or anointed items.
Now, can we lay hands on people, use anointing oil, and partake in communion? Yes, but these things don’t hold the power. It is found in Christ alone. God has power.
Be very careful that you don’t use objects to connect to God. None of these things bring us close to God. They can be used as a reminder to pray or to remember what Christ has done for us, but they in themselves hold no power.
For instance, we see that the Israelites and the bronze serpent in 2 Kings 18:4. Israel wrongly treated the bronze serpent, originally meant to be a sign of healing, as an idol. Because they turned and relyed on it rather than God, King Hezekiah destroyed in order to help refocus people on God. In the N.T., we see that although God used objects like Paul’s handkerchiefs by Paul as a means to heal, Paul never encouraged to trust in these items, nor did he market them, mass produce them and sold them.
Instead, we see that converts openly burned occult objects and focused their trust on Jesus.
7. Praying for Wealth Without God’s Kingdom
Lastly, stop praying for wealth without God’s kingdom. This can be a dangerous road and prioritizing material blessing over spiritual growth is not in line with God’s word. Matthew 6:33 tells us to “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and these things shall be added to you.” In other words God wants your heart first, not just your wallet full.
The rich fool in Luke 12:16-21 prayed and planned purely for material prosperity but he neglected his soul’s condition and God’s kingdom, which resulted in him losing everything. To contrast, Solomon asked for wisdom and this pleased God because he prioritized spiritual wisdom over material wealth, and God added blessings of wealth and honor as a result.
I pray these give you a more clear guideline of the kind of heart posture to have and what to stay away from as you pray.
Watch Video
