Joni Eareckson Tada and Rome

by Denise Gumprecht

"For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths." 2 Timothy 4: 3-4

2 Corinthians 11:3  “But I am afraid that as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your thoughts will be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ. 4  For if someone comes and proclaims another Jesus than the one we proclaimed, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or if you accept a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it readily enough.” 

September 20-22, 2012 were the dates for Nancy Demoss Wolgemuth’s  ‘ Revive Our Hearts’, ‘True Woman ’12’ Conference, held in Indianapolis with speakers: Nancy Demoss Wolgemuth, Joni Eareckson Tada, Joy McClain, Janet Parshall, Mary Kassian, & Priscilla Shirer.  

Upon viewing a few episodes from this conference (True Woman '12: Forgiving Like You've Been Forgiven — Joni Eareckson Tada ); one notices a peculiar, large, Circle drawn on the platform floor which surrounded the podium where the women would speak. 

For these women; this was their ‘prayer circle’; an extra-Biblical TOOL, which caused those praying within it, protection, power, and concentration. This is a pagan practice with it’s roots in mysticism and witchcraft. ALL these women involved were practicing paganism. Not long ago Mark Batterson (lead pastor of National Community Church in Washington, D.C) published a book called, “The Circle Maker”. (https://www.challies.com/book-reviews/the-circle-maker/) He pointed to Jewish mystic; Honi ( an Israelite from the extra-biblical ‘Book of Legends’ from the Talmud; who wanted it to rain, drew a circle around himself, and stayed there demanding God answer his prayer ) , and also British evangelist Gipsy Smith; who used chalk circles as a false prayer tool to cause God to hear & respond.                                              

How does this connect with Joni Eareckson Tada?  Joni was one of the speakers at this conference. She spoke from the center of this mystic ‘prayer circle’.

 (note: other circles had been placed on the floor of this conference room for conference participants to enter, pray, & cry ).  During closing prayer, Joni; along with other women speakers, wheeled herself into the center of the circle praying in agreement that this powerful hedge of a circle would cause God to respond better, make their prayers more powerful, heard by God, and grant their prayer requests.  And when you are praying, do not use thoughtless repetition as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard because of their many words.Matthew 6:7  There is no authority in any circle. Our authority is in Christ alone. “ And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. “ Matthew 28:18

Sadly, there is nothing in Scripture to affirm this bizarre practice. There is nothing in Scripture that states man/women can cause God to act or act better in response to prayer. There is NO power inside a circle. This is false teaching and pagan ritualism. What is very shocking and very grieving is that Joni has set up a mystic, “Virtual Prayer Circle” on her own website for all to use: 

https://joniandfriends.org/series/virtual-prayer-circle/ 

This somehow seemed too similar to false teacher; Pete Greig and his creation of specious and misleading 24/7 prayer with it’s dark rooms: “Boiler Rooms”. Completely demonic & evil.  

https://www.24-7prayer.com/?s=Boiler+room

  ( This is an interdenominational movement of prayer, that has people praying night-and-day and has gone on for more than 20 years reaching all nations. It is connected to modern monasticism ). Also noted is that Greig uses these false prayer circle practices also. ( https://downloads.24-7prayer.com/prayer_course/2019/resources/pdfs/14%20A%20Circle%20Prayer.pdf) Again, man can not cause God to act. Isaiah 46:10-12

We are always aghast when we; as those in Christ, view one who was trusted as a testimony to Christ turns to false teachings. This is where there is another very grieving issue regarding Joni. Joni has become enthralled with Catholic contemplative, Carmelite monk- mystic; “Brother” Lawrence. (author of The Practice of the Presence of God). She is fully impressed with him. “Brother” Lawrence encourages readers to listen to “the voice of God”, chant mantras, empty your mind in order to be filled, and thus “experience God”. Joni has been impressed with  “Brother” Lawrence’s suffering in life and how he viewed this as a way to be closer to God. It became a method of “practicing the presence of God.”