The Law of Attraction: A Dangerous Myth That Misleads Us from True Faith

Not long ago, I found myself watching one of those motivational videos about the Law of Attraction—you know, the kind that promises if you just think positively enough, visualize your dreams, and speak them out loud, the universe will hand you everything you desire. At first, I rolled my eyes, but I decided to give it a fair shot, thinking it could be one of those harmless “feel-good” ideas.

The video started with the usual lines: “Visualize the life you want, and the energy you put into that thought will align the universe to bring it to you.” It sounded almost too simple—almost laughable, if I’m being honest. Yet, the more I listened, the more I found myself drawn in. The idea that we could control our reality with our thoughts and words was appealing, especially when life felt out of control.

I started practicing it—especially during a time when I was battling depression. I was looking for hope, for peace, for some kind of control over the pain I felt inside. I remember writing letters to the universe, asking for things I thought would make me happy. Things like success, stability, comfort, beauty, attention, and healing. But looking back now, I see those were all temporary things—things that fade and don’t last. I wasn’t writing to God, I was writing to some imagined force, hoping it would deliver what I wanted.

I did this for a long time. I truly believed that if I just aligned my energy with the right thoughts, something would change. I repeated affirmations, visualized outcomes, and tried to believe with all my heart that “the universe” was listening. It gave me a temporary sense of control and hope, but over time, it left me feeling emptier than before.

When Things Got Weird

In one of those videos, the speaker said something that finally stopped me in my tracks. He claimed that if you speak your desires aloud, the universe will grant them—like a genie. I remember thinking, This can’t be right. Something about it sounded off… and wrong. But what really disturbed me was how they started using Bible verses to back up their message.

They quoted, “Ask, and it shall be given to you” (Matthew 7:7), and twisted it to mean that God supports the Law of Attraction—that He’ll give you whatever you want, just because you said it out loud. Some even claimed that we could “speak things into existence,” as if God had handed us the power to command reality.

I’m slowly getting my faith back, since I just can’t quite understand the Bible and why certain things happened the way they did. But I knew enough to recognize this wasn’t what Jesus meant. These teachings were taking the Word of God and using it to justify self-centered thinking. That made me feel sick to my stomach.

The Core of the Lie

The Law of Attraction tells us that we can control our lives with our thoughts. That if we believe hard enough, the universe will give us what we want. But this idea removes God from the picture completely. It tells us we are the ones in charge—not our Creator. And that’s the heart of the problem.

This belief fed something inside of me during my low points: the desire to fix things my way. When I was depressed, it felt empowering to think I could climb out of the pit by simply “thinking better thoughts.” But in reality, I was placing the burden of healing and success entirely on myself—and on some unseen force that wasn’t God.

I started to realize: the Law of Attraction doesn’t encourage surrender, or trust in God's will. It encourages obsession with control. And ironically, that control slips further out of your hands the more you chase it.

Twisting Scripture to Fit a Lie

The more I got into these teachings, the more I noticed how they misused Scripture. People would casually quote verses like “You have not because you ask not” (James 4:2), or “Life and death are in the power of the tongue” (Proverbs 18:21), as if these were instructions for unlocking the universe's treasure chest.

But they never mentioned the rest of those passages—the parts that call us to humility, repentance, and surrender to God’s will. The Bible isn’t a book of spells. It's the living Word of God, meant to draw us closer to Him, not to twist into motivational soundbites.

A Faith That Centers on Self Will Always Fail

What I came to realize—slowly and painfully—is that the Law of Attraction teaches a faith centered on self. Everything becomes about my dreams, my timing, my success. And the moment that things don’t go our way, we blame ourselves—or worse, feel abandoned by a universe that was never listening to begin with.

But Christianity isn’t about getting everything we want. It’s about trusting God even when we don’t understand. Even when He says “no.” Even when He is silent.

When I started turning back to God—really turning back—I began to see the difference. Faith in God doesn’t promise everything will be easy, but it does promise we’ll never be alone. It promises a love that isn’t based on what we ask for, but who He is. It leads us to eternal things, not just temporary pleasures.

From Manifestation to Surrender

Romans 8:28 says, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who are called according to His purpose.” That verse was a turning point for me. I had spent so long trying to make life work my way. But now I was learning to let go—to let God work things out in His timing, for His purpose.

Instead of writing letters to the universe, I began writing prayers to God. Honest ones. Even confused ones. Instead of pretending to have all the answers, I admitted I didn’t. I still don’t. But I’m learning to trust the One who does.

Final Thoughts: The Truth That Set Me Free

The Law of Attraction promises control—but delivers confusion. It promises power—but leaves you exhausted. And worst of all, it promises fulfillment—but leads you away from the only One who can truly satisfy your soul.

If you’ve fallen into the trap of manifestation and speaking things into existence like I did, you’re not alone. I was deep in it, especially during my darkest times. But you don’t have to stay there.

God isn’t a genie. He’s not the “universe.” He’s a loving Father who sees you, knows you, and wants to carry your burdens—not hand you a list of things to manifest on your own.

You don’t need to write to the universe. Just talk to Him. Even if it’s messy. Even if it’s confused. That’s where healing begins.

As always -

Thank you for being here,

Ana