‘Manifest’ - A Christian Take on 2024’s Word of the Year
It's official: this week ‘manifest’ was crowned the Cambridge Dictionary's Word of the Year for 2024! And it’s no surprise: from celebrities like Dua Lipa and Simone Biles to Instagram and TikTok posts filled with vision boards and positive affirmations, this once-niche term has exploded into mainstream culture, drawing in people with its promises of self-determination and actualisation. The idea behind it is simple: visualise what you want, believe in it with all your heart, and then watch it come to pass.
But even though it may appear to be just another craze, the practice of ‘manifesting’ raises some deeper philosophical and theological questions. Can we really shape the universe through our thoughts? Is it possible to create our own destiny? What does God have to say about this quest for self-determination?
Manifesting vs. Biblical Faith
The Bible recognises the power of our thoughts and words; for example, Romans 12:2 tells us that the “renewing of our minds” transforms us, and James 3 shows how our words can either build up or tear down. However, while recognising that what we think and what we say can shape our identity, nowhere does Scripture endorse the idea that simply visualising or repeating affirmations can manifest things like material wealth, success, or relationships - at least without God’s agency.
Faith, as described in the Bible, is not a tool for twisting God’s arm or controlling the universe. It’s not a mystical formula where enough belief magically produces results. True faith is a gift from God (cf. Ephesians 2:8), rooted in His promises and His truth. It's not about having faith in faith itself, but about placing our trust in the One who is eternally faithful. Manifesting, by contrast, centres on human effort and self-empowerment.
Sovereign God or a Cosmic Slot Machine?
At its core, the modern idea of manifesting is not all that different from the ‘prosperity gospel’. In its extreme form at least, the prosperity gospel wrongly suggests that if we have enough faith - or say just the right words - we can compel God to give us what we want. But this dangerously elevates human agency above God’s authority, reducing faith and prayer to mere tools for personal fulfilment. It presents God as a cosmic slot machine, where our faith affirmations and prayers become levers to pull, hoping to hit the jackpot of our wildest desires, rather than recognising God as the Sovereign Lord of the universe.
The Bible, of course, presents a very different picture of prayer and faith. It’s good to pray boldly and believe deeply, but real faith isn’t rooted in our own whims or fancies - it’s grounded in God’s Word and His Spirit, in what God wants to do, not what we demand. Trusting God's character and plan, even when the results don't match our expectations, is a key component of true biblical faith. Consider the fiery trial of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in Daniel 3; though they held on to the belief that God could rescue them from the furnace, they also recognised that He might have a different purpose in mind. Their unwavering faith wasn't based on positive confession or guaranteed outcomes; it was rooted in the knowledge of God's absolute power and unchanging love.
Finding Freedom in Surrender
It’s not hard to understand why manifesting has such a popular appeal today. Against a backdrop of so much uncertainty and hardship, the alluring idea of control and quick fixes - of being able to shape a better future just by thinking it into existence - can feel quite empowering. But the Bible offers something far more truer and far more fulfilling: the freedom that comes from surrendering our plans to God and submitting to His Word, His will, and His way. This kind of surrender doesn’t mean giving up on our hopes and dreams - it means placing them in the hands of an all-loving, all-powerful, and all-knowing God who knows us better than we know ourselves.
Manifesting may seem to provide a shortcut to fulfilment, but there’s no scientific evidence that we can actually will things into existence. As Dr. Sander van der Linden of Cambridge University points out, “It is crucial to understand the difference between the power of positive thinking and moving reality with your mind - the former is healthy, whereas the latter is pseudoscience”. We could also add: it’s crucial to recognise the difference between manifesting and praying, for while manifesting essentially casts desires out into the void, prayer finds its anchor in the objective reality of a loving and listening God.
A Deeper Longing
Today’s popular practice of manifesting betrays a deeper longing within the human heart: a desire for control, security, and a better life. Although manifesting appeals to these desires, in the end it usually delivers little more than unfulfilled expectations. However, God offers something firm and reliable - not through the power of our own thoughts but through trust in His perfect plan. Surrendering our desires to Him is not a loss of control; it’s an invitation to experience a life of meaning, joy, and purpose as we rely on Him to shape our future, even when life doesn’t unfold as we hoped.
Unlike the empty promises of manifesting, biblical faith anchors us in God’s unchanging character - reminding us that fulfilment in life comes not in control over our circumstances, but in cultivating a relationship with God, discovering our identity in Him, and resting in the knowledge that He is working everything out for our eternal good (cf. Romans 8:28). This trust frees us from the exhausting pursuit of self-determination and offers true peace—a peace that comes not from getting what we want but from knowing the One who holds the universe in His hands.
Let’s turn away from the false assurances of manifesting and place our trust in God and His Word (and not in ourselves and our words!). Instead of casting wishes into the unknown, we can pray to a loving God who hears us, wants our ultimate good, and wants to manifest Himself to us! In Him, we find a hope that is unshakable, a purpose that is eternal, and a love that transforms our lives beyond anything we could ever imagine - or indeed manifest!