Wait on God, not an Ouija board

Can you communicate with God through an Ouija board-style game? That’s the claim of Holy Spirit games, who make the Holy Spirit Board, specifically designed to communicate with Jesus.

Looking at the game’s promotional video, it is clearly designed as a joke. A man role-playing Jesus claims that the game is the only way to contact Jesus directly.

A cross with a hole in the middle is described crudely as a “glory hole” to the mouth of Jesus. The game is promoted as a good alternative to spirit boards which only summon ”gargoyles and demons”.

If we attempt to contact Jesus using non-biblical means, we are opening ourselves up to demonic deception

Look at the game’s reviews, and you’ll see a variety of different responses. There are some who bought the game for friends as a joke; there are some non-Christians who report that they got good answers and it really works. There are even some Christians who clearly didn’t watch the advert and are pleased with the results. As one titled their review: “Finally getting some answers!!”

Then there are many, many Christians warning of the dangers. And they are right to be concerned. This isn’t just harmless fun.

What is a spirit board?

A traditional Ouija (or spirit) board consists of a board with the letters A-Z on it, and the words: ‘yes’ and ‘no.’ The user rests their hand on a planchette, which moves around the board as spirits are summoned and asked questions.

Sceptics would say this is all just a hoax, that when a spirit board appears to work, it’s just the human unconsciously moving the planchette. However, many people who have taken part in seances have received accurate information about loved ones that the Ouija board user couldn’t have known otherwise.

What does the bible say?

An Ouija board is a form of divination, and Deuteronomy 18:10-12 tells us what God thinks of those who do this: “There shall not be found among you anyone who burns his son or his daughter as an offering, anyone who practices divination or tells fortunes or interprets omens, or a sorcerer or a charmer or a medium or a necromancer or one who inquires of the dead, for whoever does these things is an abomination to the Lord.”

In Acts 16:16-18, the apostle Paul casts a demon out of a slave girl who tells fortunes, and the girl loses her abilities. When people use Ouija boards, they may think they are contacting deceased loved ones and other ‘good spirits,’ but they are actually receiving answers from demons.

As Paul says in 2 Corinthians 11:14: “even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.” Those who believe they can get results from an Ouija board - or even talk to Jesus using the spirit board - are being deceived.

How to talk to God

When it comes to spiritual experiences, we must always test the spirits, as John instructs in 1 John 4. There are some non-Christians who believe that they have had spiritual contact with Jesus through methods such as channelling, or other forms of divination. However, if we attempt to contact Jesus using non-biblical means, we are likely to be opening ourselves up to demonic deception.

When people use Ouija boards, they are actually receiving answers from demons

Joanna Michaelson is a Christian and the author of The Beautiful Side of Evil (Harvest House). In her testimony she shares her experience of becoming involved in psychic surgery. Being a Christian, she chose ‘Jesus’ as her spirit guide to help with the work. However, when Christian friends raised concerns, she prayed to God, asking him to show her if there was anything wrong with what she was doing. Shortly afterwards, she experienced demonic attack with demons trying to kill her. She had a vision of the ‘Jesus’ she was talking to shapeshifting into a werewolf.

The Bible is full of instructions to wait on the Lord, particularly in the Psalms. For example, Psalm 37:7 says: “Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him.” God listens to all our prayers, but sometimes there is waiting involved - and this apparent silence is often part of how God is refining us.

We all know it can be hard to wait, but we need to trust that his ways are higher than our ways, and steer clear of any practice or device that promises a quick fix.