What is the difference between prayer and spell-casting, aside from the spirit you invoke?
Why is it we say someone is "filled with the Holy Ghost", but if any other spirit fills you its called "demonic possession"?
If we dispense with semantics, is there any real difference between intercessionary prayers and spell-casting?
They both invoke a spirit in order to alter the future and/or current reality.
The main difference is whose will you are asking to be done -- God's or your own. Spell casting seeks to impose your own will on a situation, irregardless of what God might want. You want what you want, and you'll do anything it takes to get it, even if that means invoking something that isn't of God.
Prayer involves putting a situation in God's hands and being willing to accept whatever He chooses to do, whether it agrees with what you wanted or not. Prayer involves trust in God for the best possible outcome, whether it's what you wanted or not. Spell-casting is an attempt to force the outcome to be exactly what you want it to be, no matter what.
I want to add a little bit to the answer suggested above. There are different ways to cast a spell - the darker way is to impose your will on the situation. On the other hand, you may ask the Goddess or the Universe to see if it is a good idea for your spell to work - knowing full well that the power truly comes from outside of you and that you must accept what the outcomes are of your spell casting. Wicca is a journey to understand the Universe and not just to make requests...
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