613 Mitzvot

Lo-yimatse vecha, ma'avir beno-uvito ba'esh, kosem ksamim, me'onen umenachesh umchashef, vechover chaver, vesho'el ov veyid'oni, vedoresh el-hametim.
There should not be found among you, who makes his son or daughter pass through the fire, or divine divinations, or observes times, or observes signs and omens or practices witchcraft, or use incantations, or inquire of familiar spirits, soothsayer, or neocromancer.

The practice mentioned in this mitzvah is chover chaver in Hebrew. The root is

(chavar). The basic meaning is to bind together. This is why the Targum Yonathan translates it as "tying magical knots." It also refers to gathering snakes. Rashi said that it refers to gathering snakes, scorpions or any animal for divinition. Therefore snake charming is forbidden by this mitzvah. Ibn Ezra said that it refered to using incantations to gather demons. The intentions of the incantations is to control different situations. The root word can also mean to make allegiance with. Therefore, the one who uses incantations is making an allegiance with demons.

“But these two things shall come to you in a moment in one day, the loss of children, and widowhood; in their full measure shall they come on you, in the multitude of your sorceries, and the great abundance of your enchantments. For you have trusted in your wickedness; you have said, None sees me; your wisdom and your knowledge, it has perverted you, and you have said in your heart, I am, and there is none else besides me. Therefore shall evil come on you; you shall not know the dawning of it: and mischief shall fall on you; you shall not be able to put it away: and desolation shall come on you suddenly, which you don’t know. Stand now with your enchantments, and with the multitude of your sorceries, in which you have labored from your youth; if so be you shall be able to profit, if so be you may prevail.” (Yeshayahu/Isaiah 47:9-12).

The B'nai Yisra'el was to be punished for their enchantments, which has perverted them.

I think we need to be careful we not treat the usage of scripture or prayer as an incantation. Just because we say a certain prayer or quote a certain scripture, it doesn't necessarily mean that something will automatically happen. It is true that the word of YHVH does not return void (Yeshayahu/Isaiah 55:10,11). Indeed, Scripture is powerful, but that is because of the Holy One, blessed is He, who spoke them forth is powerful, and not in the words themselves. Usually, Scripture and prayer changes us, rather than the situations themselves. And if our situations change because of our prayers, it is because El Shaddai (the All-Sufficient Mighty One, blessed is He) has done it, rather than the prayers or scripture themselves. Indeed He hears our prayers and answers, but not necessarily because we prayed certain words or quoted certain scriptures. He answers because we trust in Him and cry out to Him with a sincere heart.