(prepared by Lilian Schmid)
How can we define what we believe, who we worship and how strong is our faith?
In his book ‘Entering the Presence of God’ Derek Prince writes about worship and service, he says:
In many biblical passages relating to worship, you will notice that worship inevitably leads to service. Whatever we worship, ultimately we will serve. This is brought out very clearly in the dialogue between Jesus and Satan when Jesus was tempted to fall down and worship him. Of the three temptations in the wilderness, this below was the ultimate temptation.
“Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendour. ‘All this I will give you,’ he said, ‘if you will bow down and worship me.’
Jesus said to him, ‘Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.'”
(Matthew 4:8-10)
Man was originally created to worship and serve God and give Him the glory alone. Sadly many failed and they have chosen to worship idols and false gods.
All over the world, in every culture you find idols of wood and stone that are worshiped. Other worship that is common is people worshiping their own physical image, desires and pleasures, or worshiping money and expensive material possessions, or worshiping famous and successful people. The best term for this is Idolatry and those who idolise anything other than God ultimately make themselves slaves to satan and evil.
So do we want evil or do we want God? How wise do we need to be? Let us read this passage from Revelation 13:4:
“People worshiped the dragon because he had given authority to the beast, and they also worshiped the beast and asked, ‘Who is like the beast? Who can wage war against it?'”
Are we close to the Ends of Time? Are you ready to receive Jesus? Are you praying for unsaved beloved ones?
Satan is moving and working throughout the earth (1 Peter 5:8). He is leading many astray and tempting them to worship him. We truly need to pray in spirit and truth, asking God’s mercy and grace.
Who should I chose to worship: God or Satan? Jesus already gave us the answer:
“Jesus said to him, ‘Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.'”
What are the most widely practiced religions of the world?
An interesting summary from The Register – theregister.co.uk/2006/10/06/the_odd_body_religion/
The world’s 20 largest religions and their number of believers are:
-
- Christianity (2.1 billion)
- Islam (1.3 billion)
- Nonreligious (Secular/Agnostic/Atheist) (1.1 billion)
- Hinduism (900 million)
- Chinese traditional religion (394 million)
- Buddhism (376 million)
- Primal-indigenous (300 million)
- African traditional and Diasporic (100 million)
- Sikhism (23 million)
- Juche (19 million)
- Spiritism (15 million)
- Judaism (14 million)
- Bahai (7 million)
- Jainism (4.2 million)
- Shinto (4 million)
- Cao Dai (4 million)
- Zoroastrianism (2.6 million)
- Tenrikyo (2 million)
- Neo-Paganism (1 million)
- Unitarian-Universalism (800,000)
What to Pray for the Sphere of Religion and Philosophy
Pray that God would circumcise the hearts of unbelievers;
“And the LORD your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your offspring, so that you will love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live” (Deuteronomy 30:6)
Pray that God would give them a heart of flesh;
“And I will give them one heart, and a new spirit I will put within them. I will remove the heart of stone from their flesh and give them a heart of flesh…” (Ezekiel 11:19)
Pray that God would put his Spirit within them;
“And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules” (Ezekiel 36:27)
Pray that they would come to Christ: if unbelievers are to come to salvation, there is just one way, they must come through Christ and Christ alone;
“Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me'” (John 14:6)
Pray that God would open their hearts to believe the gospel, just as Lydia did;
“The Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what was said by Paul” (Acts 16:14).
Pray that God would free them from the slavery of sin: unbelievers may believe they are free, but they are in fact enslaved, they are slaves of sin, bound by their sin and sinfulness;
“But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed” (Romans 6:17).
Pray that God would open their eyes to see the truth of the most Holy One: unbelievers have been blinded by Satan, so pray that God would give them sight – spiritual sight;
“In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God” (2 Corinthians 4:4)
Pray that God would grant them repentance;
“God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will” (2 Timothy 2:25-26)
Prayer for the Salvation of the World
Father, hear our prayers for the salvation of the world.
Grant Mercy to all souls that turned away from You.
Open their hearts and minds with Your light.
Gather Your children from the east and the west, from the north and the south.
Have mercy O God on those who do not know You.
Bring them out of darkness into Your light.
You are our saving God Who leads us in our salvation. Protect us from evil.
Bless and praise You O Lord, hear our prayers and answer us.
You, our Savior, are the hope of all the ends of the Earth and the distant seas.
May Your way be known upon Earth; among all nations Your salvation.
We put the world in Your hands; fill us with Your love.
Grant us peace through Christ, our Lord.
Amen