Love Works for Religious Freedom for All People

Opening Prayer: 

Dear Lord, help us to see that upholding human rights by defending religious freedom is not incompatible with following your way of the cross when confronted with persecution. Help us to see that there is no contradiction between being willing personally to suffer the abuse or loss of our own rights for your sake, and being committed to advocate and speak up for those who are voiceless under the violation of their human rights. Amen.

Reflection:

Let us strive for the goal of religious freedom for all people. This requires advocacy before governments on behalf of Christians and people of other faiths who are persecuted. 

Let us conscientiously obey biblical teaching to be good citizens, to seek the welfare of the nation where we live, to honour and pray for those in authority, to pay taxes, to do good, and to seek to live peaceful and quiet lives. The Christian is called to submit to the state, unless the state commands what God forbids, or prohibits what God commands. If the state thus forces us to choose between loyalty to itself and our higher loyalty to God, we must say No to the state because we have said Yes to Jesus Christ as Lord

Closing Prayer: 

Our Lord and Father, help us to see that we must also distinguish between advocating the rights of people of other faiths and endorsing the truth of their beliefs. Help us to see that we can defend the freedom of others to believe and practise their religion without accepting that religion as true. In the midst of all our legitimate efforts for religious freedom for all people, the deepest longing of our hearts remains that all people should come to know you, the Lord Jesus Christ, freely put their faith in you and be saved, and enter the kingdom of God. Amen.

Ask God to pour out his Spirit to stir us with a vision for Christ-like leaders for every church and sector.