Day 6 – 6 of 10.
Roadblock – Spiritual Deception. Ho Chi Minh City is a very spiritual place. Walking in a neighborhood or retail area reveals altars, idols, offerings and burning incense through most every doorway of homes and shops. The Vietnamese are animists, believing in spirits all around them and particularly focus on worshiping their deceased ancestors. Added to this mix is a great amount of syncretism that blends in Buddhism, local deities, foreign cults, and a version of folk Catholicism.
[The Devil]” … is a liar and the father of liars.” John 8:44b
A common thread throughout is a foundation of works-based justification and ritualism that requires little in the form of sincere belief. The strong foundation of Confucianism in the culture and the resulting filial piety further blocks any divergence from these traditional beliefs making it extremely difficult to go against your family and the opposition they give to Christianity.
“If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.” Romans 10: 9-10
Pray for opportunities to share the Gospel with existing relational groups and engage them in Bible study together. Pray for families, groups of friends, work teams, classmates, and roommates to come together in seeker Bible studies. Pray for entire groups to then come to faith in Christ together, be discipled together and form churches that help to strengthen the faith of such new Believers in the face of the cultural and spiritual opposition around them.
Pray for Believers who are the only Christian in their family or among few Believers boldly and faithfully bring the rest of their family to faith. Pray that the opposition and persecution these Believers face to actually grow their faith and for the Holy Spirit to give them the words to say at every interaction with their family. Pray that these Believers will have lives that reflect Christ in the way they love and respect their family and dispel concerns that belief in Christ causes them to betray their family.
Pray for strong discipleship among Believers in the city. Among the small number of Believers in the city (less than 2% of the population), solid discipleship is lacking. Pray for discipleship to occur that draws Believers into learning from the Word, applying and obeying what they learn, and sharing it with others. Pray that through abiding in Christ and focusing on Scripture, Believers will be able to speak God’s truth into their culture, spiritual context, and the lives of those around them.
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