Operation World – Praying for the World VI

The Unfinished Task Religious Systems

The World's Religions and the Challenge they represent. The 20th Century was one in which secularism seemed to triumph, but the 21st Century is likely to be one in which the world's religions vie with one another for the hearts and minds of humankind. The supposed 'tolerance' of the post-modern West is unlikely to extend globally to the religious systems of this world. Here follows a very brief mention of some of these religious systems and several global prayer challenges. 


1 Christianity has become the most global of religions. There is no country without a Christian witness and only 10 without a visible congregation of indigenous believers (8 in Asia, 2 in Africa). There are 18 countries with a resident Christian population of less than 1%, and a further 22 with less than 5%. Over the 20th Century, Christianity declined slightly from 34.5% in 1900 to 32.5% in 2000. The precipitous decline of the past 30 years in Europe has been balanced by the growth in Asia and Africa.

a) Nominalism has become a major issue. In many countries the 'Christians' themselves need to be evangelized. Their spiritual needs cannot be ignored. Living in the after-glow of a Christian heritage does not confer eternal salvation. Many traditionally Christian populations know nothing of a personal faith, true repentance from sin and a trust in the finished work of Christ for their salvation. It is estimated that 1.2 billion (60%) are nominal and non-practising 'Christians'. Many millions more trust more in their good deeds than in God's grace for salvation. Many areas of Europe, Latin America and parts of Africa and Asia are Christianized but unconverted. Occultism and sin reign unchallenged. Pray for renewal, re-evangelization and new growth in such areas.

b) Christo-pagans who, while statistically counted as Christians, are practising occultists, shamanists, fetishists, etc. under a veneer of Christianity. This is particularly prevalent in Latin America among the Amerindians and Mestizo. It is also widespread in Africa where many indigenous groups are more influenced by ethnic religions than by the gospel. Europe and Asia, too, have millions of professing Christians who are just as syncretistic. Evangelizing such people and making them into disciples of the Lord Jesus is just as necessary as winning those of other religions — even if this results in accusations of proselytism.

c) Sectarianism. The term 'sect' is loaded and misused. Many genuine believers in Christ are persecuted or harassed because of being so described. Yet there are millions of 'Christians' who define their own church or group as the sole possessors of Truth — some such are the Mormons, Jehovah's Witnesses and many other smaller groups. They need to be freed from the teachings that have ensnared them. 

2 Muslims live largely in the great arc of territory stretching from West Africa through Central Asia, to Indonesia. Their growth in the 20th Century has been significant — from 12.3% in 1900 to 21.1% in 2000. Most of this growth has been through a higher birth rate and expansion through migration. Conversion growth has been greatest in West Africa, Indonesia and the USA. Pray for:

a) The eyes and hearts of Muslims to be opened to the person of the Lord Jesus Christ. Built into Islam are specific denials of truths fundamental to us who believe in Him. The barriers to faith are so numerous that it requires a deep working of the Holy Spirit — often through supernatural revelations or miracles.

b) Muslim background believers in Christ who are relatively few. Only in a few areas such as parts of Indonesia, Central Asia, Nigeria and Algeria have there been significant turnings to Christ. They face severe pressures and even death. Many Muslim lands have adopted shari'a laws which require the death penalty for apostates from Islam.

c) Christian ministries to Muslims. These have long been limited, but are on the increase. Yet only about 6% of all foreign missionaries are working for the blessing of Muslims, who constitute a third of all non-Christians. Pray for more to be called, equipped and led into fruitful ministry to Muslims.

3 The non-religious and secular bloc has shown the most massive growth in the 20th Century, with about 0.2% of the world's population in 1900 and peaking in 1980, but in 2000 representing 15.5% — mainly Europeans and Chinese. Since the collapse of Communism, there has been a rise in spirituality and slight decline in the non-religious percentage. Nevertheless Christians have generally proved singularly ineffective in communicating the gospel in a relevant and winsome way to secular, post-modern culture. Pray for change — for Christians to become relevant, effective witnesses and for the tide of materialistic secularism to be turned.


4 Hinduism has made notable missionary inroads in the West through the wide acceptance of transcendental meditation, yoga, New Age thinking, sects such as Hare Krishna and Indian gurus. It has also become more militant and repressive of all other religious minorities in its heartlands of India and Nepal.

a) The Indian sub-continent has the largest concentration and variety of least-reached peoples and people groups on earth. The gospel has spread most to the poor and marginalized, while the main body of caste Hindus remains unevangelized.

b) The need for workers able to reach caste Hindus is great. Pray for Indian Christians and others to be called and enabled to reach them despite present restrictive laws and a rampant Hindu militancy that persecutes Christians.

c) A de-Westernized, culturally appropriate pattern of Christian living and community is needed. Pray for the Holy Spirit to bring the light of the gospel to influential Hindus.

5 Buddhism is the state religion of five nations in Asia, the majority in a further four, and a significant minority in yet another 11. Over half of this total are followers of the mixture of the Chinese religions, Taoism, Confucianism and Buddhism. The various religious systems are so intermingled that a clear differentiation is hard to make. There are also major new religions which are offshoots of Buddhism — Cao Dai in Vietnam, Falun Gong in China, Sokka Gokkai in Japan. Since the discrediting of Communism after 1990, Buddhism has had a measure of resurgence in East and Southeast Asia, but overall it continues its gradual decline. The Dalai Lama of Tibet has popularized Buddhism in the West. Relatively few Buddhists have come to Christ despite two or more centuries of presenting the gospel to them in such lands as Thailand, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Tibet, etc.


6 Ethnic religions and the more modern varieties of spiritism continue to decline in world percentage but are showing significant increase in vitality in every continent. Many followers of world religions remain, in practice, shamanists, animists, idolaters, spiritists, ancestor worshippers, fetishists, wiccan, etc. Widespread fascination with the occult is an indication of the fierceness of the spiritual conflict in which we are engaged.


7 Sikhism is one of the more recent world religions and originated in northeast India. Many Sikhs have migrated to other countries — Canada, East Africa, Britain, Southeast Asia. Few Christians have ever sought to understand their religion and find ways of sharing the gospel. So Christians from a Sikh background remain relatively few.


8 Jews are declining in numbers in most countries — through low birthrates, secularization, conversions to Christ and emigration to Israel. Nearly 30% of all Jews now live in Israel. Of the 14 million Jews, some estimate that there may be about 100,000 Messianic Jews, the majority in the USA. That Jews should find salvation in Messiah Yeshua remains a key concern for Christians.


9 Numerous other religions remain a challenge for Christian witness — the 6 million Baha'i worldwide, 4 million Jains in India and the 3.5 million Parsees. Very few Jains or Parsees have ever come to faith in Christ.



Pasted from Operation World