A prayer based on Revelation 17

<aside> 🙏🏻 Our Father, We confess to you now that we find it hard to live in this world and be faithful to you. You have done so much for us. Choosing us before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless in your sight. Calling us to faith in your Son, who died and rose again to accomplish salvation for us. Forgiving us of our sins and assuring us of a glorious future with you. And yet we still feel the pull towards the world and all it has to offer.

The world is so enticing. Intoxicating at times. It draws us in. By appealing to our eyes. By capturing our imaginations. By making us feel dissatisfied with what you have already given to us. And we are tempted by what holds out to us. We don’t want to be left out. To be different. To not do what everyone is doing. To not believe what everyone is believing. Faithfulness to you our God often feels costly and lonely. And there are times we might wonder and doubt whether it is worth it. Have we be deceived into believing a lie? Is your Word really true? Lord, the struggle to not love the world or things of the world is real.

Thank you for your preserving grace that enables us to persevere. For providing ways of escape when temptation is strong. For forgiving us when we stumble and fall and let you down, as we often do. And for helping us to see the true nature of this world. That behind all its appeal is great evil. Your Word tells us that Babylon is riding the beast. This world is under the power of Satan who is using it to lead people away from you our God. He wants nothing more than to recapture those who have been rescued from his kingdom of darkness. And he will use this world attack them when they remain faithful to Christ, just like it did to Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego, and Daniel in the past.

We are grateful, Father, that the opposition we face, though at time makes us anxious and is upsetting, it is not literal fiery furnaces and dens of lions, like some of the suffering that our brothers and sisters around the world are experiencing. Sustain us and them in the faith, we pray. And enable us to wait patiently for that day when the Lamb, the Lord Jesus, finally overcomes all opposition to his rule and brings about Babylon’s downfall. We praise you that we can be certain that this will happen, because he is the Lord of lords and King of kings. So we can be confident that this present world will end, and be replaced by a new heavens and a new earth. We long that this day would come quickly, but until then may we be faithful to you. May we refused to go along with Babylon’s, the ways of this world that are opposed to you, and not compromise our faith. May you work in us, by your Spirit, so that our walk is worthy of the calling we have received from you. We pray in the name of our Lord Jesus, the Lamb who is the Lord of lords and King of kings. Amen.

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