Religion Versus Relationship
Michele Wills January 23, 2012
Final Draft
Religion versus Relationship You love your children. You don’t force them to spend scheduled time paying homage to you. You wouldn’t require them to go through another family member to ask you for what they need. Basing your love for them on things they brought you, or their actions would be silly. Every day this is what many reduce the love of the Heavenly Father to. Daily, people engage in religious tradition in order to please or appease the Father. We love our children because of who they are, and even though their actions may make us proud, it does not make us love them more. We are thrilled when they spend time with us, as is the Father. The Bible says in the Song of Solomon, the LORD is “ravished with just one glance” from us (4:9). There is freedom in relationship with the LORD; to find it you must break free from the bondage of organized religion, and its traditions. The Muslim religion is steeped in tradition. As an act of obedience Muslims perform daily rituals. Muslims wash, face the direction of Mecca, and lay prostrate in prayer five times a day. These prayer times change daily, and are fixed by the sun.
This tradition is based on the belief Mecca is the birthplace of Muhammed. During salat, or prayer, Muslims face a building called a Kaaba located in the center of the mosque in Mecca. They believe it to be the most Holy place on earth. It is believed Abraham built it, and is their focal point during their worship. The Word of GOD says such actions are born not of worship but, out of a desire to draw attention to ones self. The Gospel of Matthew 6:5-7 states, “When you pray, don’t be like the hypocrites who love to pray publicly on the street corners and in the synagogues where everyone can see them. I tell you the truth, that is all the reward
Final Draft
Religion versus Relationship You love your children. You don’t force them to spend scheduled time paying homage to you. You wouldn’t require them to go through another family member to ask you for what they need. Basing your love for them on things they brought you, or their actions would be silly. Every day this is what many reduce the love of the Heavenly Father to. Daily, people engage in religious tradition in order to please or appease the Father. We love our children because of who they are, and even though their actions may make us proud, it does not make us love them more. We are thrilled when they spend time with us, as is the Father. The Bible says in the Song of Solomon, the LORD is “ravished with just one glance” from us (4:9). There is freedom in relationship with the LORD; to find it you must break free from the bondage of organized religion, and its traditions. The Muslim religion is steeped in tradition. As an act of obedience Muslims perform daily rituals. Muslims wash, face the direction of Mecca, and lay prostrate in prayer five times a day. These prayer times change daily, and are fixed by the sun.
This tradition is based on the belief Mecca is the birthplace of Muhammed. During salat, or prayer, Muslims face a building called a Kaaba located in the center of the mosque in Mecca. They believe it to be the most Holy place on earth. It is believed Abraham built it, and is their focal point during their worship. The Word of GOD says such actions are born not of worship but, out of a desire to draw attention to ones self. The Gospel of Matthew 6:5-7 states, “When you pray, don’t be like the hypocrites who love to pray publicly on the street corners and in the synagogues where everyone can see them. I tell you the truth, that is all the reward