They have been signalling that Christians were next since they started shutting down churches spring 2020. I believe it will be the next pressure point they exploit. God is there ahead of them but we should prepare. Yes, pray. Yes, put on the full armor of God. But what else? I have two suggestions and I expect you all can add many more.
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Memorize Scripture. If you are put in a situation without access to your Bible will you remember the truths? For your own sake or for the sake of others who don't know it as well as you may, memorize your favorite passages. You will be able to repeat them to yourself in times of stress. Start small and keep building upon what you've captured.
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Christian music. By this I primarily mean the old hymns. Tons of theological truth in those stanzas. But doesn't have to be hymns, some of the more modern anthems have important truths that we need to cling to as well. Music helps the mind store the words, that's why hymns were originally written. I'll link some favorites of mine. in Comments. Just like memorized Scripture, music memory is something they cannot ban or take from you.
What other Spiritual Preparedness ideas do you have?
Start learning how to meditate, it will also help you make your prayers stronger.
I believe in meditating on Scripture and not in the Eastern practices of "emptying the mind." But yes, we need to learn if we have not already to get alone with God. To not feel like we need a worship service or any other human thing in order to commune with Him. This is a tremendous source of strength.
Stayed mind and fixed heart on God's Word.
Isaiah 26:3 thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is STAYED on thee. Because he trusted in thee.
Not empty headed.
True story. I once worked in corporate America for one of the pharma giants. In my 9th year there the rumor of a layoff started circulating. My logic and use of my grapevine told me I'd be on the list. We had to change our IT logons every quarter. Knowing that when they laid me off I'd have to turn over the password I made it: isaiah263. Every time I typed it in those last months I was comforted and I smiled when I thought of some IT guy typing it to wipe my account. It was a very bad time but God prepared me and walked with me through it.
Emptying the mind does not mean to not think of anything and that's that. It's merely a preliminary step, if you can't settle your own mind you won't be able to meditate on something effectively. It's focus training. Can you shut off your thoughts at will and sustain that state for 30 minutes to an hour, not daydreaming, worrying, thinking? Then you are ready to meditate, be that on scripture or your own defects because you will have acquired sufficient concentration. Many people who master this state of "no mind" stop there and while they do feel good after it, it's merely a vacation of the mind and won't get you far spiritually. You must move on beyond "no mind", because in meditation on your defects will you truly get to know yourself - and once you do, you can ask for divine help to eradicate them. You are right many religions, including Buddhism have in many places become very superficial and the true teachings have been lost. But that is not the case everywhere, the one truth lives on and is still being taught.