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?
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.