WOW – 2 SEPTEMBER 2026: THE DECEPTION OF RELIGIOUS ACTIVITY

Senior Pastor Daniel O. C. | Sep 02, 2026

Calvary greetings to you in the blessed name of Jesus Christ our Saviour, Amen!

THE DECEPTION OF RELIGIOUS ACTIVITY

We use religion like a trolley car – we ride on it only while it is going our way. To learn the worth of a man’s religion, do business with him. We are easily duped by those we love. Oh, what a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive.

1 Samuel 14:35-37

Beware of the deception of religious activities in the church today.
Religious activity was the most telling sign of the deception of witchcraft that took hold of King Saul’s life.
King Saul entered into religious activity by building a monument to himself.
He lied, lost his ministry and finally lost his life.
God did not answer the prayer of King Saul probably due to the conditions of his heart. His heart was full of religion.

The building of the altar was nothing but a religious activity.
His intent was not to consult or inquire of God but to be seen as a religious man performing duty.
Saul built the altar and was ready to go to war without praying.
This is exactly how some of us are.

We run through our religious activity in a useless effort to be seen by others as spiritually inclined.
King Saul built the altar out of a religious spirit rather than a heartfelt need to seek God for direction.
This is evident because after the altar was built, Saul was ready to depart without waiting for God’s direction.
But the priest quickly reminded Saul of the real purpose of the altar, that the altar is a place of drawing near to God in submission while seeking divine direction.

Deuteronomy 8:2

God refused to answer King Saul’s prayer that day, maybe to test what was in his heart.
Waiting on God in prayer is vital for every believer.

Beloved people of God, we must learn to wait on God in prayer.

We must wait on God for His divine answers to our numerous questions.
We must wait on the Lord for His divine approval before we take action.
If the answer is not forthcoming, we must still wait. (Isaiah 40:31)

We can vividly see that one of the weaknesses of King Saul is a continuous lack of prayer and patience, but the Bible teaches us the merits of patience (Hebrews 10:35-36). Learning to wait on the Lord is an invaluable advice to all believers. Many Christians have been captured by the snares and traps of lifeless religious activity.

To be continued.

Remain blessed and rapturable,

Yours to reach this generation with the Gospel,

Dr. Daniel O. C.