Rodney Burton

A Journey to uproot religion Rodney Burton

Over a period of six months, God led us on a prayer journey that took us to several different parts of Ireland. We learnt that throughout Irish history, religion has made Ireland sick! It consistently made false claims in order to gain authority and once that authority was established, it burdened the people with man-made rules that were far from God's will for us as a nation. In the year 561, it helped to divide Ireland into two parts, centuries before the English ever came to conquer. As we stubbornly continued to submit to it, it resulted in Ireland being handed over to be conquered by the Anglo-Normans in 1155. Over the following centuries, religion continued to give away more and more of our inheritance. Religion even stirred the hearts of Irish people to rebel against God and His punishment came through our oppressors. There were massacres and our women and children were even taken into slavery. Then, as the Protestant Ascendancy rose up through the oppression of others, it brought judgement once again, because their hearts were full of pride. Finally religion brought us into a spiritual famine that has remained until this day. I believe that this is the fulfilment of every curse listed in the Bible for nations who act in disobedience to God. However Jesus, our Redeemer, has a plan that will set Ireland free and restore our inheritance. He wants us to recover both our land and our people. All we have to do is follow Him. Indeed, during our six-month journey, we followed Him as He led us from place to place in order to pray and to make declarations. We experienced miracles with doors opening that had previously been shut. He made a way for us through the Irish weather and gave us the provision of time and finance necessary to complete our journey. We knew that God was with us as we travelled and prayed and we saw Him pulling up the ancient man-made religious roots from all over the country and casting them into the ocean. That is our testimony. Yet as God's chosen one, you the reader must also tear out man-made religion from your own heart, turn back to God and follow Him afresh once again. With God's help we can do it together and receive an even greater inheritance - the right to walk with God and be His people.