Prayer Points: June 21, 2020

1. Pray for God’s blessings upon our earthly fathers. Thank God that they have accepted the responsibilities of being a parent. Pray that God will guide them to be outstanding role models to their children, and to parent with patience, unconditional love and understanding. Pray that the Lord will strengthen the fathers’ personal relationship with Him, and teach them to live that relationship in their marriages, and reflect it in their families. Pray that all Christian fathers will rise up and instil the Gospel in their children for the sake of this generation and for generations to come. Pray that God will bring godly mentors into the lives of fathers to facilitate a high level of accountability in God’s truths, that they may be an influence for Him in their families, churches and communities. Pray that God will bless the men who served as spiritual father figures in the lives of children whose biological fathers were not able to do so, and pray that they will continue to be positive influences in the lives of their spiritual children. Pray also that God will give new and future fathers the guidance they need to raise happy and holy children who are grounded in love for God and people. Finally, praise and thank our Father God for being the perfect heavenly Father in our lives.

2. Praise God that He has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing: that He has chosen us before the foundation of the world, predestined us for adoption, redeemed us through the blood of Christ, and forgiven all our sins. Pray that He will strengthen us internally with power through His Spirit to understand more and more the truths in His Word. Pray that we will experience Christ’s indwelling presence in our lives daily as we walk with Him, so that our faith will increase. Pray that God will help us to understand in our hearts the breadth, length, height and depth of Christ’s limitless love for us that is beyond our human comprehension. Pray that this will increase our love and devotion to Him. Pray that God will fill us with greater thoughts of Him, so we will be filled with a greater desire to see more of Him in our lives. Praise God that He is able to do far more abundantly than anything we could ask of Him, and that He has given us power to accomplish the things He has set before us to accomplish. Pray that God alone will be glorified in the Body He has called, chosen, predestined and redeemed, and that He will continually be praised, honoured, glorified, worshipped and adored in Klang Wesley.

3. As the implementation of the recovery movement control order enters its second week, members of the public are beginning to take fewer precautions and flouting rules outlined by the health authorities which exposes the nation to the risk of another wave of local Covid-19 transmissions. Pray against the lax attitude of the rakyat, who are behaving as though there is no pandemic, that they will take responsibility to prevent a second Covid-19 wave in the nation. Pray that people will take the necessary precautions such as wearing face masks and adopting physical distancing when in restaurants and at other enclosed spaces. As Malaysia is seeing an upward trend in dengue cases, pray that the public will not neglect the fight against the disease as we battle the Covid-19 pandemic. Pray that the people and the community will be more hands-on in dengue prevention by keeping their surroundings clean, and destroying potential breeding grounds of Aedes mosquitoes at home. As the government has allowed pre-schools and kindergartens to resume operations beginning July 1, 2020, pray for God’s protection upon the little children. Pray for wisdom for the kindergarten operators as they prepare to reopen, that they will adhere strictly to the SOP provided by the authorities, and that the children’s safety and health will be their top priority.

4. Churches in Malaysia were forced to close doors for worship service since the MCO began in mid-March 2020. Since then, churches were forced to do online worship services using different means over the internet. However, recently, the Malaysian government has opened the doors for churches to be used for worship services again under strict obedience to the Standard Operating Procedures (SOP). Pray that churches in Selangor especially will be bold to reopen the church doors soon. Pray that the SOP will be strictly followed. Pray for understanding by church members that these SOP will mean that some inconveniences have to be tolerated for the time being. Above all, pray that God’s name will be glorified, and that people will truly appreciate all the freedom given to Malaysians to worship God, all these many years. Pray that they will not take corporate worship in church for granted, but will make it a priority to come every week to worship God together with the church family.

5. An estimation of over 400,000 of Malaysia’s children struggle with mental health problems, and among many of the children, poor interaction with peers was a major cause. Pray that children will learn to accept one another regardless of race and social status. Parental expectations in academic performance and stressors at school also contribute significantly to mental health issues faced by children. Pray that parents will not focus on education to the exclusion of all else, and they will not put unnecessary stress on their children by stopping all other activities during major exams period. Pray that teachers and schools will also address the obsession that every student must excel, and deem them useless if they do not do so. A high number of children also grapple with stress, the onset of puberty, and the negative impact of social media and cyber bullying, which leads to anxiety and depressive disorders. Pray that the Education Ministry will look into the need for mental health literacy to be taught in schools, especially in schools in poor urban areas and in rural areas. Pray also that our society will come up with an approach involving the education sector, mental health NGOs and parents’ groups to help meet the mental health needs of our children.

6. As there are many rumours regarding the political situation in our nation, pray that as people of truth, we will be careful not to buy into any fake news pertaining to the nation. Pray for positive breakthroughs in the midst of political strife and uncertainty. Pray that God will help our leaders stabilise the political situation and focus on rebuilding the country’s economy. Pray for the Lord’s sovereign hand and blessing over our nation’s direction and resources, and that God will give our government and economic leaders wisdom as they lead the nation through this recovery phase of the pandemic. Pray that God will help the government restore wealth to the nation, and that the resources will be used wisely for the benefit of all the peoples of Malaysia. Pray for God to raise up god-fearing leaders who will uphold justice and righteousness, integrity, transparency and accountability. Pray for people to be united and to stand on the side of truth. Pray that the Church in Malaysia will travail in prayer with repentance for the nation, and not be distracted by rumours, fears and discouragement.

7. The coronavirus continues to spread in a good number of countries in the world, with no sign of it slowing down. Pray that God will come powerfully to these nations in these dark and difficult days. Pray that He will slow the spread of the virus in these countries, and protect the vulnerable from its deadly touch. Pray that God will help the people in these nations to be careful and wise in taking whatever precautions are necessary to limit and contain the spread of the virus. Pray that He will grant them strength to remain calm while vigilant, and be responsible citizens seeking the welfare of others. Pray that God will comfort the families of the many who have died from the coronavirus. Pray that God will draw close to those who are facing financial stress, and protect them and their families from long term economic damage. Pray that He will enable the governments of these nations to lead their countries wisely during this pandemic. Pray for the churches to come together in prayer and action for the most vulnerable sectors of their communities. Pray that in this time of anxiety and uncertainty, the world will look to security in Christ, and that Christians will have the compassion and courage to point others to the One in whom there is always hope.

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Worship@Home – Sermon – 13th & 14th June

Sermon Title: The Prophetic Voice of Psalms in the Crucifixion of Christ
Scripture Text: Mark 15:34, Luke 23:46, John 19:24, John 19:36
Speaker: Rev Ashok Amarasingham

YouTube player

 

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Prayer Lists: June 14, 2020

1. Then He [Jesus] said, “Everything I told you while I was with you comes to this: All the things written about Me in the Law of Moses, in the Prophets, and in the Psalms have to be fulfilled.” (Luke 24:44). Praise God that Jesus Christ has fulfilled more than 300 prophetic passages in the Old Testament that describe who the Messiah is and what He will do, thus proving without any doubt that He is indeed the Messiah, the Promised One, our Savior. Pray that this truth will affirm our faith in the Bible, that it is the infallible Word of God, and it will further affirm our faith that Christ will come the second time, just as the Bible promised He would come the first time. Pray that this truth will spur us on to read and see the Old Testament as a story of redemption, with Christ saturating every detail. As the fulfillment of these prophecies in the life of Jesus helps build our faith, and points to Him as the Savior of the world, pray that we will be motivated to share the Gospel with people who have yet to know the truth about Christ.

2. Corporate prayer has kept us united during these very challenging times of MCO, CMCO and now, RMCO. Praise God that since March 22, 2020, we had 52 consecutive days of online prayers via zoom, and from May 19, 2020, the prayer meetings have continued on Tuesdays, Wednesdays & Thursdays in the mornings and nights. Praise God for all the people who have joined these prayer meetings. Pray that the spirit of prayer in Klang Wesley will continue to be vibrant and strong because “the way to obtain a spirit of prayer is to continue praying … and the less we pray, the less we desire to pray.” (George Muller). Ask God to enable us to pray with persistence, desiring more and more of Spirit-led prayer, that we will be steadfast, both in our closet and corporate prayers. Pray that we will pray with constant watchfulness, and be vigilant and alert, so as to obtain victory in prayer. Pray that our prayers will abound with thanksgiving to God for who He is, and all that He is doing our midst, especially during this time of the pandemic. Pray that the Holy Spirit will inspire more of our people to join the corporate prayer meetings, as we have seen these virtual prayer meetings as the new norm of God working mightily in our midst.

3. Praise God that the daily Covid-19 infections have generally dropped, though there are occasional spikes. Hence, due to the decline in daily positive cases, Malaysia entered the Recovery Movement Control Order (RCMO) on June 10, 2020. A lot of restrictions have been lifted, and most sectors of the economy are allowed to reopen including markets, barbershops and hair salons, and all government services are now fully operational, but with strict adhering to standard operation procedures, including social distancing and limiting the number of customers / people. Pray that all business operators will comply with all the SOP at all times. Pray that the public will play its part by alerting authorities over traders and businesses that do not practice standard operating procedures at their premises, and to practice social distancing and wear face masks at all times in public areas. Pray that as Malaysians, we will do everything can to prevent the chain of infection, and comply with all the government rules and regulations pertaining to the RMCO. Pray also for wisdom for the authorities as they seek to reopen more social, educational, religious and business activities, as well as economic sectors in the days and weeks ahead.

4. Praise God that our youths and children are able to meet every week via zoom, and the momentum of Sunday Youth meetings and Sunday School is kept going. Pray that the youths will be blessed by these weekly meetings, that God will be real in their lives, and move them from being lukewarm Christians to become God-loving Christians. Pray that there will be consistent spiritual growth throughout the year as the youths see the relevance of God in their lives. Pray for restoration of any broken relationships that might exist between the youths and their parents / siblings. Pray that the youths will find ways to be generous with the things God has blessed them with, e.g. their time, their things, gifts and talents, and to use them to bless others. Pray for the Sunday School teachers to connect well with the children during the online lessons, and for God to grant them creativity and ideas in their online lessons. Pray that as schools will be reopened in stages (beginning with Forms 5 & 6 classes, and students facing international school examinations on June 24, 2020), the heads and hearts of the youths will be prepared for when they do go back to school, and that they will be responsible to follow the SOPs diligently.

5. Praise God that with the implementation of the Recovery MCO on June 10, 2020, Malaysia’s domestic tourism sector has started to resume operations, interstate travel is allowed, and the operators of hotels and tourist attractions are ready and eager to receive visitors. The hotel industry has seen a surge in bookings and reservations for hotel rooms. Enterprises and employers are readying themselves to reopen and revive their businesses, and some businesses have started offering jobs to people. Pray that all this will begin to revitalise the economy in our nation. Pray that in the coming months, enterprises and businesses will see positive results. Pray that the rakyat will continue to be alert and vigilant with the new norm of social discipline, that tourism and hotel operators, enterprises and businesses will abide strictly to the SOP set by the authorities. Pray that families going for vacation and other permitted activities will practise the new normal and self-discipline as the battle against the coronavirus is not yet over. Pray also for wisdom and creativity upon the government as it makes plans to spur and revive the economy. Pray that with more freedom of movement for the public, God will protect our nation from a second wave of infections.

6. As the Covid-19 situation in the nation is stabilising, pray that God will stabilise the political turmoil in the country. Pray that all politicians will put rebuilding the nation, and reviving the economy as their top priority. Pray that God will raise up men and women who are united in purpose to return Malaysia to the path of righteousness and justice. Pray that the Lord will grant our nation political stability, sustainable government, transparent leadership, accountable leaders, and servanthood politicians. Pray for the justice system, that God will instruct and direct, and grant wisdom to the Attorney General and his staff, the judges, magistrates and lawyers when they are arguing a case in court or deciding on a verdict. Pray that judges will have the courage to hold fast to their righteous conviction and administer justice without fear or favour. Pray also for the churches in Malaysia to rise up to pray in unity urgently for the sake of this nation. Pray that the Lord will sharpen the spiritual acumen of His people to have tenacious faith and persevering prayer to revert the demonic onslaught upon Malaysia.

7. While countries across Europe are slowly lifting lockdown restrictions and reopening borders, more than 1.5 million people have been infected with the coronavirus in Central and South America – 70,000 of them are already dead – with no signs of the disease slowing, especially in hard-hit Brazil, and possibly provoking the region’s worst recession in history. In the United States, the number of cases has soared past 2 million, with the job market destroyed in every state, and mass protests for racial justice continue to sweep across the country. In India, the coronavirus disease is spreading across the country at a rapid pace, and it is the nation with the highest number of infections and deaths in Asia. Pray for these countries that are the hardest-hit by Covid-19 now, that God will give the governments of these countries divine wisdom, discernment and guidance to process all the information they receive about the virus, courage to make the right decisions and do what is best for their respective countries. Pray also for the medical scientists in the world to work together in unity, and share their expertise, to quickly discover a vaccine to combat the coronavirus.

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Notices: June 14, 2020

IMPORTANT NOTICE DURING THE MCO PERIOD

In compliance with the Recovery Movement Control Order (RMCO) directive by the government which takes effect from June 10 to August 31, 2020, the following will be observed by the Church:
1. The church building and all facilities shall be closed until further notice.
2. The church office will be allowed to operate during office hours during this period.
3. All church activities in church are prohibited during this period (including Hot Kitchen, Worship Services, Prayer Meetings, Youth Meetings, etc.)
4. Cell Groups are only allowed to meet in a virtual manner (e.g. via Zoom) for both CG meeting and Worship Service. Any other type of gathering of CG
members in a home is not advised and cannot be done under the name of Klang Wesley.
5. If you need the help of the church staff, kindly call or WhatsApp them: Pastor Ashok (012-524 0061) | Jane (017-622 7226) | Pelita (016-625 6188) |
Cheng It (012-915 3640 | Yap Chee Kai (012-236 0457) |

POSTPONMENT
The ministry weekend by Pastor Terence Poh, originally scheduled for April 24-26, 2020 will be postponed to November 13-15, 2020.

CORPORATE PRAYER MEETINGS
Please take note that there will be online prayer meetings on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays (3 days a week) in the morning (8-8:30a.m.) and at night (9-10p.m.) Please contact the Church Office staff on how you can participate.

WORSHIP SERVICES
Please take note that Klang Wesley will be having online Worship Services for the entire months of May and June, 2020.

CHURCH OFFICE
As of now, the government has yet to give the permission for any of our TRAC churches to operate in our church buildings. This means that no activity may be conducted in church, including pre-recordings, meetings, BB, GB, Youth, Sunday School and Sunday Worship Services. Only the church office is allowed to operate during office hours. If you need to come to the church office on official business only, kindly contact the church staff. And make an appointment. Otherwise, church office is only to be used by the church staff.

ADULT BIBLE CLASS
SATURDAY Online classes will be conducted via Zoom
Topic: Empowered to Influence (The MANDATE to Influence the World)
Dates:
Session 1: June 20, 2020
Session 2: June 27, 2020
Session 3: July 4, 2020
Session 4: July 11, 2020
Time: 3:00p.m. – 4:30p.m.
Cost of Workbook: RM25 per copy
For more information, contact the facilitators:
Bro Jesse Teh: WhatsApp: 012-200 3981
Email: jss_ten@yahoo.com
Bro Earnest Lin: WhatsApp: 016-208 8691
Email: ernestlin90@hotmail.com

GIVING
While we acknowledge that many people are affected by the current MCO situation, we encourage you to continue giving your tithes / offering during this time through online banking. The details are below:
ONLINE BANKING DETAILS
ACCT #: 171-315-561-1
ACCT NAME: WESLEY METHODIST CHURCH KLANG
BANK: UOB
REFERENCE: TITHE / OFFERING

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JESUS’ AMAZING FULFILLMENT OF PROPHECY

Accidental fulfillment of prophecies?

The New Testament writers cite messianic prophecies from the Old Testament more than 130 times. By some estimates the Old Testament contains 300 prophetic passages that describe who the Messiah is and what He will do. Of these, 60 are major prophecies. What are the chances of these prophecies being fulfilled in one person?

Of course, as apologist Dr. Norman Geisler points out, God makes no mistakes. It is virtually inconceivable that God would allow either a total deception in His name or an accidental fulfillment in the life of the wrong person. Such things rule out a chance fulfilment.

One might argue there is still that possibility—however remote. But the mathematical odds that all of these prophecies could have converged by chance in the events of the life of Jesus are staggeringly minute—to the point of eliminating any such possibility.

Astronomer and mathematician Peter Stoner, in his book Science Speaks, offers a mathematical analysis showing that it is impossible that the precise statements about the One to come could be fulfilled in a single person by mere coincidence.

The chance of only eight of these dozens of prophecies being fulfilled in the life of one man has been estimated at 1 in 10 to the 17th power. That would be 1 chance in 100,000,000,000,000,000.

How can we put this in terms we can comprehend? Dr. Stoner illustrates the odds with this scenario: “Take 100,000,000,000,000,000 silver dollars and lay them on the face of Texas [with its approximate land area of 262,000 square miles]. They will cover all of the state two feet deep. Now mark one of these silver dollars and stir the whole mass thoroughly, all over the state. Blindfold a man and tell him that he can travel as far as he wishes, but he must pick up one silver dollar and say that this is the right one.

“What chance would he have of getting the right one? Just the same chance that the prophets would have had of writing these eight prophecies and having them all come true in any one man.”

But that is only eight of the dozens of prophecies of the Messiah. Using the science of probability, the chance of as many as 48 of these prophecies coming to pass in one person is 1 in 10 to the 157th power—a 1 followed by 157 zeros.

One or two fulfillments in Jesus’ life could be dismissed as coincidental. But when the instances of fulfilled prophecies are counted up, the law of probability quickly reaches the point where mere probability becomes certainty. This is one of the proofs Jesus was the promised Messiah—the messianic prophecies were accurately and precisely fulfilled in Him.

Was their fulfillment contrived?
A common objection some raise is that Jesus and His followers deliberately attempted to fulfill these prophecies. Advocates of this idea allege that Jesus manipulated events to make it look like He fulfilled the prophecies.

There is no doubt that Jesus did take some steps to directly fulfill prophecy, such as securing the donkey on which to ride into Jerusalem and making sure that His disciples had swords to be reckoned as criminals (see Matthew 21:1-7; Luke 22:36-38). This was not, however, deceptive. After all, God explained in the Old Testament how He is able to foretell the future: “I am God… declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things that are not yet done… Indeed I have spoken it; I will also bring it to pass” (Isaiah 46:9-11).

Christ, as God made flesh, was simply bringing to pass what He had foretold. However, if only a typical human being, Jesus would not have been able to fulfill everything foretold about the Messiah.

While the idea might sound intriguing, it’s impossible when you consider what Jesus would actually have had to do. To begin, He would have to have successfully manipulated His own place of birth and His human lineage. He would have to have arranged for His time to be born, so that as an adult He could begin His ministry and arrange for His death all according to the time frame of the prophecy of Daniel 9. On top of that, He would have to have engineered His own miraculous virgin birth.

If this theory had any sense of plausibility, it still would make no sense that Jesus would not fulfill the Jewish expectation of a Messiah who was to come as a king to rule the people at that time. Jesus certainly had that opportunity if He had wanted to become a physical king and leader of the Jewish nation. Many were willing to follow Him and make Him king (John 6:15; 12:12-19). Instead He took the route that led to His horrible suffering and death.

He accurately fulfilled the prophecies according to the intent of God, but contrary to the common understanding at the time. He became a servant and was willing to give His life as payment for the sins of all (Matthew 20:28). The character of such a person hardly qualifies Him to be a charlatan and a fake—one who manipulates events for His own benefit.

Fulfillment of prophecy is proof
God, who is able to control all events, caused these prophecies to be written hundreds of years before they were fulfilled in Jesus of Nazareth. As Peter proclaimed, “Those things which God foretold by the mouth of all His prophets, that the Christ would suffer, He [Jesus] has thus fulfilled” (Acts 3:18).

Paul reaffirmed that “Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures” and that “He was buried, and…He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures” (1 Corinthians 15:3-4).

To accurately foretell these events 200 to 800 years in advance is nothing less than a miracle—one that required divine knowledge and power to bring them to pass as foretold. God doesn’t do things by chance. He knew even from the foundation of the world that His Son would have to come to earth (1 Peter 1:20), and He foretold the events of His birth, death and life so we would have firm evidence on which to base our belief.
(UNITED CHURCH OF GOD, an International Association)

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From The Pastor’s Desk

Recovery MCO (RMCO) – that’s a new term that I learned from the Prime Minister last week. While it is obvious that the restrictions are being lifted since MCO began, with almost no roadblocks now, and an increased volume of traffic on the roads, nonetheless, things are not the same as prior to mid-March 2020.

On the positive side, many people are still wearing masks and are practicing social distancing when they go to public places. On the downside, places of worship cannot operate as centres of activities. Our church building used to be bustling with children and youths during the weekdays, as the El-Shaddai Refugee Learning Centre (ERLC) used our premises as classrooms, and similarly, our church premises were full of human life on the weekends, especially on Sunday mornings.

None of our TRAC churches have gotten official approval to use the church for worship services on Sunday yet. Even if the approval is given, there will be protocol to follow, and even age restrictions imposed. It looks like online worship services will be a reality with us for some time, which may be God’s way to show us new things.

Let us always stand amazed by God’s power and love. Let us continue to worship God as families and individuals. No one can take away our worship of God – ever. AMEN

Pastor Ashok

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Notices : June 07, 2020

IMPORTANT NOTICE DURING THE MCO PERIOD

In compliance with the Movement Control Order (MCO) directive by the government which takes effect from 18 March till 9 June, the following will be observed by the Church:

1. The church building and all facilities shall be closed until further notice.
2. The church office will also be closed during this period.
3. All church activities in church are also prohibited during this period
(including Hot Kitchen, Worship Services, Prayer Meetings, Youth
Meetings, etc.)
4. Cell Groups are only allowed to meet in a virtual manner (e.g. via Zoom) for
both CG meeting and Worship Service. Any other type of gathering of
CG members in a home is not advised and cannot be done under the name
of Klang Wesley.
5. Kindly note that the church staff are working from home. If you need their
help, kindly call or WhatsApp them: Pastor Ashok (012-524 0061) | Jane
(017-622 7226) | Pelita (016-625 6188) | Cheng It (012-915 3640 | Yap Chee
Kai (012-236 0457) |

POSTPONEMENT
The ministry weekend by Pastor Terence Poh, originally scheduled for April 24-26, 2020 will be postponed to November 13-15, 2020.

CORPORATE PRAYER MEETINGS
Please take note that there will be online prayer meetings on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays (3 days a week) in the morning (8-8:30a.m.)
and at night (9-10p.m.) Please contact the Church Office staff on how you can participate.

WORSHIP SERVICES
Please take note that Klang Wesley will be having online Worship Services for the entire months of May and June, 2020.

CHURCH OFFICE
During the MCO /CMCO, the church staff still works according to normal working hours. Kindly
note that Mondays are still days off. For the week ahead, the church staff will be on holiday on Tuesday (June 9, 2020) in lieu of the Agong’s birthday
on Monday, June 8, 2020. The staff will be working from Wednesday onwards.

CONDOLENCES
Condolences to Madam Helen Wong on the demise of her brother, Mr Robert Wong, who passed away on June 2, 2020.

GIVING
While we acknowledge that many people are affected by the current MCO situation, we encourage you to continue giving your tithes / offering during
this time through online banking. The details are below:
ONLINE BANKING DETAILS
ACCT #: 171-315-561-1
ACCT NAME: WESLEY METHODIST CHURCH KLANG
BANK: UOB
REFERENCE: TITHE / OFFERING

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Prayers For The Week June 07, 2020

1. Praise God for the power of the resurrection of Jesus Christ reconciled us to God, so that as His children, we are empowered to live a fulfilled and victorious life in Christ. Pray that we will be blessed with God’s Shalom peace that is beyond human comprehension and envelopes us even in the midst of the storms of our lives. Pray that the Holy Spirit will grant us greater faith not to doubt, but believe in the resurrection of Christ. Pray that He will help that head knowledge become heart knowledge so that our actions will reflect our faith. As our faith in Christ deepens, pray that God will impart to us His love and compassion for unbelievers, so we will not remain silent, but be faithful in pursuing opportunities to share Christ with others. Pray that God will daily fill our hearts with joy, and our mouths will continually overflow with praise for Him.

2. Praise God that He has revealed Himself and His will for our lives, and what He is doing in the world through the Bible. Pray that the Holy Spirit will empower us to be diligent in reading and studying God’s Word, and that we will be blessed as we spend time in His Word. Pray for wisdom as we prepare to read God’s Word, for clarity while we read, and discernment as we apply His Word in our lives, that the truth we find in the Scriptures will transform our hearts and minds to follow Christ more closely. Pray also for a teachable spirit that is receptive to all that the Holy Spirit would have us learn. Pray that whenever we read the Bible, the Lord will open our ears to hear His voice speaking to us and remove any preconceived biases that we may have developed. Pray that as we diligently study God’s Word, we will know Him and His love for us more intimately.

3. The Health director-general recently pointed out that nearly all the new cases of Covid-19 infections involve migrant workers in the nation, both documented and undocumented workers. Employers play a pivotal role to help break the chain of Covid-19 transmission among their foreign workers. Pray that these employers will take on a more sizable role to address the matter, and they will be responsible and work with the governmental guidelines to test their foreign employees, and provide them with various ways to prevent transmission, like educating the workers on hygienic practices at home and at work, providing them with clean, conducive places to stay that allows for social distancing, hand-washing, etc. As many of the new cases of infections are connected to foreigners detained in overcrowded detention centres, pray for wisdom for the authorities as they review the protocol on placing detainees in the centres. Pray that both the government, as well as the public, will treat these people with compassion, kindness and respect.

4. As the coronavirus pandemic ravages communities across the world, the evil of racial discrimination has also surfaced, ranging from the obvious everyday racism, where people are called names, abused and harassed to the more subtle kinds of racism where it is more difficult for people to get jobs or housing because of their colour or nationality. As racism is escalating in societies all over the world in the form of social, racial and gender inequalities, pray for God’s intervention, that He will step in and raise up leaders who will act with courage to combat racism and discrimination in the midst of this health crisis. Nobody faced racism more severely than the Jews, and consequently, God used the Jews to change the whole world. As we represent a God who makes no distinction between the inherent value of one race or ethnicity over another, pray that God will use His people in every nation to change the world by impacting their communities with the life-changing message of the Gospel that creates a healthy relationship with God and healthy relationships between people, no matter who they are.

5. During this pandemic, more than 50% of people who have called the mental health hotline required emotional support due to stress, loss of hope, loss of jobs, loss of income, uncertainty of the future, and even interpersonal problems. Many have also called the hotline for basic issues such as financial problems and issues such as domestic violence and family issues. Pray for the counselling officers in the hotline, that God will grant them empathy and patience, wisdom and compassion as they counsel and advice the people who call the hotline services. As there is a need for more counsellors, pray that the authorities will be able to recruit more counselling officers. But on the flip side, there is also much to praise God for. Praise and thank God that, because of the MCO/CMCO, people have more time to seek God through reading His Word, prayer and worship; and families have more time to cultivate and develop their relationships with one another. Praise God for all those who reached out to provide basic necessities to those in need. Praise God for His healing power on those infected with the virus, and for the powerful testimonies that some have attributed to God for their healing, giving glory to Him.

6. As the Ministry of Education prepares for schools to reopen soon, only Form Five and Form Six students will be allowed to return back to school when school reopens, while all others will be under home-based learning until further notice from the Education Ministry. School reopening management guidelines, which include temperature checks, easting in classrooms and social distancing, have been distributed to allow schools and teachers to make appropriate preparation. Pray that schools nationwide will be able to adhere to the strict measures that will be adopted, and for students and parents to also give their full cooperation. Pray for wisdom for the teachers as they prepare to teach in the new norm, and for patience for teachers, students and parents as teething problems are bound to occur. Pray that with careful implementation of the SOPs, all infection will be prevented, and this will pave the way for more students to be able to go back to school.

7. The coronavirus has hit certain countries with particular cruelty, with USA, Brazil, Russia, Spain, the United Kingdom, Italy and India having the most number of infections, which continue to rise in these nations in alarming rates daily. As the people in these nations struggle with anxiety and distress, pray that God will grant government leaders and medical experts wisdom and knowledge to combat the spread of COVID-19, flatten the exponential curve of infections and to find a cure for it. Pray for spiritual leadership to arise and bring comfort and hope to their people, and help them turn their fear into prayer. Pray especially for USA, as the nation battles both the coronavirus and violent protests in many cities after a black man was killed in police custody. Pray for a spirit of repentance to sweep through the nation, that people will humble themselves, pray and seek the Lord’s face, and turn from their wicked ways so that God will forgive their sin and heal their land.

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