If you live in the vicinity of Ranau, I would like to extend an invitation for you to attend the all night prayer meeting on the eve of Malaysia Day, beginning at sunset today to sunrise tomorrow. It is also the close of the 2-day Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashana (Lev 23:23-25) where trumpets are blown throughout the land. It is poignant that we should blow the trumpet of prayer so that our nation, Malaysia rise up from its present gloom and doom. Ranau residents in particular have much to pray for in the light of the June earthquake and ongoing tremors (about 5 tremors above RS3 in the past fortnight alone) and one strong tremor struck Ranau as recent as three days ago. It's also Malaysia Day, our National Day proper since before 16th September 1963, Malaysia did not yet exist.
How some politicians get the date so wrong is one injustice ready to be righted through the power of prayers. We have celebrated 31st August as Malaysia's national day though correctly understood the date refers to Malaya's Independence from British rule on 31st August 1957. It was only on the 16th September 1963 that Malaya, Sabah, Sarawak and Singapore came together to form the Federation of Malaysia after signing the Malaysia Agreement which gave birth to a new nation called, Malaysia. It is a day which all Malaysians should take pride above any other day. So in the present political and economical crisis, it is pertinent that we pray for our nation. Moreover, we need to pray for church leaders throughout the country so that they can lead their various churches to accomplish God's plan for the world as a whole and Malaysia in particular.
Why all night prayer meeting? Jesus prayed all night before he called his disciples and among them, he chose 12 disciples whom he called apostles (Luke 6:12-13). If Jesus needed to pray whole night before he selected his disciples and future leaders of the church, how much more should we need to pray before we appoint or elect our leaders into positions of authority and responsibility? As in the world, so in the church. First the natural, then the spiritual (1 Cor 15:46). If a good leader brings good to his nation, a good church leader brings good to his church. If a bad leader brings ruin to a country, a bad church leader brings apostasy and all kinds of evils upon the church of God.
No comments:
Post a Comment