Seeing & Asking

Day 21 (27 August 2018, Monday)

Matthew 9:38, therefore, pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out labourers into his harvest.

When Jesus saw the crowd,  He didn’t just see a crowd of people approaching.  He saw the crowd harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.  Jesus saw them differently and He felt compassion for them.

May the compassion of Jesus fill our hearts today as we read this verse.  Let us pray that we will see people the way Jesus saw.  We will see the great need of the lost in our nation.  Let His compassion stir our hearts to pray and to intercede fervently for His visitation over the needy.

The Greek word for “ask” is deomai”, which means to ask, beg, desire or long for (with a sense of pressing need because of our lack).  When our spiritual eyes are opened, we will be passionate to pray, to ask, to beg and long for more workers of His harvest field.

May we not merely see the great need of our nation but also the great harvest of the lost souls.  Let us obey Jesus’ instruction to pray earnestly for more workers to be sent to the field.

Do you see what Jesus sees today and ask accordingly to His Heart-felt cry?

Pray for the Heads & Governments of Negeri Sembilan & Melaka

Honest & Capable Leaders

Exodus 18:21 Moreover, look for able men from all the people, men who fear God, who are trustworthy and hate a bribe, and place such men over the people as chiefs of thousands, of hundreds, of the fifties, and of tens.

Good Stewardship in Handling All the Resources

Proverbs 27:23 – 27 Know well the condition of your flocks, and give attention to your herds, for riches do not last forever; and does a crown endure to all generations?  When the grass is gone and the new growth appears and the vegetation of the mountains is gathered, the lambs will provide your clothing, and the goats the price of a field.  There will be enough goats’ milk for your food, for the food of your household and maintenance for your girls.


Bible Reading:    Acts 16 - 20             Jeremiah 48 – 52


SOURCES

Necf  Malaysia

Download 2018 NECF Malaysia  40Days Fast & Prayer (Prayer Booklet)

Following Jesus’ Model of Ministry

Day 20 (26 August 2018, Sunday)

Matthew 4:23 – 24 And he went throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction among the people. So his fame spread throughout all Syria, and they brought him all the sick, those afflicted with various diseases and pains, those oppressed by demons, those having seizures, and paralytics, and he healed them.

Jesus showed a clear ministry model when He first started serving. His model is to teach Word of
God, to preach the Gospel of the Kingdom, to heal the sick and to deliver the possessed. But before
He started His ministry. He called to Himself His disciples, and He brought them wherever He went.
They went throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the
kingdom and healing every affliction among the people.

It seems like Jesus put His priority in ministry, but in actual fact, He chose His disciples in the first
place. Disciple-making is the very first thing of Jesus’ service to God. When He called His disciples
to Himself, He demonstrated for them His model of ministry, in the hope that they would learn from
Him as He prepared His departure in a near future. In time to come, the disciples were to do what
Jesus had been doing, and even greater things would they do in His name. This model was effective
as Jesus healed everyone who came before Him.

And great crowds followed him from Galilee and the Decapolis, and from Jerusalem and Judea, and
from beyond the Jordan. (v25)

Jesus’ ministry model attracted many to follow Him. They came from all places like Jerusalem, Judea and other countries. All of them experienced healing and deliverance, and all their needs are met.

Therefore, we have to start learning the model of Jesus’ ministry from this day onwards.

Pray for the Church Of Pahang & Johor

 Anointed with the Spirit of God

Isaiah 6:1 The spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me because the LORD has anointed me to
bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty
to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound;

 Empowerment with the Heavenly Authority

Mark 16:17 – 18 And these signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will
cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up serpents with their hands;
and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick,
and they will recover.”


Bible Reading:        Acts 11- 15                        Jeremiah 43 – 47


SOURCES

Necf  Malaysia

Download 2018 NECF Malaysia  40Days Fast & Prayer (Prayer Booklet)

Hands that Perfom (Signs & Wonders, Healing & Deliverace)

Preface for Day 16 – 20:  Harvest and Signs & Wonders

The Lord of the harvest is building His Bride who will reveal God’s glory and power through submission & obedience to Him.

Focusing on East Coast and Southern States (Pahang & Johor)

Pahang:  1,426,209 (Malay: 73.8%; Chinese: 16%; Indian: 4.4%; Other: 5.8%).  Pahang is the state in Peninsular Malaysia, which covers primeval rainforests, and forms the major part of Taman Negara National Park and Endau Rompin State Park.  This formidable mountain range from the north to the south is natural divider between East Pahang and West Pahang that houses pockets of non-Malay bumiputeras (Orang Asli) villages.  The Christian population is only 1.8% who are made up from the non-Malays bumiputeras, Chinese and Indians.  Kuantan became the state capital as late as 1955, when the British relocated the capital from Kuala Lipis.  It is now a commercial town and a major transport hub.  Pekan, located in the south bank of Sungai Pahang, the longest river in Peninsular Malaysia, is the royal town of Pahang.  It is also the hometown of the 2nd Prime Minister of Malaysia, the late Tun Abdul Razak Hussein, and also the former Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.


Johor:  3,076,384 (Malay: 57%; Chines: 34%; Indian: 7%; and Others: 2%).  The third largest state in Peninsular Malaysia.  Johor Bahru, the state capital is located on the southern tip of the peninsular.  It is linked to Singapore via the causeway which serves as the “Southern Gateway”, a bustling commercial hub.  The people in Johor are proud to be Johoreans, coining the concept of “Muafakat Johor”.  Pontian, a district of South West Johor, is populated mainly by Malays of Bugis and Javanese descent.  The name Pontian, believed to be transformed from “Perhentian”, means a stop, as it used to be a stop for both merchants and pirates.  It was also a landing point for the Indonesian navy during the Konfrontasi Malaysia-Indonesia in the 1960s.

Focus prayer on signs & wonders, healing & deliverance

List down 3 people that need healing & a miracle from the Lord.  You are going to pray & believe for supernatural healing.

SOURCES

Necf  Malaysia

Download 2018 NECF Malaysia  40Days Fast & Prayer (Prayer Booklet)

There is Miracle where there is Compassion

Day 19 (25 August 2018, Saturday)

Matthew 9:33 – 36 And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction.  When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.

Jesus performed many signs and wonders as He proclaimed the Gospel of the Kingdom of God.  He saw along the way many who were harassed and helpless.  He had compassion for them.

As Jesus rushed to Jairus’ place for the healing and resurrection of his daughter, there came a woman with the issue of blood.  She touched the fringe of Jesus’ garment.  Jesus stopped and turned and said to her:  “Take heart, daughter; your faith has made you well” (Matthew 9:22).  He also healed the two blind men who said to Him, “Have mercy on us, Son of David” (Matthew 9:27).  Jesus had compassion on them and He healed them in accordance with their faith.  Then came another mute man who could not even ask for healing, and he was brought before Jesus by someone else (Matthew 9:32 – 33).  Jesus showed His compassion by driving away the demon in him.

Miracles occur when there is compassion.  Jesus was driven by compassion whenever He saw people afflicted by all sicknesses, or possessed by demons, or worn down by sins.  He healed them as He saw them like sheep without a shepherd.  More and more of God’s anointing and power shall be released when we have compassion for people who are in need.

People with a religious spirit, especially those who harbour evil in their hearts, will definitely rise and resist us as we perform signs and wonders.  But we are not to be afraid.  The core of the Truth is compassion, though we have to pay a high price to do so.  We need to keep on doing the right thing.

Pray for the Families of Pahang & Johor

Believers’ Families to Serve God Together

Joshua 24:14-15 Now therefore fear the LORD and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness.  Put away the gods that your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD.  And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the LORD, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell.  But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.

The salvation of Non-believing Spouses

1 Peter 3:1 – 2 Likewise, wives, be subject to your own husbands, so that even if some do not obey the word, they may be won without a word by the conduct of their wives, when they see your respectful and pure conduct.


Bible Reading:        Acts 6 - 10                        Jeremiah 38 – 42

SOURCES

Necf  Malaysia

Download 2018 NECF Malaysia  40Days Fast & Prayer (Prayer Booklet)

Hands that Perform Signs & Wonders

Day 18 (24 August 2018, Friday)

Acts 14:3 So they remained for a long time, speaking boldly or the Lord, who bore witness to the word of his grace, granting signs and wonders to be done by their hands.

Paul and Barnabas used to stay Iconium of Galatia for days during their mission trip. There were many Jews who were disobedient to God then. They instigated many people to persecute Paul and Barnabas. Paul and Barnabas knew well the heart of the Lord. Hence, they relied on God and spoke boldly the Word of God, and were fearless towards their circumstances. God granted signs and wonders through their hands and took the initiative to show to the world His grace of salvation and healing.

The apostles in the early church were not afraid of conflicts.  They continued to proclaim the Gospel wherever they went in spite of strong persecutions. Once their lives were at stake, they would go to another place and continue to spread the good news of God, and signs and wonders still followed them everywhere they went. Have we ever thought of the reasons for this happening?

I believe that one of the catalysts for the continuity of signs and wonders was their courage and boldness that derived from their faith in God.

Today, we also have to believe that we can do whatever Paul and Barnabas did in the past.  God can perform His signs and wonders through us as we speak forth His Word boldly by faith.  For God desires to testify the authenticity of His Word and that He is alive in the midst of His people.

Pray for the People of Pahang & Johor

Minority People Group:  Jakun, Orang Seletar & Orang Kuala Tribes

Job 12: 21 – 22 He pours contempt on princes and loosens the belt of the strong.  He uncovers the deeps out of the darkness and brings deep darkness to light.

(Jakun, Orang Seletar & Orang Kuala Tribes:  Aboriginal tribes in Johor.  They suffer poverty due to unequal distribution of community development.)

The Oppressed and the Marginalized will Encounter God

Luke 6:20 – 21… Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.  Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you shall be satisfied.  Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh.


Bible Reading:        Acts 1 - 5                        Jeremiah 33 – 37

SOURCES

Necf  Malaysia

Download 2018 NECF Malaysia  40Days Fast & Prayer (Prayer Booklet)

Signs and Gifts

Day 17 (23 August 2018, Thursday)

Hebrews 2:4 while God also bore witness by signs and wonders and various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will.

The original word for miracle is “sign”, which also means “target”.  Miracles followed Jesus everywhere He went to serve and preach the message of repentance while He was on earth.  Other than supernatural miracles, spiritual gifts include faith, healing and deliverance, casting out of demons, prophetic revelation, words of wisdom and words of knowledge, signs and wonders and many various manifestations of powers.  All these gifts are apportioned by the Spirit as He wills.  It is through the supernatural miracles that God witnesses to all who hear so that they shall know that His might and His powers are among us.

As the disciples of the Lord Jesus this day, we receive the gifts of the Spirit when we receive the Holy Spirit.  Are we not supposed to perform signs and wonders as what Jesus had done on earth?  Our Father longs to see us exercising our faith and our gifts in performing miracles on earth, so as to testify the reality of the salvation of the Kingdom and the Gospel preached.

It is God’s will that we shall not doubt but believe as we perform signs and wonders and exercise all the miraculous gifts of God.  What we are to do now is to speak into being the miracles of God, so that all who see and hear shall witness the sign of God – that our God is a God of miracles!

Pray for the Land of Pahang & Johor

Against the Economic Oppression or Deprivation

Isaiah 5:8, 16 – 17 Woe to those who join house to house, who add field to field, until there is no more room, and you are made to dwell alone in the midst of the land.  …But the LORD of hosts is exalted in justice, and the Holy God shows himself holy in righteousness.  Then shall the lambs graze as in their pasture, and nomads shall eat among the ruins of the rich.

Acknowledgement of God’s Good Gift for us

Job 12:7 – 10 But ask the beasts, and they will teach you; the birds of the heavens and they will tell you, or the bushes of the earth and they will teach you, and the fish of the sea will declare to you. Who among all these does not know that the hand of the LORD has done this? In his hand is the life of every living thing and the breath of all mankind.

Bible Reading:        Luke 21 - 24                    Jeremiah 27 – 32

SOURCES

Necf  Malaysia

Download 2018 NECF Malaysia  40Days Fast & Prayer (Prayer Booklet)

Pray for Boldness

Day 16 (22 August 2018, Wednesday)

Acts 4:29 And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness.

The church in the times of Acts went through many persecutions.  The disciples were threatened, captured, charged in Christ openly etc., yet they chose to pray.  The beginning of the original text of this verse says that:  “And now, Lord, look upon their threats …”  The disciples were filled by the Holy Spirit with great power, but they sought God in their persecution and asked for boldness to speak His Word and also for God to stretch out His hand to heal and to perform signs and wonders.

The following verse says that “And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit moved when they sought God in unity, and they experienced signs and wonders.  Thereafter, the Gospel spread from Jerusalem to the end of the earth even when they faced greater persecution.  Signs and wonders and healing and deliverance constantly occurred in the early church.

We might not encounter the great persecution of the early church in our country, but we do feel pressurized and obstructed somehow.  We have to pray for the gospel to be made known to all, and we have to trust in the name of Jesus to gain the courage to speak His Word and to stretch out our hands to heal the sick.  The name of Jesus shall bring forth supernatural signs and wonders!

Brothers and sisters, this is God’s given authority to Christians, and the key to turn the city upside down.  We possess the boldness to heal and to perform signs and wonders when we receive the supernatural faith from God!

Pray for the Heads & Governments of Pahang & Johor

Faithful in their Office & Calling

Daniel 6:4 Then the presidents and the satraps sought to find a ground for complaint against Daniel with regard to the kingdom, but they could find no ground for complaint or any fault, because he was faithful, and no error or fault was found in him.

Show No Partiality in their Leadership

Leviticus 19:15 “You shall do no injustice in court.  You shall not be partial to the poor or defer to the great, but in righteousness shall you judge your neighbour.


Bible Reading:     
Luke 16 - 20                 
Jeremiah 22 – 26

SOURCES

Necf  Malaysia

Download 2018 NECF Malaysia  40Days Fast & Prayer (Prayer Booklet)

Becoming All Things to All Men

Day 15 (21 August 2018, Tuesday)

1 Corinthians 9:22 – 23…  I have become all things to all people that by all means I might save some.  I do it all for the sake of the gospel…

The best thing that we can do for anyone is to introduce them to Jesus.  If they come to the saving faith in Christ, they will have everything they need to live this life and even beyond.  In order to develop these friendships, we have to volunteer to give up our personal rights.  We befriend them by meting their needs.  We treat their needs as more important than our own needs.  We are willing to become a servant to others.  The Apostle Paul wrote, “I have become all things to all men …”

Jesus commanded the Church to go to the world and not for the world to come to the Church.  If Jesus’ followers love their Master, they would have to obey Him.  By “going”, Jesus’ followers demonstrate their obedience to Him.

Sharing our faith often comes with personal risks which may range from rejection, ridicule and perhaps even personal injury or death.  Jesus is asking us to do the hard and painful thing in order to demonstrate our obedience.  Jesus Himself learned obedience through the things He suffered (Hebrews 5:8).  We do not demonstrate obedience by doing things which we enjoy.

In the one task or sharing our faith, the world gets to hear the message of salvation and the followers of Jesus learn obedience.  Both are being transformed!

List the names of seven people to witness to.  Pray for them, pray for open doors to befriend them and to share your faith.

Pray for the Church of Kelantan & Terengganu

Assuming the Role of Royal Priesthood

1 Peter 2:9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellences of him who called you out of darkness into his
marvellous light.

Be Prepared to Share the Reason of Our Hope

1 Peter 3:15 – 16 but in your hearts honour Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defence to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behaviour in Christ may be put to shame.

Bible Reading:        

Luke 11 - 15                    

Jeremiah 17 – 21

SOURCES

Necf  Malaysia

Download 2018 NECF Malaysia  40Days Fast & Prayer (Prayer Booklet)

Every True Worshipper Shares His Faith

Day 14 (20 August 2018, Monday)

Read Luke 2:36 – 38
Luke 2:38:  She spoke of Him to all…

Old Aunt Anna was a godly lady.  She was a picture of a praying woman, one who knew God.  She was elderly, spending most of her life faithfully serving the Lord and even staying in the church, often fasting and praying day and night.  You will probably not find a better example of a spiritual woman of God than her.

However, the other side of Anna is less known.  The Scripture records that she “spoke of Him to all…”  She was adept and willing to share her faith with others.

As Anna spent time in prayer and fasting, she somehow touched the heart of God.  She discovered the heart of the Shepherd that leaves behind the fold to seek for the lost sheep.  Anna discovered that God’s heart was broken with sadness because mankind is lost in sinfulness, in bondage to the chains of idolatry, oppression and materialism.  Anna’s own heart became broken too as she cried and prayed for those around her who needed deliverance.

How dare we say that our ministry is only in prayer and not in evangelism?  Where may I ask is your prayer leading you, if not to the heart of God?

My friends, you need to pray and then you need to go and share your faith.  Then only will we know for sure that you, like Anna, have touched the heart of God.

Pray for the Families of Kelantan & Terengganu

Restoration of the Family Order

Exodus 20:12 Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the LORD your God is giving you.

Restoration of the Family Love & Connection

1 Corinthians 13:4 – 8 Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude.  It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth.  Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.  Love never ends.


Bible Reading:        Luke 6 - 10                    Jeremiah 12 – 16

Developing Beautiful Feet

Day 13 (19 August 2018, Sunday)

Romans 10:15 And how are they to preach unless they are sent?  As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!”

The Apostle Paul asked rhetorically, “And how are they to hear without someone preaching?”  And how are they to preach unless they are sent?”  (Romans 10:14 – 15) He then quoted Isaiah 52:7,” How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!”

God gave us feet to walk and move from one location to another.  We were meant to be on the move to extend the limits of our influence and to connect with others.  If we wish to love people, to care for them, we must move towards them.

God, Himself is a God who walks.  Adam and Eve heard the sound of the LORD God “walking” in the garden.  The Lord Jesus left His heavenly abode and “walked” among the seven churches.  In contrast, many idols are depicted as either sitting, standing or even sleeping.

God gave us feet to walk and bring the good news of salvation to a lost and dying world.  When we obey God this way, we have “beautiful feet”.

Many years ago, I shared the good news of Christ’s salvation with an elderly lady in our city.  In response to the gospel message of God’s grace, she wept tears of repentance and was filled with joy.  She then kissed my hands in appreciation.  Perhaps she should have kissed my feet!  Surely my feet were more responsible than my hands for bringing me there!

Friends, do you have beautiful feet?

Pray for the People Kelantan & Terengganu

Minority People Group: Semaq Beri & Bateq

John 3:16 – 17 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.  For God did not send is Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.

(Semaq Beri & Bateq:  Aboriginal tribes in Terengganu.  They are struggling to rise above their disadvantaged socio-economic status.)

Seek Sexual Purity and Flee from Immorality

1 Corinthians 6:18 Flee from sexual immorality.  Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body.


Bible Reading:     
Luke 1 - 5                     
Jeremiah 7 – 11

SOURCES

Necf  Malaysia

Download 2018 NECF Malaysia  40Days Fast & Prayer (Prayer Booklet)

Commanding People to Repent

Day 12 (18 August 2018, Saturday)

Read Jonah 3:4 – 10 “Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!”

Many believers shy away from speaking about the judgment of a holy God on all who refuse to repent of their wicked ways.  What is promoted is usually the benefits of salvation like peace, joy and in some cases, even of financial freedom or prosperity.

In the book of Acts, Paul preached that “The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent” (Acts 17:30).  God commands … He does not merely invite!  People can and must be commanded to repent.

Repentance involves a change of heart.  But it is not enough just to “repent in the heart”.  Jesus says, “Bear fruits in keeping with repentance” (Luke 3:8).  When Jonah warned the people of impending judgment, they repented.  They expressed their repentance by serious fasting.  They repented in the hope that God may relent from destroying them.

In respect of the king and people of Nineveh, Scripture tells us that, “When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil way, God relented of the disaster that he had said he would do to them, and he did not do it” (Jonah 3:10).  God saw their works.  People aren’t saved by works but by the grace of God.  Yet it says that God saw their works.  God saw their works of repentance.  The people of Nineveh bore fruits in keeping with repentance.

My friends, command your hearers to repent and avoid God’s judgement!

Pray for the Land of Kelantan & Terengganu

Light of Christ to Remove the Darkness

Matthew 4:16 the people dwelling in darkness have seen a great light, and for those dwelling in the region and shadow of death, on them a light has dawned.”

Restoration of the Social Order

Isaiah 32:15 – 17 until the Spirit is poured upon us from on high, and the wilderness becomes a fruitful field, and the fruitful field is deemed a forest.  Then justice will dwell in the wilderness, and righteousness abide in the fruitful field.  And the effect or righteousness will be peace, and the result of righteousness, quietness and trust forever.


Bible Reading:       
Matthew 25 - 28           
Jeremiah 1 – 6

SOURCES

Necf  Malaysia

Download 2018 NECF Malaysia  40Days Fast & Prayer (Prayer Booklet)

Share Your Faith Everywhere

Day 11 (17 August 2018, Friday)

Matthew 9:35 “Jesus went through all the towns and villages… proclaiming the good news of the kingdom…

Jesus led and exemplary life.  He never sinned and He did the will of God throughout His life.  He preached to multitudes but He also witnessed to individuals, e.g. the Samaritan woman, Zacchaeus, Nicodemus, etc.  Not everyone is called to preach to multitudes but every believer is empowered to be a witness to the gospel of Christ (Acts 1:8).

Jesus came in love and as an expression of God’s love for mankind.  He is the living word of God communicated to us.  Jesus witnessed to the love and power of God wherever he went.  Jesus asked His followers to do the same.

“Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.  “(Mark 16:15) We meet people every day whom we can share our faith with.  Our family members, our friends, our relatives, our colleagues at work or our mates in school, our clients or our customers, the people we buy things from, our neighbours, even people we don’t like.  After you have shared your faith to every person you know in your area, go to another place and get to know even more people so that you can share with them.  One day Jesus will definitely come back to this world… but not before our task of sharing His Good News is completed! (Matthew 4:14)

When was the last time you share about the Lord to someone who did not have a personal
relationship with Jesus?

Pray for the Heads & Governments of Kelantan & Terengganu

Govern their People with Love

Romans 13:8, 10 Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law… Love does no wrong to a neighbour; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.

Look after the Welfare & Interest of their States

Philippians 2:3-4 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.  Let each of you look not only to his own interests but also to the interests of others.

Bible Reading:         Matthew 19 - 24            Ruth 1 – 4

SOURCES

Necf  Malaysia

Download 2018 NECF Malaysia  40Days Fast & Prayer (Prayer Booklet)

Feet that Go (with the Shoe of Gospel)

Preface for Day 11-15:  Harvest & The Gospel

The Lord of the harvest is building His Bride who will continue to share and reach out in all towns and villages.


Focusing on North-East States (Kelantan & Terengganu)

Kelantan: 1,507,129 (Malay: 95%; Chinese: 3.4%; Indian:0.3%; Other: 1.3%).  The “Land of Lightning”, located in the northernmost state on the East coast of Peninsula Malaysia.  Kota Bharu, the capital of the state reflects an ‘old world’ of the Malay traditions and the predominantly Islamic city in the country.  Muslim’s prayer times are rigorously observed, during which all other activities come to a standstill, especially on Fridays.  Pantai Dasar Sabak in Kota Bharu has great historical significance.  On Dec. 8, 1941, the Imperial Japanese Navy troops landed here in one of Japan’s first acts of aggression during World War II.


Terengganu: 1,017,210 (Malay: 97%; Chinese: 2.6%; Indian: 0.2%; Other: 0.2%).  Islam is the major religion in the state.  Kuala Terengganu, the state capital, and where the seat of sultans of Terengganu is located.  Most Chinese and Indians in Terengganu live in this district.  The population of Christians, mainly the Chinese and the Indian is only 0.2%.  Kuala Terengganu was declared as Bandaraya Warisan Pesisir Air (Coastal Heritage City) in 2008.  Batu Bersurat, a 700-year-old inscribed stone proclaims Islam as the state religion in Terengganu and also is the earliest evidence of Jawi writing in the Malay Muslim world of Southeast Asia.

Walk worthy of His Calling (Ephesians 4:1)

Have you been walking faithfully in His calling in the harvest field?  Where is your harvest field?


Feet of the Good News

SOURCES

Necf Malaysia

Download 2018 NECF Malaysia  40Days Fast & Prayer (Prayer Booklet)

Comfort & Affliction

Day 10 (16 August 2018, Thursday)

2 Corinthians 1:3-4 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of Mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.


What is “comfort”?  The dictionary defines it as “consolation” or “a state of physical ease”, which is a kind of “gentle empathy” that strengthens the receivers.

People often base their feeling on their experiences.  Thus, it is not easy to possess such kind of “gentle empathy”.  It is an ability to comfort others when we have personally gone through the troubles ourselves with the comfort we received from the Holy Spirit.  It is more than feeling and sharing the pains, but strengthening and encouraging each other because of the common experiences we have encountered.  Therefore, there is a very positive element about the meaning of “affliction”.

Jesus is not spared from affliction.  “For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.”  It is indeed a source of strength helping us to overcome suffering, for there is hope amidst our affliction.

Who needs our comfort?

The dying:  Provide an environment of rest and spirit cultivation for patients with terminal illness as well as for their families.  Share the Gospel with them.

Migrant workers and refugees:  Provide them with meeting places, learning centers, health care and shelters for refugee children.  Teach their women at home to do craftwork, and ease them from feeling lost in a foreign land, so that they know God cares for them and He does not neglect them.

Disaster relief:  Distribute goods and materials.  Wash or rebuild houses.  Instruct people with the knowledge of disaster prevention.  Enter the interiors to assist with disaster relief (especially when the lives of Orang Asli are affected).  Assist in fundraising, etc.

Pray for the Church of Penang & Perak

Living in the Covenantal Love of God

Isaiah 58:9-12…If you take away the yoke from your midst, the pointing of the finger, and speaking wickedness, if you pour yourself out for the hungry and satisfy the desire of the afflicted, then shall your light rise in the darkness and your gloom be as the noonday. 

And the LORD will guide you continually and satisfy your desire in scorched places and make your bones strong; and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail.  And your ancient ruins shall be rebuilt; you shall rise up the foundations of many generations; you shall be called the repairer of the breach, the restorer of streets to dwell in.

Be the Channels of Comfort & Strength

2 Corinthians 1:3-4 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.




Bible Reading:         
Matthew 11 - 18            Judges 20– 21

SOURCES

Necf Malaysia

Download 2018 NECF Malaysia  40Days Fast & Prayer (Prayer Booklet)

The Creation of God Reveals His Compassion

Day 9 (15 August 2018, Wednesday)

Isaiah 63:7 I will recount the steadfast love of the LORD, the praises of the LORD, according to all that the LORD has granted us, and the great goodness to the house of Israel that he has granted them according to his compassion, according to the abundance of his steadfast love.

We enjoy daily the creation of God like the sun, the air, the water and the produce of the land.  But not necessarily everyone, even the highly educated, realize that fact and learn to appreciate the gifts of God.  Their lives become a pursuit of futility.

We have to tell people who do not understand, whether they are informed or ignorant.  The earliest Orang Asli did not do fish farming, they fished from the river.  They did not grow fruits but climbed trees for it.  They picked up fruits that fell to the ground.  They did not farm wild boars but hunted them.  They did not have bee-hives but obtained honey from the honeycomb on the tree.

All these bring to mind a verse from the bible.  “You cause the grass to grow for the livestock and plants for man to cultivate that he may bring forth food from the earth” (Psalm 104:14).  Food is a solid evidence of God’s presence and His provision.  It comes in all kind of flavours, and everyone is well fed and satisfied.

God sent his servants to show them there is a Creator who is almighty, good and awesome so that they learn to give thanks to the Father for His wonderful creation and ingenious design.  The Orang Asli is inseparable from their land, and God has not forgotten them.

Let men find no excuse, for God’s invisible attributes, namely.  His eternal power and divine nature, which are clearly perceived ever since the creation of the world in the things that have been made, shall advance His Gospel.

Pray for the Families of Penang & Perak

Marital Faithfulness and Commitment

Hebrews 13:4 Let marriage be held in honour among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous.

Mutual Love & Respect Between Husband & Wife

Ephesian 5:33 However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.


Bible Reading:       
Matthew 6 - 10                 Judges 15 – 19

SOURCES

Necf Malaysia

Download 2018 NECF Malaysia  40Days Fast & Prayer (Prayer Booklet)

More than Meeting our Basic Needs

Day 8 (14 August 2018, Tuesday)

Isaiah 49:10 they shall not hunger or thirst, neither scorching wind nor sun shall strike them, for he who has pity on them will lead them, and by springs of water will guide them.

Man has basic needs of food and shelter.  But some people are deprived of all these basic needs.  Some people are not properly clothed because of all kinds of unrighteous practices and unequal distribution of resources

All these things do happen in the main cities that are flourishing as well as subordinate cities or towns everywhere.

Ministries were established as God’s people witness these scarcities:
Helping the poor:  single-parent, families in dire needs, poor communities, and Orang Asli living below the poverty level.

Street ministers: 

Distribute food and daily necessities to the homeless.  Open centers for the homeless to take a bath and to do laundry.
Food bank: Provide families with food.
God has compassion for His people, and He allows them to live and to have lives.  God’s food is the One who comes from heaven, the One He gives to the world.  Jesus said, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.”

Our prayer is that these recipients will come to know God, who has compassion for them and who lead them to the stream of living water.  They will understand that God’s desire for them is more than living on in this life.

Pray for the People of Penang & Perak

Minority People Group : 

Semai & Temiar

Jeremiah 31:34 And no longer shall each one teach his neighbour and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the LORD.  For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.”

(Semai & Temiar:  Aboriginal tribes in Perak.  Government development projects do improve their lives, yet many more community development projects still need to be done to alleviate their marginalized status.)

Forsake Idolatry and Seek the Truth

Acts 17:29-30 Being then God’s offspring, we ought not to think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and imagination of man.  The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent,….

Bible Reading:   
Matthew 1 - 5              Judges 10 - 14

SOURCES

Necf Malaysia

Download 2018 NECF Malaysia  40Days Fast & Prayer (Prayer Booklet)

Behold, I am coming soon!

Day 40 (15 Sept 2017, Friday)

Have you ever queued up for an hour to get a seat at a restaurant?  You heard that the food was really the best and worth to wait.  After you finally get seated and ordered, you wait yet another 45 minutes before the ‘most delicious’ food comes.  By this time, I am not sure if you are still all excited about the food you were hoping for.  Some may storm out instead of waiting.

Others can go on a tirade a complains.  And yet others, fill their stomachs with peanuts and drinks until they lose their appetite.  Ultimately, you determine your own reaction to the situation.  Likewise, you determine you own reaction as you await the blessed hope of Jesus Christ.

Unlike physical food which can disappoint, the blessed hope will not disappoint because it is not about what mansion you will be getting, what rewards you will have, etc.  The blessed hope is “our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:13) Himself.  It is the Giver and not he gift that we seek.  Jesus proclaimed, “Behold, I am coming soon!” (Revelation 22:7,12).  As you come to the end of the 40 day fast and pray, I hope you will never stop expecting the blessed hope.  “May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word” (2 Thessalonians 2:16-17).

Amen.  Come, Lord Jesus.

Declaration of the Lordship of Jesus Christ over our land

We decree an increase of Your Kingdom’s rule and reign over our nation and the nation of the world!
We declare a new generation of leaders who will answer the call to govern with the fear of God in their lives.
We decree, “Your Kingdom come” in every sphere of society: political, economic, social, religious, judicial, military, education, media and the arts.  Position, therefore, godly and righteous men and women in every high place to serve Your purposes and to align our nation to Your heavenly blueprint.

Let every tongue and tribe praise You, O God; may all the peoples praise You.  Then the land will yield its harvest, and God, our God, will bless us.  Nothing is impossible with You!
We shall enter a new season of signs, wonders and miracles!  The Church of Jesus Christ in Malaysia is blessed and we will be a blessing to our land!

May God be gracious to us and bless us and make His face shine upon us, that Yours ways may be known in our land, Your Salvation among all peoples!




 Necf Malaysia

Download 2017 NECF Malaysia  40Days Fast & Prayer (Prayer Booklet)

Only in heaven

Day 39 (14 Sept 2017, Thursday)

As you come towards the end of your 40-day fast and pray, take some time to reflect on how you have changed - in spirit, mind, and body.  The change in your body is probably more obvious as you may have lost a few pounds.  But time spent with God, particularly in fasting and praying, also results in a molding or our spirit and mind by the Master Potter.

However, if you are like me, no matter how much the molding, there always seems to be attitudes, thoughts and situations that are far from the godly ideal.  You may still struggle with ill feelings towards someone, plagued with unholy thoughts, and that particular family member still has not accepted Christ.  Even on a national level, things may not seem to have improved despite your most fervent prayers.  The blessed hope serves as a reminder that perfection will never be attained here, but only in heaven.


Hence, Apostle Paul, in encouraging the Christians in Rome, asserts, “I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us” (Romans 8:18).
“Hold on to the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:39).  The time will come when God “will wipe every tear from (your) eyes.  There will be no more death, or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”  “…these words are trustworthy and true (Revelations 21:4-5).

A call for repentance

2 Chronicles 7:14
“if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn form their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”

Joel 1:13-14
“Put on sackcloth, you priests, and mourn; wail, you who minister before the altar.  Come, spend the night in sackcloth, you who minister before my God; for the grain offerings and drink offerings are withheld from the house of your God.”

Declare a holy fast; call a sacred assembly

Summon the elders and all who live in the land to the house of the Lord your God, and cry out to the Lord.
Repent on behalf of the churches for all her sins and short-comings
Repent on behalf of the families for all sins committed in homes
Repent on behalf of the nation for all her sins so that His mercy and forgiveness will flow



 Necf Malaysia

Download 2017 NECF Malaysia  40Days Fast & Prayer (Prayer Booklet)

Precious hope for the lost

Day 38 (13 Sept 2017, Wednesday)

I serve as a minister among refugees.  Every refugee has one hope - to be granted residence in a host country.  That hope burns so intensely that they are willing to leave their home, pay unscrupulous agents exorbitant fees to get them here, endure the hardships that come with being an illegal, and patiently wait out the years until they are granted residence in a host country.  Most of us cannot fathom how precious this hope is to them.

Likewise, if you were bought up in a Christian family, you might not appreciate how precious the blessed hope is to the lost.  Many Chinese spend a great deal of money and effort in attempting to secure a good afterlife.  Adherents of other religions try their best to make their good deeds outweigh their bad deeds in order to go to heaven.  Neither have the guarantee of salvation and eternity in heaven like we do.

Do we look at the lost like we do at refugees?  Indifferent?  Or at best sympathetic, but lack of action?  Our lack of zeal in evangelism and missions reflects our failure to realize how precious is the blessed hope to the lost.

Jesus applied the words of Isaiah 61:1-2 on Himself, “the Spirit of the Lord is on me… to proclaim good news to the poor…. Freedom for the prisoners… sight for the blind… release the oppressed…. (and) the year of the Lord’s favour”.  May we realize that the lost are like poor prisoners, blind and oppressed.  May we proclaim the blessed hope to them.

Pray for a change of heart and character

Pray that our desire will be to be like Christ.  That Christlikeness will be our main passion and goal; and we will walk in humility considering others better than ourselves; and we will surrender to His will by taking up our cross daily, dying to our personal rights and following Him wherever He may lead us.

Pray that the Lord will give us a new heat and a new mind, and He will put a right spirit within us, and He will enable us to have perseverance in order to walk in His will and purposes, and that we shall be found faithfully serving Him to the end.

Pray for us to have a willingness to take the first step to reconcile with others, even if we have been wronged, so that the root of bitterness may find no place in our hearts.

 Necf Malaysia

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Running the right race

Day 37 (12 Sept 2017, Tuesday)

What is the lifestyle and actions of one who is eagerly anticipating the blessed hope? Hebrews 12:1-3 clearly tells us:
To throw off everything that hinders us (especially sin),
To run with perseverance the race marked out for us, and,
To fix our eyes on Jesus.

The above exhortation was written in the light of the blessed hope (Hebrews 11:13-16; 39-40).  The first and last are easily understood, but what is the race marked out for us?  We must know this race lest we run to the end and find that we ran the wrong race.

Thankfully, we can see the end of the race:  Revelation 7:9-17. Here, we catch a glimpse of what the realization of the blessed hope will look like - God is worshipped in heaven by the angels, the 24 elders and the four living creatures and a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language.  This multitude of people is the fulfilment of Jesus’ Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20).

Therefore, the race marked out for us is the Great Commission.  Apostle Paul affirms this in Acts 20:24, “However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me - the task of testifying to the Gospel of God’s grace.”
Everything that you - your lifestyle and actions - should be in persevering obedience to the Great Commission.  Is it?  Are running the right race?

Pray for Christians to remain strong in challenging times  

Pray that Christians in Malaysia will have a heart that is steadfast in the faith even in the tough and trying times of our nation.
Pray for a resolve to face whatever challenges that may come along our way with a persevering and joyous attitude.

Pray that we may fully understand the call of our Lord Jesus Christ when He asks us take up our cross and follow Him faithfully even though if may cost us greatly at times.

Let us pray and look beyond our personal preservation and start looking towards the purposes of God and the work of His Kingdom in our land.
Pray that we will pursue this calling over and above our own needs of comfort and safety.

 Necf Malaysia

Download 2017 NECF Malaysia  40Days Fast & Prayer (Prayer Booklet)