24/7 Prayer Day 7

Hello prayer warriors!

We are approaching the final stretch of the March 24/7 Prayer Movement, congratulations for making your way through the course of this week. May God reward you as you diligently and faithfully seek Him and intercede for your loved ones and the rest in this fallen world in which we live. For some who did not manage to committee to the prayer slots consistently, please do not give up, continue to seek and pray likewise even when this prayer movement is over. Let us be reminded that prayer is beyond a mere movement. It is a lifestyle.

As the last day of this movement is dawning, let us redirect our focus back to what God has set before us – the coming Term 2 as well as our personal calling within ACS(I).

The approaching Term is not going to be smooth sailing, to say the very least. It will surely be tougher and more challenging than the one that has passed; the workload is going to be heavier, deadlines will be more pressing etc, so we really need God’s empowerment and strengthening to survive and thrive in this trying environment. We have faith that God is faithful, when he has carried us to the challenges ahead, He will surely carry us through them. Let us therefore come boldly before His throne of Grace and seek for His blessings and guidance so that we may boast in Him and glorify Him through our work. Yes, begin to commit the days ahead into His loving and mighty hands and work hard with what He has graciously allotted to us (our energy, mind and material resources etc), so that we may be found faithful, multiplying the talents He has given to us. Even as we endeavor to multiply the talents given, let us not forget to pray for a heart of sensitivity and genuine kindness, to encourage, comfort and help those who are in need.

Above and beyond school work and CCA duties, let us not neglect and disregard God’s calling to advance His kingdom within the walls of ACS(I), the school founded by God’s will to be His Beacon of Truth and Light in a dark and depraved world. While we strive and fight for academic excellence and non-academic achievements, let us never lose sight of eternity, of the kingdom of God, of Christ’s righteousness, which are much more significant in the long run. Pray first for a heart of trust and faith in God so that we will not compromise our spirituality in the quest for earthly attainments, because it is not worth it. Pray also for God to open up our spiritual eyes and ears to perceive what He wants us to do for Him in school, be it stepping up in faith to become leaders of Christian ministries in school, be it ministering to a friend, be it evangelizing (roundabout evangelism and beyond), be it praying regularly for God to move within the heart of all ACSians… There are many things we can do.

The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Will you take up the challenge and the calling to be God’s laborer to administer to the harvest? i sincerely hope that as you seek God in prayer, He will enable you to experience His compassion and yearning for His lost sheep who are around us as we go to school everyday. May we align ourselves with the will of Jesus Christ our Saviour and Lord, and be His mouthpiece, hands and feet.

If you feel called to join the leadership of FireAC and/or CF, please contact any of the leaders whose names are found in black on the right side of this blog. You are warmly welcomed (:

May God’s presence guide us into the upcoming Term and empower us to glorify Him in every way.

Blessings and love,
Zhuo’er

p.s. a verse to mediate on:
Proverbs 4:18 (NKJV) But the path of the just is like the shining sun, that shines ever brighter unto the perfect day.

Day 6

My apologies for the late post, fell asleep at 7 pm and woke up at 6.30 am today but back to the topic lest we digress. Today’s prayer focus will be on the world as a whole.

One click on the latest news and one will not find it hard to see that the world is in trouble, from the war in Afghanistan to the Israeli abuse issues during the Gaza conflict; from US-Iranian tension to rejected leadership in Madagascar. The news just seems to be depressing no matter how we look at it. Some may argue that the media have a tendency to exaggerate issues and make things look worse than they are, but face it guys, we live in trouble times.

As Disciples of Christ, our job is not to mop around whining and worrying about how bad the times are but to accept all these issues and God’s supreme authority over such issues. While such issues seem to be so far away in the other side of the world, while we lack the maturity to empathize with such situations, I urge you, brothers and sisters, to pray for them. Pray for peaceful resolutions, for soothing to go to the wounded etc.

With that being said, even as I look at such news going around the world, it is painful to see how desensitized we have become. Bogged down by our own troubles with workload, personal issues, we like to very much careless about the world when our own little worlds are in trouble too. More often than not, we wonder what ourselves, as individuals; can do to such a large world. Distracted by our own issues, hindered by our own weaknesses, blinded by our ignorance, we tend to just not want to care about the world.

Recently, as I was discussing about the issues regarding the school, I was reminded once again by God, that we need more than just awareness to these troubling issues or sympathy for the suffering that goes around, but empathy for the pain that they go through. Loving thy neighbour as thyself starts with understanding the pains and troubles that our neighbours goes through. We are truly blessed as we live in a peaceful country, enrolled ourselves in a beautiful school, but let’s not be distracted by our own lives to care about the suffering that is happening around the world.

I apologize once again, for the lateness of this post and thank you again for praying. So go pray, for there’s much to pray about……

The retard that sleeps too much,
Zhan Feng

24/7 Day Two

24/7 Prayer Day Two

Psalms 92:1-5

It is good to praise the Lord

and make music to our name,

Oh Most High.

to proclaim your love in the morning

and your faithfulness at night,

to the music of the ten-stringed lyre

and the melody of the harp.

For you make me glad by your deeds, 

O Lord;

I sing for joy at the works of your 

hands.

How great are your works, O Lord,

how profound your thoughts!

If there's one thing I've realized in prayer, is that prayer really teaches you how to love.

I read somewhere once about a little boy who went to bed without praying, and when questioned by his parents, said, "Because I didn't need anything from God today." How often are we similarly mistaken even today, treating prayer as a time in which we ask for things from God. However, see John 17 as to how Jesus prayed.

John 17:16 "I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them."

As Jesus did, and as God's children and fellow heirs in Christ, we are also called to intercede for our loved ones in prayer. 

So as you come before the Lord in prayer today, think about your immediate loved ones, friends and family. It can just be a simple prayer, asking for the Lord's blessing and guidance over your parents as they shuttle to and fro from work everyday, to even about that classmate who has seemed troubled and stressed out lately. Once you start going down the list, you'll find a plentiful number of loved ones in need of prayer! I've experienced this personally, and many a time prayer has become that first step and reminder to approach a troubled friend and just ask them simply how they are doing. Think about if someone asked you how you were feeling on an especially crappy day; you'd immediately feel loved and cared for, just knowing someone was looking out for and concerned about you! Even to non-believers, I've realized that just a simple, "If you like, I can keep you in my prayers." still manages to touch their hearts.

What about those who aren't "lovable" at all? Pray for wisdom in your actions and speech around them, and most importantly for courage and God's unconditional love to look past your differences and truly love them. Remember, true love isn't an emotion, it's a commitment. Oftentimes we can't get along with people, either because one side has been wronged, or maybe even just due to a simple clash of personalities. Pray for discernment and a teaching, humble spirit to accept criticism (whether be it from classmates or especially, our teachers), and that God's love will truly be able to act through you and transform hearts on both sides. Prayer is always accompanied with action.

And don't forget our teachers too! They need lots of prayer as well, and like us students, are just like any other human being, struggling with fears, stress and temptations. Let's keep them,  our school admin and our nation's leaders in our prayers as well, that they may continue to persevere in faith, be it in the classroom, in the school or throughout the nation. 

Pray in faith, knowing that our heavenly Father cares for us and for our loved ones too! In fact, in being there for our friends and helping them carry their burdens, we can avoid getting 'burnt out' and stressed by others problems by always first just bringing them all to Jesus,

Alrights, always keeping you all in my prayers! =)

God bless,

Petrina

24/7 Prayer for the March Holidays [Day One]

Hello people!

For those who have stepped up in faith to participate in the movement, thank you and welcome! =)

I sincerely hope that the following week [begins at 0000 hour later] will be a spiritually enriching and fruitful one, one that allows us to draw closer to the heart & mind of God as we earnestly seek Him, and to perceive our personal calling from Him, so that His will for and through our lives may come to pass in the near future. (:

No matter which hour in the day/ night your prayer slot is, how intense your prayers are, rest assured that the God who keeps us and watches over us in Truth & Love hears them all and will answer them all (according to His way and timing).

As the first day is approaching, many of us may be a somewhat uncertain as to how to pray and what to pray for an entire hour. If you have this sense of apprehension, just think of it as a heart-to-heart chatting with someone you trust and love, a very close friend for example (after all, God is our Best Friend!), and the hour will be over before we realize.

For the first day, let us focus on setting our heart right before Him in prayer:

- To the best of your abilities, set aside a quiet place each day for prayer, a place where you’re unlikely to be interrupted or distracted.

- Fix your thoughts on Christ Jesus; meditate on His life and teaching, His death for us on the Cross, and His guidance and provision in our lives etc.

- Be patiently still and try to hear His small still voice (you can also read the Bible to be more in tune with God).

Here are some of the prayer items you can focus on for the first day, on the first day of 24/7 Movement:

1. Thanksgiving – Thank God for His redeeming grace; the Ultimate Sacrifice He has made for you and i on the Cross, so that we may have eternal life in Heaven and abundant life in His presence on Earth. Thank God for bringing us to ACS(I), where He is, where amazing friends are found, where we can receive world-class education. Thank Him also for carrying us through this Term, through all the trials and tribulations, which can build up our character and serve to strengthen our faith in Him (provided we remain faithful in Him).

2. Seek for forgiveness and empowerment – Many of us stumbled and fell for the past days, we need to humble ourselves before God to confess our sins, seek for His forgiveness and empowerment to turn away from us sins, and He will!

3. Ask the Lord to search our hearts and provide guidance– Many of us were so caught up with work that we have been neglecting our spiritual conditions, it’s a good time to turn back to God and allow Him to reveal to us the state of our souls so that we have a clear perception of our spiritual states. This must also be coupled seeking God’s guidance as to what to work on and how to work on our spiritual weaknesses. Remember the training of the soul is profitable for all things!

4. Submit ourselves to God – For some of us, it may be a time to recommit our lives into God’s loving and mighty hands in trust and humility. (: Do so with joy, for He is good and His love for each of us endures forever!

5. Wait on Him – Let us also learn to be still and be ready to hear Him speak through the Bible (you may combine this prayer slot with your usual QT if you’re pressed for time), thoughts, mental images etc

(: If you have any doubts to clarify, any prayer requests, or testimonies to share, feel free to leave a comment! It will be greatly appreciated. 

As different members of the Christian body within the walls of ACS (I), we are always encouraged to know how the Lord has been working among us. Should there be any struggles and prayer requests, we can commit to the Lord in prayer together. You can contact any of the leaders whose contact numbers are on the left-hand side of this blog. We’re all nice and friendly people whom you can trust. =)

Lastly, if you have just discovered this prayer movement and would like to join in, it’s not too late! Leave a comment or email xu.zhuoer@gmail.com your full name, contact details, and preferred hour of prayer. 

Thank you, and may God richly bless your 24/7 experience! =D

24/7 Prayer Update Day Two

24/7 Prayer Movement

Prayer Items:

-       Wisdom and strength – That the Lord will continue give you strength in persevering to devote one hour each day lifting your soul in submission to His will, and that He will continue to reveal himself to you daily, guiding you in His wisdom as you read His word.

-       Reaching out to the school – Intercede continually for the countless lost and broken among our fellow peers, that they may turn to Him and truly realize just how much they need him in their lives. Pray for his wisdom, courage and guidance as you prepare to reach out to these people, especially those closest to you, in prayer and in action.  “When I called, you answered me; you made me bold and stout-hearted.” Psalms 138:3.

-       Foreign scholars – Let’s also not forget the many foreign scholars in our midst, that the Lord will open up opportunities to minister to them, that their hearts will not be hardened against His word, and that through us they can experience Christ’s love and sacrifice on the cross, that this love that binds us all as one body of Christ can break through those cultural and language barriers.

 

Psalm of the Day:

Psalm 130

A song of ascents.

 1 Out of the depths I cry to you, O LORD;

 2 O Lord, hear my voice.

       Let your ears be attentive

       to my cry for mercy.

 3 If you, O LORD, kept a record of sins,

       O Lord, who could stand?

 4 But with you there is forgiveness;

       therefore you are feared.

 5 I wait for the LORD, my soul waits,

       and in his word I put my hope.

 6 My soul waits for the Lord

       more than watchmen wait for the morning,

       more than watchmen wait for the morning.

 7 O Israel, put your hope in the LORD,

       for with the LORD is unfailing love

       and with him is full redemption.

 8 He himself will redeem Israel

       from all their sins.

 

Note:

I trust and hope that the first day of prayer has been a fruitful and meaningful experience for you all in drawing you closer to Him =)

 

If you have strayed away from Him, know that it is never too late to seek after the Lord again! “I have strayed like a lost sheep, Seek your servant, for I have not forgotten your commands.” Psalms 119:176. And indeed the Lord seeks after us, constantly knocking on the door to our hearts, waiting to be let in. As the psalmist said in Psalms 139, “Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee fro your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.” Truly our heavenly Father is God after our own hearts, who loves us more than we can ever imagine!

 

If you have continued to seek after Him daily, I pray and hope that in the days to come, the passion for the Lord will continue to be renewed within you, and that you may be refreshed and renewed in just coming into His presence daily =)

 

And know that over all this, let us continue to support one another in prayer, never forgetting our fellow brothers and sisters around us who are in need. “If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose… Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.” Philippians 2:1-4.

 

Let’s come before Him with open, humble and contrite hearts, putting aside our pride and self-righteousness. Instead, let us truly know what it is to be still and wait on the Lord, lifting up our hearts to Him, calling on Him to search our hearts and see if there is an offensive way in us, and lead us in the way everlasting. The weight of our sins alone is too great for us to bear, too countless for us to ever repay, but if we turn to Christ with repentant and submissive hearts, He promises to wash away all our sins, and even more than that, the chance to be reborn again in Him, to have our lives transformed by His love, to start afresh. In waiting on the Lord yesterday, one song that truly spoke to me was this:

We bow our hearts

We bend our knees

Oh Spirit come make us humble

We turn our eyes

From evil things

Oh Lord we cast down our idols

 

So give us clean hands

and give us pure hearts

Let us not lift our souls to another

Give us clean hands

and give us pure hearts

Let us not lift our souls to another

Oh God let us be

a generation that seeks

That seeks Your face, Oh God of Jacob

 

Let’s also not forget one of the main aims of this 24/7 Prayer Movement: To pray for the school. Let’s not forget that ACS(I) was founded by Bishop Oldham first as a mission school as an extension of the Protestant Church, and only then as an educational institution. There continue to be many lost and broken in our midst, many who have not truly come to know and receive Christ’s love, and let it transform their lives. But let’s not lose hope that through us, slowly and surely, the Holy Spirit will once again move through this school and the student body, and that as a school we can all rediscover what it means to glorify Him. So let’s sing that part of the school song, “God save our land and heaven bless, our ACS forever” with renewed conviction, and truly become a generation that seeks the face of the Lord. God bless you all!

 

Your sister in Christ,

Petrina Liam