Prayer Retreat

Neh 8:10 “ Nehemiah said, "Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is sacred to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength."”

I really enjoyed the prayer retreat last week. We did not do much but like what Tony said, it feels like heaven. Wee Wee said we are like a family. Like Caius, I felt much love and protection – very secure, a lot of joy, very healed.

I love the children, they are so obedient and cheerful. I love the adults, they ate merrily, sang joyously, and are loving and kind. I love God, His merciful healing presence just overflows into our heart and spirit.

It is a time of healing and recovery for me. I feel satisfied. May God continue to bind us together in love and unity.

Prayer: Dear God, though we are once slaves, you have not deserted us in our bondage. You have shown us kindness and have granted us new life to rebuild the house of our God and repair its ruins and to repair our walls of protection and put its doors and bolts and bars in place. Help us to fill every gap in these walls and to complete our restoration, in Jesus name I pray, amen.

Wholehearted Commitment

2 Chronicles 12:1-2” After Rehoboam's position as king was established and he had become strong, he and all Israel with him abandoned the law of the LORD. Because they had been unfaithful to the LORD, Shishak king of Egypt attacked Jerusalem in the fifth year of King Rehoboam.”

Deut 6:4-5 “ Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.”

I have always been asked this question by believers and non-believers “But xxx is a Christian, how can xxx act like this?” This is especially so if xxx is a leader. I have no answer.

I have been reading the years of the rule of kings in the bible- from Saul to David to Solomon, etc. Of all of them, only David has whole hearted commitment to God. The rest wanes along the way. Every time they wane in commitment, rest is taken away from the land, enemies appear, attacks start. Sometimes, after they have sought God with all their heart, tests come along as well.

But in all of these instances, if the kings seek and rely on God with all their heart, they are successful against their enemies. We see rest when the leader seeks God wholeheartedly to walk His ways. We see even more rest when the whole nation unites with their leader to do so.

We may criticise the kings in the Old Testament on their walk. But I think the situation today may not be far from then. How many leaders and those under them seek and rely on God today(in families, in workplace, in the land)? And how many wholeheartedly?

What about us?

Solomon had too many wives; we have too many distractions today.

Jesus said He is one with God. There is no compromise.

Prayer: Dear Lord, we want to walk only in your ways and love you wholeheartedly. Help us to be one with you, in Jesus name, amen.

King over us

Luke 19:27 “But those enemies of mine who did not want me to be king over them—bring them here and kill them in front of me.”

I always thought that the parable of the ten minas and the parable of the tenants were talking about how to utilise our talents and all we have to serve God. Then I stumbled upon the verse above. At the heart of both parables, is about the Lordship and Kingship of God over us and all that we have.

These are days where the rights of a person are held up as most important. In the olden days, there’s a lot of submission and respect for authority. But now, personal rights override. With rights come self centeredness and self crowned kingship. After a while, God is sidelined to serve us. It’s my money, my life, my work, my time. I want it this way, I want it better, don’t take this and that from me.

But all belongs to God, I am only His keeper.

Prayer: Dear Lord, thank you that you are King over us. May I truly realise that You are King and that I am only your keeper of the things that you have put in my care. May I let go and help take care of them well for You, in Jesus name, amen.

The King's Table

2 Sam 9:11 “So Mephibosheth ate at David’s table like one of the king’s sons.”

One afternoon, I was confessing that I could not trust the Lord enough because of my past experiences but I would like that to change. The next I know, He invited me to feast with Him. A table was laid full of food, and He asked that I sit down and eat whatever I liked with Him. I was struck, why did he invite me to His table?

Then I read 2 Samuel when David asked Mephibosheth to eat with him always, I realized God treats me like one of His children. God is full of kindness and will always be there to provide and take care of me, His child. I can trust Him.

Prayer: Dear Lord, I thank you for your invitation to your table. I want to sit by your side to eat with you always. There is love and abundance at your table and your food nourishes me, fills me up and satisfies me. I thank you for you loving care and kind provision. In Jesus name, amen.

Jehovah Jireh - The Lord will Provide

Joshua 5:11-12 “The day after the Passover, that very day, they ate some of the produce of the land: unleavened bread and roasted grain. The manna stopped the day after they ate this food from the land; there was no longer any manna for the Israelites, but that year they ate of the produce of Canaan.”

The verses above strike me much. I’ve struggled with provision all my life. It defines almost everything I do - how I behave, how I see myself, how I think, how I work, all the decisions I make. I have strived all my life to ensure provision is enough. But God has promised many, many times He will provide for everything I need. Sometimes it is so surreal. I will see visions of Him endowing me with diamonds, money, castle etc. I know He just wants me to trust Him. It’s been quite a journey, my years as a Christian with God, especially these few years. The things I’m afraid to let go because I’m afraid they will not be enough, He will make me face them again and again to let go. To let go so I can trust Him, so that I can be free and be my true self in front of people and God.

And slowly and gently, as He pry my hands open to these things that I hold for my dear life, albeit sometimes kicking and screaming with tears rolling, He proves Himself faithful in His provision.

There’s still a long way for me to go, I know. Like the Israelites, I have to trust God to fight for me to get my inheritance. But like the verses above, God never let His people go hungry in all situations. Not when we have a God who provides.

Prayer: Dear God, I thank you for your provision in times of need, in times of abundance. I want to be able to let go and trust you more each day. May your glory fall upon us today, in Jesus name I pray, amen.

Demand for a sign or miracle

Mark 8

Mark 8:2 “I have compassion for these people; they have already been with me three days and have nothing to eat.”

Mark 8:12 “He sighed deeply and said, "Why does this generation ask for a miraculous sign? I tell you the truth, no sign will be given to it."”

Jesus knew our needs before we mouthed them. In Mark 8, He was filled with compassion for the people who came a long distance to see Him and He provided food for the hungry and filled the people. The people did not ask but a miracle was performed.

In the New Testament, we see many people of great suffering and need going to Jesus, begging Him for help and healing. He never rejected them. In the Old Testament, the Israelites grumbled and complained, God still listened and performed many miracles to meet their needs, though with many lessons for them.

However, when the Pharisees demanded for a sign or a miracle from Jesus to test Him, He refused to give. There was no need for a show or a performance.

What is our attitude when we approach God? Why do we want to see signs or miracles?

Prayer: Dear Lord, I thank you that you know our needs even before we speak. Help us to realize our hunger and to come humbly to you to fill us, in Jesus name, amen.

Barriers to God

Leviticus 8-9, Matthew 23

Lev 9:22 “Then Aaron lifted his hands toward the people and blessed them. And having sacrificed the sin offering, the burnt offering and the fellowship offering, he stepped down.”

Mat 23:13 "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the kingdom of heaven in men's faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying to.”

Mat 23:23 "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cummin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former.”

I was asking myself as I read the New Testament, why is it that almost everyone could recognise Jesus except the priests, the anointed ones of God? It is so ironical.

In Leviticus 8-9, we read that the priests were given a high place, they were set apart by God so they could help be a bridge between man and God. They represented God, they represented man. They were supposed to help God communicate with His people and the people with God. They should know who is God.

Along the way, the priests lost their way. The rules and laws set by God for them to perform for the people were to bring the people close to God – for justice, for mercy and faithfulness. Instead, the priests made it hard for most ordinary people to go to God- it became something that only the rich could practice. It became about status, power, money, learnedness, etc. Getting to God became something exclusive, only for the privileged few. The priests were proud of this as it puts them in high standing. Instead of being bridges, the priests became barriers to God for the people.

So once again, God has to come down to reach out to the people - the ordinary ones, the ‘last’ ones. This time, He really made sure all have direct access to know and be close to Him if they choose to.

I wonder what's the situation today? Are we bridges or barriers?

Rules and laws were always meant for good. They were meant for protection. It’s the people that fall short. Thank God He never.

Prayer: Dear Lord, thank you for your grace. Please help make us bridges for the people to come to you, in Jesus name, amen.