PRAYERconnect May 2017 to August 2017
A prayer letter of the Methodist Missions Society ď Ž Not for circulation ď Ž For Mission Partners and Volunteers only
One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God. Luke 6:12 (NIV)
dear prayer partners
spending time to pray We are urged to spend time to pray and intercede for our missionaries and the ministry in the mission fields. And we have Jesus as our supreme example. Early on in Jesus’ ministry, large crowds gathered to follow him. With such swarming crowds, the needs must have been overwhelming. But Jesus soon realised that these same crowds were threatening His mission. Mark 1:35 says, “And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed.” After prayer, He took the disciples, left the place and went to a nearby village to reach out to the people there. What is the effect of spending time to pray? Prayer helps to establish spiritual priorities. Time spent in prayer results in a gradual realisation of God’s purposes and will. And we will realise too that some causes are more important than others. As you thumb through the pages of the PrayerConnect, please keep on spending time to pray.
Rev Philip Lim Executive Director Methodist Missions Society Cover photo by Javan Ng (Fairfield Preaching Pt), showing Nepali leaders praying for a church member. All Scripture quoted is based on English Standard Version (ESV), unless otherwise stated.
ONDAY
2. Pray for our MISSIONARIES to persevere and labour faithfully with love and vision from God. May those on Home Assignment encounter God and be refreshed. May the new missionaries be trained and continue the mission in the Market Place Ministry, Urban Church, Women Ministry, and Children’s & Youth Ministry.
CAMBODIA
1. Pray for the Local Churches in Cambodia working towards being a PROVISIONAL ANNUAL CONFERENCE. May the pastors be filled with the Holy Spirit, serve with joy, and lead their congregations to grow in God. May the laity rise up to serve and be faithful in discipleship. Thank God for the completion of GLORY TRINITY MC and the support from Trinity MC. May God increase the ministries to reach the community and grant success in starting a kindergarten.
3. Pray for the CAMBODIAN STAFF AND TEACHERS to grow in God as they serve in our ministries. Thank God for those who are committed and serve faithfully with us. Pray for the six new teachers, who accepted the Lord through Alpha Course, to grow, be faithful, and stand firm when they face challenges. 4. Pray for the YOUNG ADULTS in Joy Hostel, Methodist Hostel, and the Post COSI Integration Programme to grow deeply in God’s Word and stand firm in Him. May they be committed and faithful in serving in the church, and be dynamic witnesses in the Market Place.
5. Pray for the CHILDREN AND YOUTH in the Methodist School of Cambodia, COSI, and COSY to encounter God and receive Jesus as Saviour. May the Christian Education, Boys’ Brigade, Girls’ Brigade, devotions, and chapel effectively touch their lives. May all the workers be empowered and encouraged to reach out to these children and youth with the vision from God.
2. Thank God for the re-activation of the NJ CENTRE. Pray that the centre will glorify God. May it serve the worshippers in the village and be the beacon of light to the community. Thank God for the partnership of TACMC in this endeavour.
UESDAY
EAST ASIA
1. Pray for the commencement of BTC programme in TP. 20 to 30 local preachers and elders from TP churches are expected to attend the course to upgrade their pulpit preaching skill. May they attend the course with zeal and passion to upgrade themselves for the glory of His kingdom. Pray for faithfulness and commitment as the leaders conduct this course.
3. Thank God for the in-principle approval to run a 3-month leadership class for the stay-in students in ZJJ. Pray that God will raise potential students with a passion to learn and serve Him. Pray also for God’s provision and support to run this course successfully. 4. Pray for continuous growth in our migrant ministry in KM and SM. Pray that our key leaders will not be led into temptation. May they instead be empowered to serve Him faithfully with boldness and love. 5. Pray for our new missionary pastor, AC. May God’s anointing and empowerment be upon him. May he serve with humility and love for the people and be directed to do His will above all else.
EDNESDAY
2. Thank God for the members of the SMS School Board, for keeping them safe and in good health. Pray for a continuing cordial and supportive partnership. We seek God’s guidance and wisdom as the Board members explore ways to achieve a balance between the distinctive academic appeal of the school and profitability. 3. Thank God for our teachers and staff. May God continue to send us the right people for His growing work at SMS and INSPIRE (Centre for English and Chinese).
4. Pray for the SMS children in their faith and for outreach to the parents that many more may also hear the word, ask questions and come to His saving knowledge. 5. Pray for and uphold the Lao Government as they strive to improve the welfare of the nation and maintain relations with its neighbours. Ask the Lord to guide the growth of the church in Laos and the role of SMS in His grand scheme.
LAOS
1. Praise God for the Singapore Mission School (SMS) dedication and opening of the new building extension on 23 February. There was a good turnout of VIPs and invited guests. Many thanks to the Principal, staff and students for an impressive presentation to showcase the talents of the school.
HURSDAY
NEPAL
1. Pray for the first PASTORS AND LEADERS TRAINING COURSE that will be held in May 2017. Pray for the lecturers as they prepare to conduct the course with the revised syllabus. Pray for God to send the right students to attend the course. 2. Pray for the FOUR UPGRADING PROJECTS in Ilam, Dhadare, Surunga and Mahimit Church in East Nepal as they seek to improve the physical conditions and enhance the ministry.
3. Pray for Rev Sabashtain Lepcha and his team as they continue with the REBUILDING PROGRAMME PHASE to provide safe homes for those who were affected and suffered losses to lives and properties during the Nepal earthquake in 2015.
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my gift for his great commission through mms
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RIDAY DAY
2. Vineyard Methodist School • Thank God that the school dedication service was well attended. All the staff members and students spent many months preparing for that day. • Pray for God’s favour and blessings on the students who recently set in the P6 examination. May the Christian values and teaching germinate in the hearts and mind of these graduating students.
THAILAND
1. Mission teams to Klong 8 and Sakon Nakon Church • Thank God for the two mission teams that visited the two churches. May the teams continue with follow-up trips to bless the people at Klong 8 and Sakon Nakon. • Pray that the seeds and teachings will continue to grow in the hearts of the people and church members, who were ministered by the teams.
3. Term Fun Home • Pray for Ps John Thirawat as he juggles between being a model houseparent and a responsive pastor to the Shan church members. • Pray for Angela’s good health, strength and stamina as she diligently performs her duties of looking after her own two children and 10 Term Fun Home boys.
4. Rangsit Methodist Church • At the Thai Annual Meeting in March, Bishop announced a change of Pastor-in-charge. Pray for a smooth handover of duties for Rev Henry, Ps John Lim, and Ps Kuk. May God bless the new team to lead members into a new season of spiritual renewal and outreach revival. May God prosper the church in its community outreach and enable Rangsit to be a model of a self-supporting church for other churches to learn.
ATURDAY
TIMOR-LESTE
1. Pray for God’s favour as the missionaries engage with the locals in COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS. 2. Pray for God’s strength and wisdom to be upon all who are involved in the ADVANCEMENT OF HIS KINGDOM in Timor-Leste. 3. Pray for the TRANSFORMATION WORK of the Holy Spirit in the lives of Timorese who come under the umbrella of the Methodist work in Timor-Leste. 4. Pray for the youth in SUNDERMEIER HOME. May they continue to grow spiritually, physically and academically. 5. Pray for the fund-raising efforts to raise funds to build THE METHODIST SCHOOL. May more churches and individuals come forward to support this project.
NDAY
VIETNAM 1. Thank God for the INTERNATIONAL CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP (ICF-HCMC) leaders who are committed to serve the church. May we cherish the unity and trust we have for one another and ICF in the coming months and years ahead. We are facing unique challenges and steep learning curves in a different cultural and working environment, and much work has to be done in wise discretion. May the love and joy of the Lord be our strength as we lead the church.
2. Pray for the Lord of the harvest to send more LABOURERS, who share our vision for the HCMC field, to help us run our social works that are in the pipeline.
3. Pray for God’s FAVOUR upon MMS-FNGO and the government as we apply for new legal representative and new church permit holder to hold legal worship services & Christian activities among Singaporeans & friends.
Testimony
I will never leave you ~ by Shishir Bk, a member of MCN’s Peace Way Preaching Point, Pokhara, Nepal. Currently serving in the Worship Ministry and encouraging youth to know Jesus through music and praise.
Just three months ago, my mom had gall bladder stone and hernia. We consulted our doctors and they did some scans. They advised against having an operation as it was too risky and it might be fatal due to her heavy weight and low blood level. Later, we also came to know that the hospital in Pokhara did not have sufficient surgical equipment to operate on her. So, we became depressed and discouraged. I felt that God was not hearing my prayer and I started to doubt His existence. Then, my Christian life started to get darker and darker. I spent less time in prayer and worship, and the distance with God grew wider. Eventually, I got a chance to take my mom to India. Upon proper medications and treatment, her health started to improve. Finally, the doctor saw her fit for operation. Although I was a little bit scared, my hope towards His doings started to rise. I prayed to God that if it is His will, then save her. Miraculously, the operation was a success. We came back with hearts full of rejoicing. Then, I realised that in my darkest hours in life, when I lost my faith in Him, He was still there supporting me and my mom. After that, I am never the same as before. My prayer life has improved. The thirst for knowing God is rising and increasing daily in my life. As 1 Thessalonians 5:1618 suggests, I am now giving thanks in every moment of my life. Whatever He did, does or will be doing in my life, I will praise Him and love Him even more.
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