A HEART OF WORSHIP
PRAISEANDWORSHIPSHARINGSESSION
Itwasagatheringfilledwithjoyandtears
A time to share with one another because of the love of Jesus, and His love is likenedtoalavishbanquetthatnourishestheheartsofall.
BecauseoftheredemptionofJesus,everyworshipper'slifeexperienceisblessed byHisgrace.Despitetheupsanddownsinlife,God'spromiseofabundantlifeforHis preciouschildrenneverfellthrough.
Compelling stories were shared during the session. Most members shed tears whentheirheartsweredeeplytouchedastheyweresharingtheirstories.
At 7.00 p.m., some attendees began to arrive at the church sanctuary bringing delicious food. It was a special gathering where everyone enjoyed fellowship and delicious food together. The Praise and Worship sharing session started off with sharing by sister Jia Yunn, the leader of the Praise & Worship Ministry, followed by other Praise & Worship team members. Among the things that was shared, the setbacks of life give rise to the growth of life; the experience of life has enriched us withwisdom.EverysharingwasfollowedbyasongtoworshipandglorifyGod.
LONGYINHUA
Hymn/Song: ICryOutforMercy
God helped me relieve my sorrow and hardship through the song "I Cry Out for Mercy".
I’m not someone who can withstand pressure. When I can't cope with the stress and pressure in my life, my mental health compromises,anditgivesrisetoinsomnia. Iwouldn'tbeabletosleepwell,anaverage sleep of two to three hours a day despite the need to work the next day. Each time this happens, I try my best to put myself back to sleep in many ways, such as exercising, drinking lavender tea, reading, andsoforth
I recall one quiet night when I couldn't fall asleep I tried to listen to songs to help me relax and fall asleep as soon as possible When the song "I Cry Out for Mercy" was played, my heart was deeply touched, and my emotions followed the melody of the music I held the mobile phone and tears began rolling down continuously Thelingeringknotinmy heart
Hymn/Song: SoaronWingsLikeanEagle
I received my medical examination report and the results showed that my body condition is normal After recovering from a serious illness 10 years ago, I felt I had a second chance to live. I am thankful for God's protection and care When I recently realised that I was approaching 50, I felt a little depressed and worried that as I was getting older, my health might deteriorate But God comforted me that although the condition of my body will deteriorate, His love will never change, and I will focus on God to overcome alldifficultiesinlifeandregainstrengthinHim.
was gradually released and my irritable heart quieteddown.Thelyricsofthissongstayedinmy mindforsometime
"God,Youknowmyweaknesses, IseekthepoweroftheHolySpirittostrengthenme. Havemercyonmeandgivemeabundantgrace, sothatIcanholdontoYourpromisesand countfirmlyonYou. BecauseYouaremyonlysalvation!”
Through this song, God healed me and released many repressed emotions in my heart. Songs often redirect my focus, draw me close to God,andsurrendermyselftoHim Hewillleadme throughalldifficulties.
Hymn/Song:Lord,YouareAlwaysHereWithMe
One year ago, I had a small flesh mole on my buttocks. At first, I wasn't bothered, but as it grew, I decided to consult a doctor. The doctor then arranged forabiopsyofthefleshmole.
That Saturday evening, the doctor called to inform me that the biopsy result indicated malignant skin cancer. Upon hearing the result, I presumed it was a terminal illness. My mind was filled with worries - what shouldIdonext,andwhatliesahead However,afterthe doctor'sexplanationofthetypeandconditionofcancer I had, I gradually understood that my condition is controllable If part of the cancer is removed and a regular examination is carried out, I can completely recover.
Rev Pung, Mrs Pung, and my cell group members prayed wholeheartedly for me and I had peace in my heart. As I entered the operating theater, I experienced God's peace and presence I experienced that God’s loveisfaithfulandthatHeiswithme.Ifacenofearwith God’spresence,asechoedinthelyricsofthesong"Lord YouAreAlwaysHerewithMe".
GABRIELYEOH
"God I look to You" – this is the song I used to hum when I was working. When I met a demanding supervisor, I would often be scolded, "Why are you doing this...", or "You shouldn’thavedonethis " Atthatpointintime,IfeltquitepressuredandalwaysfeltthatI was not doing things well. Later, as I hummed the song "God I look to You" while I was working,IlearnedthatwheneverIfacedanydifficulties,IshouldshiftmyfocustoGodand ask Him for wisdom, instead of blindly following my feelings, and deal with the problem emotionally
KELVINCHAN
Hymn/Song:TheWayofGod
"God's ways are higher than man ' s ways, and God's thoughts are higher than man ' s thoughts" – God always works in His time, His purpose, and His plan To this day, I still can't understandwhymyfatherleftsosuddenly.
I had a close relationship with my dad. We had breakfast and went to work together everyday.Wecouldchataboutanything.My dad had no other illness except diabetes. Days before he passed away, he was a little unwell and had no appetite My brother and I took him to the hospital for a checkup. After sending him to the hospital, we promised to visit my father after work, and he was still in good condition at that time. Unexpectedly, less than an hour after we left the hospital to return home, we were informed that our dad hadpassedawayduetoaheartattack.
Thatwaswhenmylifechangedcompletely.Ihadtotakeovermydad’sroleandmylifewas forced to be reconstructed instantly. There were many roles and responsibilities to undertake in life Prior to that, I used to be cheerful, and I didn't have to worry about anything Since then, the hardwareandbuildingmaterialsbusinessfoundedbymydadwasassumedbymybrotherand I. At that point in time, there was a plan for expansion to build a factory, and he was the guarantor Priortohisdeath,hewassemi-retiredashewasplanningtohandoverthebusiness to my brother. Unfortunately, this did not materialise when he passed away at the age of 61. Therefore,wefacedmanyproblemsafterhispassingduetothelackofproperhandover.Wehad to overcome many challenges, but God's grace is always enough These experiences have allowedustogrow.
Notlongaftermydad’spassing,Icontinuedtoleadworshipasusual,andIledthissong,"The WayofGod".Atthattime,Icouldn'tfinishsingingit...IknewGodwastellingmethateverythingis in His hands, I need to follow in His footsteps One day, He will reveal His purpose, and my patiencenowwillbethereasonofmyjoyinthefuture.
Hymn/Song:BerkatKemurahanmu
My youngest daughter needed to undergo an operationwhenshewasfiveyearsold Myfamilyand I were very worried. We worshipped and prayed to God with one heart, crying out for His mercy and grace Throughout the healing process, we deeply experiencedGod'spresenceandpeace.
Iexperiencedanamazingtimeofworship,praise, andprayer Itallbeganwhenmyyoungestdaughter, Alice, who was five years old then experienced severe stomach pains. Since she didn't have a medicalcard,wehadtotakehertothegovernment hospital for a scan. The scan revealed that Alice’s bowel was knotted, and surgery was required. We were very concerned and worried that she would havetoundergosurgeryatsuchayoungage.So,at the second scan before surgery, our family sang praises in the hospital room. As we continually sang praises and prayed, we experienced God's presence andpeace.Also,Godrevealedthateverythingwillbe fine.Wesubmittedalltheconcernsofourheartsinto God's hands As a result, after the second scan, the doctor informed me that there was no need for surgery!Wow,Godiswonderful!
Althoughthedoctorcautionedthattheknotsintheintestinescouldrecur,whatmatteredis that after praying and singing praises, Alice recovered All glory be to God! God will make us smile–ItrustGodthatHewillleadmethroughthestormsinlife.
Hymn/Song:MyAbbaFather
The pandemic has brought the world to a standstill,andIwasforcedtotakeabreakfrommy busy life. From church to college, I was involved andbusywithmanyministrieswheneverIhavethe opportunity. The Movement Control Order (MCO) forced me to take a step back. I was forced to confront myself I started asking, "Who am I?" I began to think, especially about the identity of a "Christian" and the definition of "Christian."
Throughout my spiritual life, singing and praying, GodmademeunderstandthatIama"childofthe Father,"andthisidentityisthemostpreciousofall. IwanttoholdontothisspiritualblessinginChrist
Hymn/Song:OCometoTheAltar JEANCHEONG
After listening to the sharing of several brothers and sisters, I felt that each of us was fragmented and challenged However, with these imperfections, we can surrender ourselves to the perfect God, who will accept us with an open heart. The song “O Come to The Altar” invites us to come to Him because Godlovesus.
ANDREWWONG
Hymn/Song:Oceans
Everything I do, I learn not to be afraid because God would watch over me and lead me in every step of the way God loves me forever, as this song describes: His love is as deepandgreatastheocean.
This singing and sharing session revealed the connection between the worshippers' lives and songs. Some found comfort in songs, some gained strength from songs, and some found hope from songs. The lips of the worshipper are to praise the Lord, to praise Him with our lives, and to glorify Him even more!
Ally Cheah Ocean Chan