30 Days Of Prayer And Fasting – Ghost Month – Day 30

Lunar Calendar: July 30

Finishing The Task

Thank you for praying with us during 30 Days of Fasting and Prayer during Ghost Month. For Day 30 click below for the Hokkien audio and written Chinese, and an English summary is also provided.

Acts 20:24:  However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace.

One morning, there was an old man who was walking along the beach. As he walked he noticed a little boy picking up an object in the sand and throwing it back in the ocean. When he got closer, he realized that the child was picking up starfish that had washed up on the shore and throwing them back into the water. The old man asked the little boy why he was doing this. He replied: “If the starfish are still on the beach when the sun comes out they will die”. But the old man said to him: “However, really take a look at this situation. We have many miles of beaches and thousands of starfish. How many starfish can you really expect to save”?

No matter how big the percentage of success or how huge the challenge, our mission is to continue sharing the good news of God’s love. None of us or any one church can individually reach all the Hokkien of Singapore as well as those in other countries. However, if every person and every church continues to share the gospel in order to accomplish this mission, many people will come to Christ. Every time you pick up a starfish and throw it back into the sea, one more starfish will be saved. Every time a unbeliever hears the gospel and comes to Christ there is one more child of God. Therefore brothers and sisters, let us pray that the Lord’s Holy Spirit will give us the grace and courage to persevere in completing the mission that he has entrusted to us.

Prayer:

Loving Heavenly Father, thank you for giving us the opportunity to work with you and preach the gospel of Jesus to the Hokkien people in our nation. We clearly know that it is not easy to preach the gospel in Hokkien if we rely solely on our own strength. But we thank you that no matter how many people we can share the gospel with, it is possible for them to be saved, enter into the kingdom of God and spend eternity in Heaven. Holy Spirit, we pray that you will give us the grace and courage to persevere and not grow tired as we seek to accomplish this mission. We pray this in the glorious name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ who is abundant in his blessings. And we thank you and praise you Lord, Amen.

30 Days Of Prayer And Fasting – Ghost Month – Day 29

Lunar Calendar: July 29

The Grace And Strength To Move Forward

Thank you for praying with us during 30 Days of Fasting and Prayer during Ghost Month. For Day 29 click below for the Hokkien audio and written Chinese, and an English summary is also provided.

Philippians 3:13-14:  ¹³ Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, ¹⁴ I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

Once there was a fire that consumed the laboratory where Thomas Edison made all of his inventions. His years of hard work were destroyed by the fire. People around him also believed that the fire killed him and destroyed everything he owned. He was 67 years old at the time. As soon as his son saw him, he breathed a sigh of relief. Not only was he not harmed, his response was amazing. Edison said, “Thank God that the fire burned away all my years of mistakes, so that I can now have a new beginning.” Three months later, Edison invented the phonograph.

We know that in our lives and ministries, we often face many challenges and even encounter major blows and failures. But in Romans 8:37 God’s Word assures us: In all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. Therefore, we can once again pick ourselves up and move forward to full the purpose that God in Christ has called us to.  May we accept the encouragement from the Apostle Paul to forget what is behind and look forward to what is before us so that we can work hard to spread the Gospel to the Hokkien people in our nation as well as other regions.

Prayer:

Dear Heavenly Father, you did not promise us that everything would go well in our lives or in our ministry. But what you do promise is your presence, your grace and your strength so that we can depend on your power to overcome whatever challenges are before us. Thank you for telling us that In all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.Thank you even more for reminding us to Forget what is behind and strain toward what is ahead. Because what lies ahead is the goal to which you have called us. Therefore, please grant us the grace and strength to continue moving forward until we have taken the gospel to the Hokkien people in our nation and other regions as well. In the holy name of Jesus we pray, Amen.

30 Days Of Prayer And Fasting – Ghost Month – Day 28

Lunar Calendar: July 28

O Lord, Enlarge My Territory

Thank you for praying with us during 30 Days of Fasting and Prayer during Ghost Month. For Day 28 click below for the Hokkien audio and written Chinese, and an English summary is also provided.

I Chronicles 4:10:  Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, “Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my territory! Let your hand be with me, and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain.” And God granted his request.

The story is told of a sister who worked in a hospital cafeteria. One day she saw a video of children crying in the hospital ward because of the pain from their diseases. Her heart was touched and she asked herself, “What can I do to comfort these poor children?” She decided to use some of her salary to buy toys for them. Maybe that would help them to forget their pain for a little while. She did this for years, and brought many blessings to the children in the hospital. She knew that she didn’t earn much money, and she did not have a lot of education but she felt that God had a greater purpose for her. This is really not about being rich, and has nothing to do with money. We can all share from what we have. For her. being able to share with these children was a real blessing. These children needed to know that someone cared about them.

Brothers and sisters, we may not be the most qualified or have resources to bless all of Singapore or other places, or save tens of millions of Hokkien people. But we must remember that we have a God with which nothing is impossible. All we have to do is with all our might take the first step of faith, and allow God to increase our small steps of faith. Let’s pray for God to enlarge our territory so that we can become his vessels, not only to reach unbelieving Hokkien relatives and friends in Singapore, but to also reach Hokkien people in neighboring countries such as Malaysia, Indonesia, Myanmar, the Philippines and beyond. Singapore is often called “The Antioch of Asia.” We are not just English or Chinese speaking churches. We believe that God has an even greater purpose for us and that our calling also includes Hokkien churches as well.

Prayer:

Dear Lord Jesus, help us to see that you have an even greater purpose for our churches as well as the individual lives of every believer. Help us to not just focus on our own needs, but also care about the needs of others, especially among the Hokkien people. We cry out to you for this vision just as Jabez cried out to you, asking you to enlarge our territory. Yes, Lord please expand your ministry throughout the world to any place where there are Hokkien people. Lord, as we begin this task, we pray that your hand will be upon us. We pray this in the almighty name of the Lord Jesus, Amen.    

   

30 Days Of Prayer And Fasting – Ghost Month – Day 27

Lunar Calendar: July 27

Rich Harvest

Thank you for praying with us during 30 Days of Fasting and Prayer during Ghost Month. For Day 27 click below for the Hokkien audio and written Chinese, and an English summary is also provided.

John 21:3-6: ³ “I’m going out to fish,” Simon Peter told them, and they said, “We’ll go with you.” So they went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing. ⁴ Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus.⁵ He called out to them, “Friends, haven’t you any fish?” “No,” they answered. ⁶ He said, “Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some.” When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish.

The story is told of two very experienced woodcutters. Every day they would go into the woods to cut down trees and chop wood. However, there was a difference in the two woodcutters. One man worked non-stop without taking any time to rest. The second worker was different and took off for an hour each day. It is true that the second worker worked less time; however, at the end of the week they actually chopped the same amount of wood.  The woodcutter who worked all day couldn’t understand how the other man could work less time but cut down the same amount of trees and chop the wood. The second woodcutter told him that it was very simple. During his down time, he told him that he was sharpening his axe. Consequently, when he began working again he was able to quickly chop the wood. We have all heard it said, that the meaning of life for a human being doesn’t just mean we work hard, but that we need the Lord’s wisdom to live our lives.  As Christians, yes, we work hard, but hard work is not enough. That doesn’t mean that we will necessarily succeed.

In the same way, I hope that more people can trust Jesus and enter the kingdom of God, because they cannot depend on their own strength. We need to ask the Lord for wisdom before we begin our work. We believe that when we don’t rely on ourselves, we put our trust in the spiritual axe. That is to say, when talking about spirituality, we have a lot of training. Then we also know, like Peter, that we will cast our nets in the right place. Then we will definitely have a good harvest.

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, we thank you. Once again we place the more than 200,000 relatives and friends in our nation who have not yet believed in Jesus, into your hands. Please enable us to see a great spiritual harvest. We pray that your grace and mercy will be poured out on them, so that their hearts will be softened and they will be willing to accept the gospel of Jesus. We pray that they will repent and receive forgiveness for their sins. We also pray that you will grant us spiritual wisdom so that we know how to cast our nets in the right place for more people to enter the gospel net. In the name of Jesus we pray, Amen.

30 Days Of Prayer And Fasting – Ghost Month – Day 26

Lunar Calendar: July 26

A New Outpouring Of Anointing

Thank you for praying with us during 30 Days of Fasting and Prayer during Ghost Month. For Day 26 click below for the Hokkien audio and written Chinese, and an English summary is also provided.

Isaiah 43:18-19: ¹⁸ “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. ¹⁹ See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.

There was once a shepherd who was taking care of his flock. In order to protect them, he would anoint their heads with oil. This would not only comfort them but also prevent insects, diseases and bugs of any kind from clogging their nasal passages or getting into their eyes. When the ram’s horn that is filled with oil is poured on the sheep’s body, you can immediately notice that the sheep feels more comfortable and relaxes by looking at the sheep’s body. Whenever the shepherd notices that a sheep is restless, he would then take the horn and pour more oil on the sheep’s head. Like sheep, we face various challenges every day as well as circumstances beyond our control. When we feel like there is nothing that we can do, we may feel restless like sheep. However, God is always ready and willing to pour out his comfort, love, joy, power and anointing on us to remove all of our bad qualities. God’s action of pouring into our lives, is continuous not just a one-time thing. So then his outpouring will not just continue, but he will also reveal new things to us. Because of the outpouring of God’s power and love, we will have many new experiences. The Lord tells us that he makes a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. His anointing will refresh us, restore our spiritual life, and revive us with new energy to do his work.

Prayer:

Thank you that you are the God who keeps doing new things. You make a way for us when there is no way. You even make it possible for rivers to flow in the desert. You are our Creator and Good Shepherd. You know our challenges and needs. You are always ready to pour out a new anointing over us to rejuvenate and revive us. Therefore by faith, we ask you to pour out and cover the church with a new anointing. Make it possible for us to continue to work for the Lord with new vigor. In the almighty name of Jesus we pray, Amen.

30 Days Of Prayer And Fasting – Ghost Month – Day 25

Lunar Calendar: July 25

Kingdom Mentality

Thank you for praying with us during 30 Days of Fasting and Prayer during Ghost Month. For Day 25 click below for the Hokkien audio and written Chinese, and an English summary is also provided.

I Corinthians 3:5-9: ⁵ What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe—as the Lord has assigned to each his task. ⁶ I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow. ⁷ So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. ⁸ The one who plants and the one who waters have one purpose, and they will each be rewarded according to their own labor. ⁹ For we are co-workers in God’s service; you are God’s field, God’s building.

There was a manager who wanted his forty employees to understand that cooperation was very important in order achieve good results. So he prepared balloons with his or her name on them and then mixed them together with balloons with no names written on them. Later, he asked the workers to find the balloon with their own name written on it. Two hours later, only two people had found their own balloons. Afterwards, he instructed them to help each other find their balloons, and then they were to give the balloon to the person with that name.  Within half an hour, all forty people had received the balloon with their name on it. Through this game, the manager was able to teach his workers that working together was much more beneficial and effective than only working by themselves for their own personal goal.

Today’s scripture reminds us that we are all co-workers in God’s service. No matter what job we are called to do, it is God who is responsible for the growth. Therefore, no matter what our duties may be, the most important thing is that souls are brought into the kingdom of God. By working in unity, we may joyfully serve together for his kingdom and glory. Therefore, we do not compare ourselves with each other or envy what other people do, because the part that each of us contributes all comes from God. God rewards his workers for their hard work, not for the results. Therefore we should know the things that God has called us to do, and with all our strength do them well.

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, thank you for reminding us that we are co-laborers in your service. You also remind us that you are the God who is responsible for the growth. Lord, help us to work together instead of competing with each other. Then we will be more effective as we work together for your kingdom and for your glory. It also helps us to be good stewards of the gifts that you have given to us and to faithfully perform our duties. We pray faithfully in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.

30 Days Of Prayer And Fasting – Ghost Month – Day 24

Lunar Calendar: July 24

Equipping Believers through the Singapore Hokkien Harvest Training Centre

Thank you for praying with us during 30 Days of Fasting and Prayer during Ghost Month. For Day 24 click below for the Hokkien audio and written Chinese, and an English summary is also provided.

2 Timothy 3:16-17: ¹⁶ All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, ¹⁷ so that the servant of God^[a] may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

Once a German plane crashed in the Alps, which is the highest and most extensive mountain range that is entirely located in Europe. At first, people thought it was terrorism or the result of mechanical failure. After several weeks of investigation, it was finally determined that the company’s unqualified staff, training and monitoring were to blame. The investigation revealed that the company did not take the necessary steps to ensure that the pilots of the aircraft were actually fit to fly. Due to this negligence, 150 lives were lost in this air crash.

We all know the importance and necessity of training. Training equips staff, leaders and volunteers to be more effective as they serve in their work. We have said that the Hokkien churches in our nation need to be ready to accept, cultivate and train people as God brings about revival with large numbers of people coming to him. How do we prepare the church? One of the ways, of course, is to train and equip the saints to serve alongside our pastors. We thank God, that with vision and purpose, the Hokkien Harvest Training Centre was established. The purpose of the Centre is to train people to help pastors of Hokkien churches complete the task of equipping and training God’s servants as we come together in service to our Lord. The goal of the Hokkien Harvest Training Centre is to develop Christ-like leaders and co-workers with practical ministry skills, simple teaching and profound Biblical truth.

Prayer:

Loving Father God, thank you for helping us set up the Hokkien Harvest Training Centre in Singapore to train and equip workers to serve alongside pastors. We pray for the many Christian leaders who are in Hokkien churches to be trained to effectively serve in existing as well as future ministry. We pray that you will touch the hearts of Hokkien church pastors to send their leaders and workers to be equipped in ministry to serve alongside their pastors. We pray that the Lord will enable them to share the vision of the Hokkien Harvest Training Centre in Singapore so that we can train and equip workers to work in the harvest field.

We also pray that you will unify us with your spirit so that the church will be prepared for the coming revival of souls among our Hokkien relatives and friends. We thank you for the treasure we have in Jesus Christ. We pray this in your precious name, Amen.

30 Days of Prayer And Fasting – Ghost Month – Day 23

Lunar Calendar: July 23

Lord, Please Prepare Your Church

Thank you for praying with us during 30 Days of Fasting and Prayer during Ghost Month. For Day 23 click below for the Hokkien audio and written Chinese, and an English summary is also provided.

2 Kings 3:16-19: ¹⁶ and he said, “This is what the Lord says: I will fill this valley with pools of water. ¹⁷ For this is what the Lord says: You will see neither wind nor rain, yet this valley will be filled with water, and you, your cattle and your other animals will drink. ¹⁸ This is an easy thing in the eyes of the Lord; he will also deliver Moab into your hands. ¹⁹ You will overthrow every fortified city and every major town. You will cut down every good tree, stop up all the springs, and ruin every good field with stones.”

Once, the emperor of Japan commissioned a painter to paint a bird for him. Months and then years passed, and the painter still hadn’t brought a painting of a bird to the emperor. Finally, the emperor was very angry, went to the painter’s house and asked him for a reasonable explanation. The painter did not have an excuse, and just placed a blank canvas on the easel. In less than an hour he painted a most exquisite masterpiece for the emperor. However, the emperor still wanted an explanation as to why he had taken so long. The painter brought out a lot of drawings of feathers, wings, heads and feet of birds. During all of this time, he was researching and learning about birds. He said that these were all necessary tasks for him that enabled him to complete the task very beautifully and smoothly. Now when you look at his paintings and see that they are so exquisite, do you think it is just luck that they turned out that way?

Brothers and sisters, the kings of Israel, Judea and Edom formed an alliance to oppose and rebel against the king of Moab. After seven days of marching, the soldiers as well as the animals accompanying them had no water to drink. So King Jehoshaphat advised them to ask the prophet Elisha. Elisha started prophesying and it was a very strange prophecy. Why were the soldiers to dig ditches in the valley when they were so thirsty that they were about to die? The point is that God promised to send water for the people and their animals. If ditches were not dug to collect the water, how could they have water to drink? If the kings and their armies were to have water to quench their thirst, they must respond with obedience to Elisha’s prophecy. We must also prepare ourselves for revival and the harvest.  We must be ready to “dig a trench” in order to have a place to house souls when the harvest begins.

Prayer:

Dear Father, we pray that you will use Hokkien churches to make comprehensive preparation for the harvest of souls in our nation that will enter your kingdom. We pray that there will be enough pastors, workers and helpers to receive, nurture and train these new believers as they enter your kingdom. We pray that you will lead and direct all churches to unite and cooperate in order to achieve this purpose, so that we don’t miss this opportunity for a great harvest. We pray this in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.

30 Days of Prayer and Fasting – Ghost Month – Day 22

Lunar Calendar: July 22

See With Eyes Of Faith

Thank you for praying with us during 30 Days of Fasting and Prayer during Ghost Month. For Day 22 click below for the Hokkien audio and written Chinese, and an English summary is also provided.

John 4:35-38: ³⁵ Don’t you have a saying, ‘It’s still four months until harvest’? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest. ³⁶ Even now the one who reaps draws a wage and harvests a crop for eternal life, so that the sower and the reaper may be glad together. ³⁷ Thus the saying ‘One sows and another reaps’ is true. ³⁸ I sent you to reap what you have not worked for. Others have done the hard work, and you have reaped the benefits of their labor.”

There is a common saying: You reap what you sow.  This certainly proves to be true. I have sent you to reap what you have not labored for, while others labor and you enjoy what they worked for. In the early 1970’s a young band was invited to go to Afghanistan to give a concert there. The manager reminded the band to be very careful about what they said. So to avoid offending anyone, he asked them to first write out what they wanted to share before they spoke.

On the night of the concert almost a thousand people filled the hall with even more people standing outside the hall listening. Everything was going well until one of the teenagers in the band put down his guitar and started sharing. “I want to share a story about my good friend. This friend’s name is Jesus and he made a big difference in my life.” The manager was startled, and immediately told the young man to stop, but he continued to share. What really surprised him was that afterwards the band was also invited to many other universities to share. There they had the opportunity to share God’s Word with many more young people. The band manager was very careful knowing that Afghanistan is a conservative country. However, the Holy Spirit knew their desperate need to know the message of God’s love. Many faithful servants of God have been working hard in this land.

For more than 30 years people have moved stones, dug ditches, planted seeds and watered. Now God is given them fruit in their harvest. Many people are working hard to share among their relatives and friends throughout the world. Some plow the fields, others sow the gospel seed, while others water it. As the Lord calls us, let us be willing to go out and reap a harvest for him. Both the sower and the reaper will rejoice together in the midst of this service.  

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, as we wait for revival, we also answer the call in John 4:35: “Don’t you have a saying, ‘It’s still four months until harvest’? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest.”

We thank you for so many servants who are not tired but continue to share the gospel among relatives and friends who have not yet trusted in Jesus. We pray and ask you to help us go forth with courage and faith and share the good news, reaping a harvest of those who are ready to believe in You. Thank you, Lord, for your salvation. We pray this in the victorious name of Jesus, Amen.  

30 Days of Prayer and Fasting – Ghost Month – Day 21

Lunar Calendar: July 21

A New Wave Of Revival

Thank you for praying with us during 30 Days of Fasting and Prayer during Ghost Month. For Day 21 click below for the Hokkien audio and written Chinese, and an English summary is also provided.

Habakkuk 3:2: LORD, I have heard of your fame; I stand in awe of your deeds, LORD. Repeat them in our day, in our time make them known; in wrath remember mercy.

Marie Monsen was a missionary. Click here to find out more about her life. She felt that the power of prayer was missing in the lives of so many people. With that discovery, she began looking for prayer partners to pray with her. God said in Matthew 18:19:  “Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. ²⁰ For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.”

When she found prayer partners, she was full of joy and since they were in agreement and praying together, she knew it was time for the revival to begin. In 1932 revival came to North China fulfilling the faith of these faithful servants. There were not just two people, but many people praying together in one accord. They prayed that God would do great things in their country especially among unbelieving relatives and friends in the Fujian (Hokkien) Province.

Indeed, we have read about the mighty acts of God that delivered the people from Egypt, and how he used the prophet, Jonah, to lead hundreds of thousands of people in the city of Nineveh to repent. We also know that in revivals that have taken place in modern Church history, many people were moved by the Holy Spirit to repent and turn to the Lord. Of course these revivals are not man-made but are the work of the Holy Spirit of God. We also know that every revival is preceded by God’s people humbling themselves and praying with tears for lost souls. Before we can experience national revival, we must have a personal revival in our own lives.

Prayer:

Dear Heavenly Father, we are in awe because of your mighty deeds of redemption that you have done in the past. We want to pray like the prophet Habakkuk, hoping that once again you will perform your mighty deeds in our day as we humble ourselves before you, confess our sins and pray. We especially pray for relatives and friends who have not yet trusted in the Lord so they can also receive your grace and salvation. Lord, we also pray that you would allow us to experience revival and see more people, especially Hokkien relatives and friends, come to you, repent and believe that you are our Lord and Savior. We do ask in the name of our loving Savior, Jesus Christ, Amen.