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“PERSEVERE IN SOWING”

WEEKLY PRAYER GUIDEMALAYSIA DAY SPECIAL

Pray without ceasing

“Those who sow in tears shall reap with shouts of joy!” – Psalm 126:5 Thank you for picking up this adaptable prayer guide, which was birthed as a companion when the pandemic restrictions began.

Today, this prayer guide continues to encourage the people of God to continue to pray without ceasing, in thanksgiving and also in intercession, for the kingdom of God to come and for God’s will to be done in these difficult times.

This is designed for personal, family and small groups use. You may find it helpful for running prayer meetings either online or in church, and for running virtual 24-7 prayer rooms.

We have provided a framework that sets a foundation, for those who are new to prayer or those who desire to grow more intimately in prayer. It has sufficient material that will help you build up prayer stamina for one hour, and help you gain confidence in your prayers.

This guide applies the PRAY mnemonic. The PRAY method is in 4 steps, spelling out the word PRAY: Pause – Rejoice – Ask – Yield.

P – Pause (Deliberately slow down as we come before His PERSON, a reminder that we are not rushing into a “tick a box” activity, but coming before the presence of God, humbling ourselves to be in a posture of listening, reflecting and repentance.)

R – Rejoice (To worship the One who is worthy of our love, a natural outflow of our time spent earlier in pause and reflection.)

A – Ask (Intercession – After the first 2 steps, we now come to ask, as our hearts are now in a better position to align with His heart and His will. )

Y – Yield (Surrendering to God all our prayers and petitions, in faith allowing Him to lead us and to speak to our hearts as we experience the joy of partnering with God for His kingdom to come.)

This week, on September 16, we celebrate Malaysia Day. On this day, we hold our annual prayer celebration which is the Malaysia Day of Prayer (MDOP), an initiative to mobilise Christians to lift up holy hands in prayer and thanksgiving for God’s manifold blessings on our nation. It is at this celebration when we commit ourselves to a new Year of Prayer for Malaysia.

The Malaysia Year of Prayer 2021 is a call to a year-long persevering prayer - from September 16, 2020 to September 15, 2021 - to light up Malaysia in prayer, and stir the Church to remain on her knees: staying faithful, committed, obedient and united in prayer and action for the nation, longing for “Thy Kingdom Come, Thy will be done” (Matthew 6:10). This year is our third MYOP initiative. The theme for last year’s MYOP was “Light Up Malaysia: Thy Kingdom Come.” Events since then had proven that it was a timely call from the Lord to remind the Church to shine at a time of growing darkness – both nationally and globally. We had an unexpected change of Government in March 2020 and the Covid-19 pandemic brought the world to an unprecedented standstill.

We saw the fury of natural disasters across the globe: fires and floods, and even plagues of locusts. Geopolitics of globalisation took a turn for the worse as economies stumbled and rumours of wars escalated. Back home, despite the triple whammy of political shakings, the pandemic and the economic downturn, the nation has stayed miraculously peaceful. We praise God as the Church perseveres in prayer, and remains focused on building God's kingdom, quickly picking up digital skills and scaling new walls of ministry opportunities during the pandemic.

Our theme for this new year of prayer is “The Year of PERSEVERING in Sowing.” Our call is to continue to plant seeds of prayer and water them with faith, trust, expectancy and action, as Psalm 126:5 declares – Those who sow with tears will reap with songs of joy. The task before us is to pray for God's kingdom to come, and for His will be done, and stay focused on this mission that our Lord Jesus Christ has given us.

Our hearts' desire is for God's truth, justice and righteousness to permeate through every segment and sphere of government, business and society, and that people will come to experience the transformative life-changing power of Jesus Christ. On this Malaysia Day, let us renew our commitment to prosper our nation through “sowing” persevering prayer, faith and action throughout the year.

Let us sow.

AN INVITATION TO THANKSGIVING AND TO

PERSEVERE IN PRAYER

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 2020

26TH ISSUE

For private circulation only among members and associates of Prayer United Malaysia

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PAUSE BE STILL, Deliberately pause - breathe deeply, and welcome the Holy Spirit.  

READ Psalm 126 and meditate

PRAYER OF NATIONAL REPENTANCE Lord God, we stand in the gap today to repent of the sins of our nation. We repent of our decadence and corruption, the abuse of wealth that belongs to the people, the racial polarisation and for allowing for widening disparity between the rich and the poor. We repent of the way we have taken advantage of the resources of our fellow Malaysians of Sabah and Sarawak, without proportionately enriching them.

We repent of our lack of depth of compassion for those around us who are suffering: migrants and refugees, religious and racial minorities, and police detainees and prisoners. Forgive us of our apathy towards injustices when we see or hear about them, more often than not, preferring to turn a blind eye. We repent of our lack of perseverance towards removing unrighteous barriers that prevent men and women from having knowledge of the saving grace of Jesus Christ. We repent of our fear to preach the gospel boldly to all peoples who are in desperate need to hear of Your gospel of salvation. We ask for Your mercy and grace, and declare “Thy Kingdom Come” in our nation, so that all her peoples may be blessed with Your truth, righteousness, justice and peace reigning over Malaysia. Lord, You say that if Your people who are called by Your name would humble themselves and pray, and seek Your face and turn from our wicked ways, You will turn Your face towards us, forgive us our sins, and heal our land. Lord, please forgive us for our attitudes of wickedness, self-righteousness, idolatry, apathy and hate. Please come and heal our land. Restore us, O God, to be a holy people called by Your name. In Jesus’ name we pray, AMEN.

REJOICE /WORSHIP READ ALOUD Psalm 103 ESV

SING Song[s] of worship and thanksgiving. Suggestion includes: 

DAYS OF ELIJAH -Verse 1- These are the days of Elijah, Declaring the Word of the Lord And these are the days of Your servant Moses, Righteousness being restored. And though these are days of great trial, Of famine and darkness and sword, Still, we are the voice in the desert crying "Prepare ye the way of the Lord!" -Chorus- Behold He comes riding on the clouds, Shining like the sun at the trumpet call, Lift your voice, it's the Year of Jubilee, And out of Zion's hill, salvation comes.

-Verse 2- These are the days of Ezekiel, The dry bones becoming as flesh, And these are the days of Your servant David, Rebuilding a temple of praise. These are the days of the harvest, The fields are as white in Your world, And we are the labourers in Your vineyard, Declaring the Word of the Lord! -Bridge- There's no God like Jehovah https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ca9LnzJnpjQ

ASK In your own sincere and simple words, pause briefly over these suggested prayers as a guide as we seek to further build and deepen our own prayer life. (Please feel free to add or to re-word these points and items.) MALAYSIA DAY PRAYER PRAYER: King of Glory, You reign sovereign over the nations. You are the Ruler of rulers - of kings and governments that rule nations. We give thanks for Your sovereign hand of grace and mercy over Malaysia for the 57 years of coming together as one united nation, made up of Semenanjung, Sabah and Sarawak. We exalt You as God of the nations, that it is You, who alone determines the times and seasons, for You alone who removes kings and raises kings. Praying for Truth, Righteousness and Justice to Prevail On this month of national celebrations, we ask for Your truth, righteousness and justice to reign over our country. We pray for Your Word to reign in every corridor of power and law making – from the Rulers to the Parliament, to the Judiciary, and to the Government. We pray for Your blessing on the Council of Rulers and all branches of the Government of the nation – both at national, state and local levels.

Lord God, we want to see You glorified in our nation because righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne. We pray that You will bless Malaysia with a judiciary and a legal system that will receive Divine grace to conscientiously uphold Your benchmarks of truth, righteousness and justice.

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We pray that as we see more high profile political arrests and more court cases being tried, including the big 1MDB cases involving powerful personalities, we ask for an undeterred judiciary that is anointed with wisdom, strength and courage to uphold uprightness. Thank You, Lord for the recent court outcomes of great significance to bring stolen wealth back to the nation and charging the perpetrators of this grave crime. We ask that justice will continue to prevail, and those who have abused power, laundered money and stolen the people’s money, be swiftly dealt with. But should any be falsely accused, may they be vindicated.

Please transform Malaysia to be a beacon of truth, justice and righteousness. May You receive all the glory and praise for Your righteous laws from all tribes and tongues in this nation, as we ask that the people will be able to enjoy fully rights to religious, political and economic freedoms. We know that You are continuing to work out Your purposes. We humbly ask You to intervene and over-rule through Your divine authority over the affairs of men.

We also ask of You, O God of Justice, to quicken justice due to families who have suffered disappearances of their loved ones. We continue to ask for just and truthful closures for them, so that all attempts at cover-up will be thwarted. Lord Jesus, shine Your light into the darkness in Malaysia, expose that which is hidden, and cause human darkness and the demonic agents to fail and flee at Your powerful name.

Praying for the Political Realm We pray for a nation whose people will be discerning, honest and righteous, who know how to weigh right from wrong, not easily duped by political and other forms of deceptions. We pray for spiritual breakthroughs in the present political strife and impasses, and economic uncertainty that the reality of “Thy Kingdom Come” - will be fully felt in this beloved nation of ours. Help us not to feel embittered, defeated and apathetic or only look to political solutions, but to only look to You to deliver us from evil men; for You have said, “Vengeance is mine.” We thank You for our Prime Minister and his Cabinet as they demonstrate having a heart for the people, especially during this time when many are suffering under the strain of the pandemic and economic turmoil. We pray for our Prime Minister to demonstrate exercising his authority rightly and appropriately to remove underperforming ministers and replace them immediately with competent ones so that the Rakyat can be better served. We continue to lift up the health of our Prime Minister, Muhyiddin Yassin, into Your keeping hands. We humbly ask for Your blessing of guidance and wisdom as he and his Cabinet work toward restoring the economy of this nation.

We would ask that a powerful continuing work of the Holy Spirit be upon the present Cabinet - to bring about cleansed hearts, sincere motives, humility and good conscience, to genuinely serve the Rakyat with competence and integrity of heart. We pray that our ministers will discharge their duties and responsibilities in the fear of the Lord.

We ask for the demolishing of strongholds in the unseen realm of demonic activities, secret plotting and witchcraft. We pray that the intensifying efforts of the evil principalities and powers in stirring and stoking disunity, corruption and deception, and plotting unholy alliances, will all fail, and that they will tremble and flee in fear at Your Name. Cleanse the spiritual atmosphere over our land in Christ’s mighty Name, as You alone can dispel darkness in the unseen realms of principalities and powers.

Praying for Sabah Lord God, we pray for the people of Sabah that You will bless them with a good state government as they will be heading for their state elections on September 26, 2020. We ask that there will be peace during this time of campaigning; that all efforts at creating disturbances will be defeated. We pray for protection for the voting public from the Covid-19 pandemic that has surged in Sabah over the past one week. We ask for wisdom for the people to know whom to vote for, and not give into enticement of money, or to fear. We ask that You will strengthen the Church of Sabah that they may be united in prayer during this time. Revive Your Church in Sabah, O Lord.

Praying for Sarawak Father, we ask for Your manifold blessings for Sarawak, that they will experience peace and prosperity. Thank You, Lord, for delivering them from the recent resurgence of the Covid-19 pandemic. We also ask that as Sarawak prepares for her upcoming elections, that You will raise for Yourself men and women of integrity who are selflessly committed in their desire to serve the people of Sarawak. We ask, O Lord, that You will give wisdom to the people so that they may know how to vote for a good government that is compassionate, righteous and just. We also pray that You will bless Your Church in Sarawak that they may a good example to the rest of Malaysia of unity, strength and boldness. Revive Your Church in Sarawak, O Lord.

Praying to remove the pandemic and evils of racism and prejudice Please remove from us the evils of apathy, racism, prejudice and hate that must not find a home in our hearts. Stir in our hearts a deep compassion for those who have suffered during this pandemic from loss of jobs, business losses and salary cuts, and those who are struggling desperately to make ends meet. Lord God, as we celebrate Malaysia Day with the coronavirus pandemic still threatening the nation, we pray for those who are sick and who are grieving over lost ones. In Your mercy, we ask that You will rid us of this virus for, “Sovereign Lord, You have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you.” (Jeremiah 32:17) Please comfort those whose families have been touched by illness or death during this time. We ask that You surround them with love, generosity and provisions. Cleanse us, O Lord, and remove from us resistance, hardness of heart, and blockages to Your work of grace that hide in the corners of our hearts, souls and minds.

Praying for a move of the Holy Spirit

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Fill us with Your Holy Spirit, that we may walk in newness of purpose and mission for Your glory. May we be Your mouth, Your hands and Your feet in bringing truth, justice and righteousness to those who are oppressed, displaced and in material need. Help us to get out of our comfort zone and offer compassionate and practical help together with our prayers, as we seek not to grieve or quench the Holy Spirit. Use us, O Lord, to prosper and transform this nation. Breathe new life in us and revive us to greater boldness to proclaim Your Word. We ask that You will remove all hindrances that prevent us from speaking to those who need to hear the gospel so that they may be saved. As we await Your return, O Lord Jesus, we pray that You will use us to be a blessing to Malaysia. In Your mercy, heal our land. In Your mighty name, we pray. AMEN.

Spontaneous Prayers Open your heart to be led by the Holy Spirit on other matters that He has for you to pray for our nation. YIELD  That you will be a catalyst in your home, church and community in encouraging others to live out fully for Christ, in anticipation of His imminent return. SONG OF NATIONAL BLESSING (A Song of Prayer for Malaysia)

MAKE ME A BLESSING -Verse 1- Out in the highways and byways of life, Many are weary and sad; Carry the sunshine where darkness is rife, Making the sorrowing glad. -Chorus- Make me a blessing, Make me a blessing -- Out of my life, May Jesus shine; Make me a blessing, O Saviour, I pray, Make me a blessing to someone today.

-Verse 2- Tell the sweet story of Christ and His love, Tell of His power to forgive; Others will trust Him if only you prove True, every moment you live. -Verse 3- Give as 'twas given to you in your need, Love as the Master loved you; Be to the helpless a helper indeed, Unto your mission be true. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MZ8N5s92zJA

BENEDICTION - DECLARE Hebrews 13:20-21 ESV AS A BLESSING FOR ONE ANOTHER “Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.”

CLOSING PRAYER PROCLAIMING HIS KINGDOM COME - THE LORD’S PRAYER Matthew 6:9-13  ESV   “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name, Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. AMEN.”

CLOSING SONG OF COMMITMENT – SOWING IN THE MORNING

-VERSE 1- Sowing in the morning, sowing seeds of kindness, Sowing in the noontide and the dewy eve; Waiting for the harvest, and the time of reaping, We shall come rejoicing, bringing in the sheaves. -CHORUS- Bringing in the sheaves, bringing in the sheaves, We shall come rejoicing, bringing in the sheaves; Bringing in the sheaves, bringing in the sheaves, We shall come rejoicing, bringing in the sheaves.

-VERSE 2- Sowing in the sunshine, sowing in the shadows, Fearing neither clouds nor winter’s chilling breeze; By and by, the harvest and the labor ended, We shall come rejoicing, bringing in the sheaves. -VERSE 3- Going forth with weeping, sowing for the Master, Tho’, the loss sustained, our spirit often grieves; When our weeping’s over, He will bid us welcome, We shall come rejoicing, bringing in the sheaves.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AmqMyrA1s-0

BE STILL   DELIBERATELY PAUSE FOR A MOMENT, breathe deeply, thank God for His presence and release into His hands all that you have prayed.

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MALAYSIA DAY SEASON OF PRAYER Be encouraged to take a prayer walk or prayer drive each week in September to bless the nation. Fly the Jalur Gemilang, whether big or small. Take a challenge to bless a place other than your own neighbourhood or town.

Bring verses of blessing to be planted. Examples to cover in prayer include government buildings, hospitals, schools, police stations, business districts and housing areas. You may want to drop by places like public toilets

where baby dumping is most prevalent, or drive in places of urban poverty and streets where vices and gangsterism is prevalent. Pray for God’s Kingdom Come.

MALAYSIA YEAR OF PRAYER 2021 BOOKLET

Download an e-copy of the Malaysia Year of Prayer 2021 here. Renew your commitment to these prayer initiatives:

1. 12 Noon Pause-and-Pray THE LORD’S PRAYER; 2. Pray-for-5 to come to salvation in Jesus Christ;

3. Hold a 10-day Ascension-to-Pentecost Prayer Event for His Kingdom Come; and, 4. Be an answer to your prayer.

God bless you as you persevere in prayer.

The Year of Persevering in Sowing

MALAY S I A Y EAR O F PRAY ER 2 0 2 1

“Those who sow in tears shall reap with shouts of joy!”– Psalm 126:5 ESV

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