Why pray you asked? Prayer is a weapon, why don't you want to invite a victorious Saviour into your situations? Think of the acrostic P-R-A-Y:
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P – Praise the Lord! Not sure how? Think you’ll run out of words? Not if you use the Scriptures.

R – Repent of your sins. Just as heat forces impurities to the surface so that the metal refiner can remove them, your prayer time will reveal attitudes that must be changed, habits that must be broken, and barriers to blessing that must be removed. It’s not enough to tell God about your sins. He already knows them. You must ask Him to help you turn away from them. This is true repentance.
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A – Ask for yourself and others. Your prayers invite God into the situations, and your faith actives His power to change it. There’s no distance in prayer, no culture or language barrier it can’t overcome. It’s like throwing on a power switch – things begin to move when we pray. Jesus said, “I will give you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven… whatever doors you open on earth shall be open in Heaven (Matt 16: 19 TLB)
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Y – Yield yourself to God’s will. Declaring the Lordship of Jesus Christ in your life is like signing your name to your autobiography and inviting Him to write you life’s story.
 
1 Chronicles 29:11
Yours, O LORD, is the greatness, the power, the glory, the victory, and the majesty. Everything in the heavens and on earth is yours, O LORD, and this is your kingdom. We adore you as the one who is over all things.

- Writing of Bob Gass (Word for Today)

In physics, the butterfly effect is a theory that describes on how a tiny momentum or changes i.e such as the flap of a butterfly’s wings could affect the weather thousands of miles away. There will be times when you feel insignificant, metaphorically like a small butterfly and you find yourself saying whatever you do will not matter much when you are facing trials.

As a child of God, there is much you could do. Like the butterfly effect, your words, your faith, your perseverance, your prayers, deeds and kindness could activate the heavenly forces no matter how small they may be. In the Bible, we have seen how the Lord uses things that we consider insignificant to bring miracles, things such David’s slingshot to bring down Goliath, a boy’s lunch box to feed multitudes, Samson’s donkey’s jawbone that slew thousand Philistines. What you do, could bring changes or influences to people around you and your own circumstances.

It is not about the size of seeds or actions you could do but it is about our God who could facilitate that mustard seed faith to grow. It is not about the number of prayers you pray but it is about the Lord who answers prayers of His children, He leaves no one behind and that is the beauty of His grace. He rejoices in your beginnings no matter how small, begin your butterfly effect.

Zechariah 4:10 NLT
Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin…
 
- John W.

This year, the Lord will take care of us. The Bible has records that attest to His lovingkindness and faithfulness since the beginning of creations and the Lord Himself promises He will never forsake us, who else could make this promise to us with an everlasting credibility.

Never also implies that the Lord will always be available for us at all times, any time and everytime. Doctors, bankers and services are usually available to us from Monday to Friday and immediate appointments are not always guaranteed with them but with the Lord, He guarantees around the clock care; He will never forsake you.

​Let us heed the wisdom of the ​Bible for it is written, “So if you faithfully obey the commands I am giving you today - to love the LORD your God and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul- then I will send rain on your land in its season, both autumn and spring rains, so that you may gather in your grain, new wine and olive oil. I will provide grass in the fields for your cattle, and you will eat and be satisfied.” (Deuteronomy 11: 13 - 15). 

This year, the Lord will take care of us, obey His commandments and honour Him in all you do. Truly, you are blessed.

- Irene Soon

Through all ups and downs in life, I still want to testify that God is trustworthy.

I have started a new role in my team, as Assistant Prayer Coordinator (APC). It is a role that could overwhelm me with worry. Taking the role took me out of my comfort zone but I believe it is an opportunity to experience the Lord’s faithfulness and it is a learning curve for me to depend more on Him.
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I believe there will be times in our lives when we are asked to make decision when we have several choices in front of us. We may not be an expert decision maker but I believe when we choose to obey the Lord and step out of our comfort zones, He will grace us to have the strength and wisdom daily. Even if we doubt our own ability, He would still allow us to have the opportunity to advance beyond ourselves and abilities.

Choosing to obey and trust the Lord may seem like threading a path less known, it may seem uncertain but would you challenge yourself to believe that it would be the best decisions we could make? Not because of our own intelligence or discernment but because of the Lord’s everlasting love that gifted us everlasting mercy and grace. The Lord is truly trustworthy and we can put our trust in Him.

Ephesians 2: 4 - 5
But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions-it is by grace you have been saved.

- Jenni Wang

Recently one of our relatives lost one of their family members and due to disappointment in Christ, they stopped going to church altogether. I believe in all seasons; we will face trials and tribulations but the recent loss of our relatives made me think why do some people persevere and endure in trials and why some just walk away from God when they are disappointed that God was silent or did not intervene in the eleventh hours of their tribulations.
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In my own life, I believe these are due to my own lack of understanding; I try to figure out God’s ways and I could not produce the faith with my own will as God’s ways are higher than mine. It is in the time like this, our faith is put into practice: whether we keep trusting and persevering or we choose to put the trust in ourselves rather to trust God.
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And actually, Jesus had reminded us about troubles in life, but the most important promise of His is an assurance to us: I have overcome the world (John 16:33). We do not have a ‘silent’ God, He is a God who is acquainted with grief and suffering and even to the point of death. We are called to persevere and endure in this journey of faith because our faith rest in the victory and promise that our Lord has overcome the world. He is a God who gives us victory in the land of the living!

Psalm 27: 13
I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.

John 16: 33
I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.

- Jenni Wang 

Most likely all of us have been through the season of waiting.

In my own season of waiting, I imagine the people of Israelites during the time in Babylon. They might be wondering when it would end. Will it really end just like Isaiah had spoken hundred years before that? Waiting for them probably is a mixture of many feelings summed up through expectation, anxiety, hope, dismay and it may reel them into a cycle of restlessness.

In seasons such as that, I wondered if the Israelites faltered the way I do, did they ever doubt that it was God who spoke to them, or if they have listened well, did they disobeyed God or will God bless them as He said He will? In the midst of my own doubt, God’s powerful message of hope to His people suddenly spoke to me: fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God: I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand (Isaiah 41:10).

When I become discouraged in in my own waiting, He has reminded me that even when I am tired and prone to dismay, He has strengthened me daily; help me not to lose sight of Him as His grace and His love envelope me surely. 

- Jenni Wang

Bearing our sins, Jesus carried the heavy wooden cross 2000 years ago, today. The cross was believed to weigh about 70 – 80kg for its solid pine-wood plank whilst the crossbar was estimated to be around 30-40kg, totalling at least 100kg.

​A man weakened by brutal torture, forced upon a crown of thorns on his head, persevered silently and carried the cross under the hot sun until his physical strength failed him.
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Jesus carried two heaviness that day; the weight of the sin of all mankind and the weight of the cross that His weakened body had to endure. Jesus knew His torture and crucifixion will come if He leaves His Heavenly throne to save us, He did it anyway. The Lord who could silent the waves and part the sea, raised the dead to life, cast out Demons, chose to surrender Himself to a human death as the symbol of an atoning sacrifice for our sins. He cancelled the record of sin charges against us… and took it away by nailing it to the cross (Colossians 2: 14). This way, the darkness will no longer have a hold on us and we have His power to overcome all things.

Dear friends, accept the Lord as your Redeeming Saviour for a life a victory and if you have, proclaim His sovereign victory over all of your trials, praise Him and await your supernatural resurrection from “death.”  

Jesus loves you and on this Good Friday, we celebrate His sacrifice as the beginning of victorious miracles to come. 

- Hopeful Heart Team

Mark 11:24
Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.
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Faith is not working up by will power or mustering some sort of certainty that something is coming to pass, but it is choosing a belief as an actual fact that God has said that this shall come to pass and lifting praise rejoicing to affirm the promise and entering an active rest when doubts constantly attacks because we choose to believe God has won the battle for us.

Faith turns the promise into a prophecy. While it is merely a promise, it is dependent upon our co-operation; it may or may not be. But when faith claims it, it becomes a prophecy and we go forth feeling that it is something that must be done because God cannot lie.
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Faith is the answer from the throne saying, “It is done.” Faith is the echo of God's voice. Let us choose to believe, speak boldly of God’s promises, and go out to triumph in His glorious power.

Hear the answer from the throne,
Claim the promise, doubting one,
God hath spoken, “It is done.”
Faith hath answered, “It is done”;
Prayer is over, praise begun,
Hallelujah! It is done.

- Writing of A Simpson

When we are faced with an unfavourable situation, the thought that is often the loudest in our mind tends to be why.

Life is like being in a boat and when we accept Him as our Lord and Saviour, we can and should be assured that we have him in the boat with us.
At times we think that having Jesus, the sail would be easy. Then the waves hit, the storm rages, we think this should not be happening. Jesus is in us, with us and for us but why is this happening? Everything is against me, I am overwhelmed, why Lord, why?
 
Remember what Jesus says in John 16: 33
"I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth
you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have
overcome the world.”
 
Yes, we have trials and sorrows but His promise is that He has overcome the world for us. This is where our faith in Him and His promises matters. Our faith in Him navigates through the waves and storm of our life. We are never alone and we have Him in the boat with us. It means that even though the storm hit, it will not sink our boat.

- Annie Pisca

Merry Christmas dear blessed ones

To God be the praise and worship,

We thank Him for the blessed days of 2021 and the strength He has abound to us. We thank Him for His protection and provision whether it is tangible or unseen. We choose to believe His faithfulness knows no end and we as the Child of God celebrates the true meaning of Christmas today by thanking our Christ Jesus for coming to this world and being the most amazing gift to all of us who believes. 

Thank you Lord Jesus Christ for being our Saviour.

Amen.

- Hopeful Heart Team