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)

Dear Heavenly Father,

We would like to praise Your Holy Name and offer our heart of gratitude for Your sacrifice on the cross for our sins. Thank you for raising us up with Your power to live victorious lives and thank you for Your everlasting forgiveness. Help us to live in the gladness, wisdom and the grace of Easter Sunday, every day. Help us extend the kindness of Your love for us to others around us. Praise Your Holy Name. 

​Amen.

There is a vast difference between happiness and blessedness. Paul had imprisonments, sacrifice and painful sufferings up to the very limit; but in the midst of it all, he was blessed. All the beatitudes came into his heart and life in the midst of those very conditions.

On one of his concerts, Paganini, the great violinist discovered that his precious famous violin has been stolen. On that discovery, he felt paralyzed for a moment and he stepped back behind the stage's curtain looking at the old cheap violin that has been left as the replacement of his stolen violin.

He remained at the back of the stage's curtain for a moment, then came out before his audience and said: “Ladies and Gentlemen: I will show you that the music is not in the instrument, but in the soul.” And he played as he would have with his precious violin. Out of the old cheap instrument, the music poured forth until the audience was enchanted with enthusiasm and the applause almost lifted the ceiling of the building;  Paganini had revealed to them that music was not in the instrument, be it an old or a a precious expensive one but in his own soul.

It is your mission, tested and tried one, to walk out on the stage of this world and reveal to all earth and Heaven that blessedness is not in the conditions, not in things, not in externals but it is through the peace and faith within your soul that trusted the Lord, your Saviour.

If peace be in the heart, the wildest winter storm will be full of solemn beauty. If peace be in the heart.

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.”

- Charles F Richardson

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.
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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.
 
Practice to say His promises rather than the usual whine and why. A good skipper will defend his/her boat when the storm hits. We must also have the same stance and deny the influence of problems in our lives.

- Anonymous

“If you look at the world, you'll be distressed. If you look within, you'll be depressed. If you look at God you'll be at rest.” This is an infamous quote written by Corrie Ten Boom, a holocaust survivor and it is still a practical reminder to these days.

​When you look around, you become aware that everyone is fighting their own battles and it may magnify your “aloneness” in your own battles, when you look within, you are reminded of your own shortcomings but when you look at God, His peace would be your strength and you are reminded that He is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all. God may use people or things to bless you but He alone is your source, your provider. Yes, sometimes God may let you reach end of your rope but it will only assure you that He is all you need.

In this new year, look unto the Lord as our first source, it may even be in a form of a small short prayer or an utter of dependence on the Lord’s help and you will find His rest, His peace and His strength to move forward. Don’t look elsewhere.

Lamentation 3: 22 - 25
The Lord’s loyal kindness never ceases, his compassions never end. They are fresh every morning; your faithfulness is abundant! “My portion is the Lord,” I have said to myself, so I will put my hope in him. The Lord is good to those who trust in him, to the one who seeks him. 

- John W.

Dear blessed friends and families, 

Happy New Year 2023

In this new year, we pray that you have the confidence and boldness of David when he penned Psalm 23.

"Surely, goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever."

Praise the Lord that always lavishes His mercy and goodness upon us even when we feel we are the most undeserving; He doesn't see us the way we see ourselves; He condemns not. Rejoice, blessed ones, the Lord is always with you and surely, surely you are never without His goodness. Your name is engraved on the palms of His hands - "See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are ever before me."- Isaiah 49: 16

- Hopeful Heart team

As the year is drawing to an end, let us take the time to recount the goodness the Lord has brought to our lives; giving thanks to the seen and unseen protection and provision the Lord has lavished on us. We will give thanks to the lessons and tears that this year brings as well for the Lord has strengthen us through it all.

Jesus constantly remained in constant communion with His Heavenly Father, He looked for opportunities to seek His Father in prayers. I believe, this is the way our Lord Jesus Christ coped with daily demands that depletes His human energy.
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The book of Matthew wrote that when Jesus heard of the ill fate that befell John the Baptist, He withdrew by boat privately to seek solitude but upon seeing a large crowd following Him, He had compassion, healed them, attended to their needs and fed them. After it, He went to the mountainside by Himself to pray. 

Jesus repeatedly helped multitudes who seek Him yet He did not rely on His own strength, stay haggard and hurried, He nurtured His communion with His Father through prayers in solitude and thanksgiving. Will we follow this example and intentionally make time for the Lord before the year ends and starts it afresh with prayers? In your own solitude, be refreshed by His mighty strength and gracious fulfilment; giving thanks trusting that our days are in our Lord’s good protections and provisions.

Matthew 14: 13 - 14
When Jesus heard it, He departed from there by boat to a deserted place by Himself. But when the multitudes heard it, they followed Him on foot from the cities. And when Jesus went out, He saw a great multitude; and He was moved with compassion for them, and healed their sick.
 
Matthew 14: 23
And when He had sent the multitudes away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray.

- Irene Soon

I came across a writing that states, “men are better than walls and faith is stronger than castles.” I believe one of the ways our God strengthen us is by making us strong in the inward might, this is done through perseverance, quiet trust and giving thanks amidst all situations and faith, faith being our spiritual weapon; the castle and unshakeable fortress  of our inner man.

When we place our faith in the author and the perfecter of our faith, God can take the feeblest of us and make us to be courageous like David. He could fortify you better than walls before your enemies. We serve a living God who gave victory to a small shepherd boy who had only a slingshot and stones against an almost 7 feet trained military soldier. We, the armies of the living God as proclaimed by David, are not weak and hopeless, our confidence is in our living God; He makes His champions mightier than all of their enemies. Let our faith be strong, let our stance be strengthened, the Lord is our Victor and He gives us victory!

Lord, infuse Your strength unto my faith and fill me with the courage to rise above my situation and take up my victory. Amen!
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Hebrew 12: 2- 3
Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

- John W. 

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