Cover Story
01 Jun 2014

A Church after God's Own Heart - will Persist in Prayer

Source/Author: By Bishop Dr. Ong Hwai Teik

NLT Luke 11:5-11 Then, teaching them more about prayer, he used this story: “Suppose you went to a friend’s house at midnight, wanting to borrow three loaves of bread. You say to him, 6 ‘A friend of mine has just arrived for a visit, and I have nothing for him to eat.’ 7 And suppose he calls out from his bedroom, ‘Don’t bother me. The door is locked for the night, and my family and I are all in bed. I can’t help you.’ 8 But I tell you this -- though he won’t do it for friendship’s sake, if you keep knocking long enough, he will get up and give you whatever you need because of your shameless persistence. 9 “And so I tell you, keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. 11 “You fathers -- if your children ask for a fish, do you give them a snake instead?

One can easily be caught in identifying God with the “sleepy friend”, who unwillingly answers to a cry for help. After all, it is not unreasonable for the “sleepy friend” to respond the way he did given the unearthly hour of the request made. However, do note that Luke 11:11 counters this point of “unwillingness to answer” by the willing and good heart of a father responding to the need of his children [also vv 9-10], which is magnified immeasurably in God our Father.

But the main point that the Lord Jesus is making is about a type
of holy boldness that drives one to be insistent and persistent in asking, to be relentless in knocking sharply at the door even during unearthly hours and in the face of even receiving a seemingly negative reply and response.

It implies that there is an element of struggle in prayer which is quite apart from the weekly routine of joining in the prayers offered at the Sunday Worship Services or the more pleasant side of our devotional prayers made each day. This is beyond routine and formal praying in which we face and battle with unrelenting forces both of flesh and blood, as well as the unseen kind. This holy boldness and persistent prayer drives believers to continue in prayer…even though they feel dissatisfaction, desolation and disappointment in their hearts.

In Malaysia, more than ever before, the Sovereign Lord of
heaven and earth calls His Church in Malaysia to enter into this phase of interceding with holy boldness and persistence as we seek the very sorely needed transformation for this nation and His Church in this land. We are to boldly and persistently pray for justice, righteousness, compassion and truth to prevail both in the Church and in this land. The Word of God says in NIV Proverbs 29:4 – “By justice a king gives a country stability, but one who is greedy for bribes tears it down” and ESV Proverbs 14:34 says “Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people”.

God’s people in Malaysia must continue with holy boldness and persistency in the face of the lengthening evident lack of integrity of law enforcement agencies and institutions of this land. This includes the grave lack of moral courage and fortitude of national leaders we are supposed to hold in high esteem. We are shocked, angry and disappointed when they fail “to do the obviously right thing,” including speaking up at the required time for justice, righteousness, compassion and truth. We are to interpose with holy boldness and persistency in the face of loud chauvinistic racist and religious groups that seek to claim superiority and domination over other races and religions. We are to unyieldingly intercede with holy boldness and persistency when the Constitution is selectively treated with respect, and conveniently disregarded when it is expedient to do so.

But to pray with holy boldness and persistency so that our Father’s "Kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven”, we need to constantly cultivate and possess the following in our hearts.

Firstly, we need to remember who God is and what He requires of us. We worship a sovereign and holy God Who loves the world He had created, the Eternal One Who rules history.

Secondly, we need to keep an eye on the situation in our land with a heart that cares. We need to be able to weep for this land without being paralysed by despair, helplessness and hopelessness.

Thirdly, we need to move beyond the “self impeding factors”, for example, we are not to be held back by a low threshold of embarrassment, (“don’t trouble God unnecessarily”,) or an addiction to the comfort zone syndrome. Neither should we be held back from persistent prayers because of the wounds of our unmet expectations despite fervently praying for change in the past. We are to set aside time to pray doggedly and determinedly for all important issues that burden our hearts, even though there is a whisper of “how long, O Lord” in our minds!

The two ending chapters of the Bible give us great assurance
even as we seek an ending to “the troubles in our land”. I am deeply encouraged by Revelation 21:1-5 which tells us of that
final new birth one day where there will be a new heaven and
a new earth. It will then be, amongst other glorious things, a place without any "sea". The “sea” signifies the power of evil and chaos, from which the first monster emerged. Even then it has its boundaries firmly fixed and limited. As N T Wright puts it, “Evil is only allowed to do enough to overreach itself and to bring about its own downfall. But in the new creation there will be no more sea, no more chaos, no place from which monsters might again emerge. We truly look forward to that day!

But meanwhile, God’s people, including those called Methodists,
must perseveringly pray with holy boldness and persistency, individually and communally such as in the coming Methodist Prayer Convention 2014 for God’s will to be done on earth as it is in heaven. This we must do. As a Church after God’s own heart, we will readily collaborate with the Holy Spirit, and acclaim, "Father, we declare that we love You, we declare our everlasting love for you”. This acclamation will be in our hearts and on our lips come what may in the history of this land.

We lift up our eyes above the troubles in our land
And together we stand to declare You as King
In times like these we choose to praise You
For it’s You, it’s You who really matters
You are worthy of all praise

Chorus
And we will say that You are good
And all the miracles You’ve done have brought us joy
For we are changed
And all the hope we have we placed in You right now
Father we declare that we love You
We declare our everlasting love for You
Father we declare that we love You
We declare our everlasting love for You
                                                 [Isi de Gersigny]