Source/Author: By Rev. Dennis Raj

Malaysia Day Service

On the 16th of September 2015, the various churches in Ipoh came together for a time of worship and intercession. This was done in line with several other prayer movements that were concurrently happening all over the nation the same day. The gathering was spearheaded by a committee that was organized under the leadership of the Ipoh Pastors fellowship (IPF). The theme was ‘Let The Nation Pray’. It was held at the ballroom of the Tower Regency Hotel from 10 am to 12.30 pm. According to the organizers, there were more than 1,000 people who attended the event as almost all of the available 1,300 seats that were in the ballroom were taken up.

The program for the day began with the marching in of dancing Orang Asal believers who were dressed in their traditional ‘pelilit kepala’ head-dress. This was then followed by a time of worship in Bahasa Malaysia by Rev Eduan Bah Chimpok who is an Orang Asal pastor from Gopeng. It was a good time of heartfelt worship with several flag dancers coming onboard at strategic moments.

This year, four specific prayer needs were focussed upon. The first prayer was said for the struggles of the Orang Asal community in Malaysia. It was followed by a short presentation on the role of the Chinese in Malaysia and prayers were raised for the Chinese community in Malaysia. In a poignant unplanned moment which was not part of the scheduled agenda, four Chinese pastors came forward to confess the sins of the Chinese community that affected the nation. Subsequently, a short presentation on the plight of Indians in Malaysia was made, followed by prayers for the community. Next, there was a time of prayer for the economy in the country as it faced continuing pressures from the loss of value in the currency market.

The day ended with another session of jubilant worship and thanksgiving for the many good things that God has been doing in the nation. It was also a time of giving offerings unto God’s ministry through the ministry of IPF. Then the singing of our national anthem Negaraku took place as the pinnacle of the entire prayer event. It was truly a momentous occasion as the camaraderie among the churches was once again reinforced through coming together in a time of earnest and fervent prayer for the beloved nation.