I kid you not. “What did I just read?” would be the thought that runs through your mind.
Since 2007, Love Singapore, a group of Christian pastors and ministries, have held the 40 days of prayer season from July 1st to August 9th, engaging some 60,000 believers from all walks of life to pray for the well-being of Singapore.
This year, because of the jubilee anniversary of Singapore’s independence, Love Singapore decided to hold a 50-day season of prayer instead of the usual 40 days.
“This year, in keeping with Singapore’s Golden Jubilee, we are launching a 50-Day season of prayer instead of the usual 40. We start on June 21st Father’s Day. We end on August 9th National Day. The theme: For Future Generations. We draw from Biblical narratives that help us reflect on issues and challenges facing the Church and Nation today. For example: Fathering Families of Faith, Creating a Culture of Honour, Perfecting Holiness in the Lord, Standing in the Council of the Lord, Leading from Within, Mentoring Successors, Serving God and Nation. Ultimately, it’s about the character of the Church: who we are, what we are becoming, and the lasting impact this has on the kind of Singapore future generations will inherit.” – Chairman of LoveSingapore, Lawrence Khong
In the “Love Singapore 50 DAY 2015 Fast & Prayer Guide Booklet”, a particular prayer session was held specially for Singapore’s founding prime minister, Mr Lee Kuan Yew, who passed away in March this year.
The prayer goes:
“We will never forget 2015. Singapore’s Jubilee Year of celebration became a year of national mourning. We lost our Founding Father and First Prime Minister, Mr Lee Kuan Yew. Tributes streamed in from around the world and all corners of Singapore to honour a man who gave his life for his people.
Like the good king Uzziah in Isaiah’s time, Mr Lee was a great nation-builder in our time.
He was God’s chosen architect for Singapore.
He served selflessly for the good of humanity.
Mr Lee left us at a time when our troubled world needed him most. Will there ever be another like him? Lift up your eyes to the Ever Living God. Worship him, the Father of Creation. Entrust Singapore’s future to the Sovereign Lord of heaven and earth, who is fully in control.” (refer to the full text below)
It added:
“This generation and future generations could never thank God enough for giving us Mr Lee Kuan Yew as our Founding Father and first Prime Minister.”
But praise by the Christian community does not stop at Mr Lee Kuan Yew.
On 5 July this year, The Jubilee Day of Prayer, organized by the National Council of Churches of Singapore and Evangelical Fellowship of Singapore, had a massive congregation of 51,000 at the Sports Hub and took the opportunity to dedicate a prayer song to Singapore’s Prime Minister, Lee Hsien Loong, who is also the son of Mr Lee Kuan Yew. LoveSingapore was one of five supporting organizations.
The event was also attended by Government ministers such as Tan Chuan-Jin, and MPs such as Lam Pin Min and Gerald Giam from the Workers’ Party.
So if you are interested in joining Love Singapore in saying your prayer for our late Mr Lee, you can refer to the prayer points mentioned in the prayer booklet,
Honour God by honouring Mr Lee Kuan Yew, Singapore’s first Prime Minister and Founding Father Extraordinaire. Celebrate his life, leadership and legacy. Acknowledge Mr Lee as God’s gift to Singapore, Asia and the world. Thank God for his excellent example as a natural father to his three children and as a national father to us all. Ask God to raise up many more fathers like him-visionary, selfless, compassionate, strong, far-sighted.”
“Pause and give thanks to God for our Founding Father, Mr Lee Kuan Yew, a family man with godly values and biblical thinking. A strong advocate of the three-generation family structure which Mr Lee saw as a great strength for continuity in bringing up the next generation. He issued a call: we must preserve this if our society is to regenerate itself without loss of cultural vigour, compassion and wisdom. Pray that this generation and future generations will heed his call and live out his great legacy which is in line with God’s Word.”
“We will never forget 2015. Singapore’s Jubilee Year of celebration became a year of national mourning. We lost our Founding Father and First Prime Minister, Mr Lee Kuan Yew. Tributes streamed in from around the world and all corners of Singapore to honour a man who gave his life for his people. Like the good king Uzziah in Isaiah’s time, Mr Lee was a great nation-builder in our time. He was God’s chosen architect for Singapore. He served selflessly for the good of humanity. Mr Lee left us at a time when our troubled world needed him most. Will there ever be another like him? Lift up your eyes to the Ever Living God. Worship him, the Father of Creation. Entrust Singapore’s future to the Sovereign Lord of heaven and earth, who is fully in control.”
“To God be the glory! Because of his guiding hand on Singapore through Mr Lee Kuan Yew, we are today an exceptional nation with a fantastic model of leadership renewal that the world is talking about.”
“During the Week of National Mourning, we realised more clearly than ever what a great nation-builder Singapore has lost in the person of Mr Lee Kuan Yew…Amazing grace! Have you taken your Founding Father for granted? Time to soften your heart. Acknowledge that God has blessed us with a great nation-builder we did not deserve.”
“To young leaders of tomorrow: Allow God to infuse within you a bright hope for the future. As we approach National Day 2015, ask God to endear your generation to Mr Lee Kuan Yew and his generation. Pray with your peers that there will be growing and compelling interest to study and emulate the life and legacy of Mr Lee: His unwavering convictions. His clear thinking. His righteous values. His stand for equal opportunity for all regardless of race or religion. His unapologetic belief in strong government. His sound polices. His high standard. His gift of imagination. His far-sighted vision. His geopolitical insights. His invaluable contribution throughout six decades in public office. Ask God for an anointing to investigate the past and innovate for the future.”
“Singapore has been blessed with great nation-builders like Nehemiah. Leaders of conscience and compassion. Leaders who set righteous standards. Leaders who lead by example. This generation and future generations could never thank God enough for giving us Mr Lee Kuan Yew as our Founding Father and first Prime Minister…Singapore has been well-fathered. Pray that this generation and the next will continue fathering this nation in keeping with the selfless example of Mr Lee Kuan Yew.”
Editor note: Earlier it was mentioned that Jubilee Day of Prayer was organised by Love Singapore. That is not the case, as highlighted by one of the readers, the event was organized by the National Council of Churches of Singapore and Evangelical Fellowship of Singapore. Apologise for the error. – Terry
