The Difference Our Prayers Can Make

Do you believe that your prayers make all the difference?
A difference to your lives, your families, your church, your community, your nation, your world?

Will you take prayers differently if your prayers will make a definite difference for your son’s future, for your own marriage and for your career?

Let's look into the Bible to see what difference prayers made for God's people.

PRAYERS CAN MAKE THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN LIFE AND DEATH!

Num 16:41 – 48 there was a National Rebellion
The day after God opened up the earth to swallow up Korah, Dathan & Abiram and all who were in rebellion and had challenged Moses’ and Aaron’s leadership, V41 instead of falling to their knees in repentance and asking for God’s mercy, the Israelites came out against Moses and Aaron accusing them of killing the people of God
V42-45 The glory of the Lord appeared and the judgement of the Lord began to consume the Israelites.
V 45 For the second time in 2 days, Moses and Aaron fell on their faces and prayed.
V46 When the wrath of God went out, Aaron followed Moses’ instructions to take a censer and put fire from the altar and incense on it and took it quickly to the congregation to make atonement for them. Aaron stood between the living and the dead and the plague stopped. The incense (prayers of the saints) made the difference.

Do you see sinful people perishing without God?

Do you see innocent people dying in crisis and disasters?

Pray for mercy! Pray for forgiveness! Pray against death and ask for life!

Our prayers can make the difference!

The story of Jaeson Ma is indeed one that prayers made the difference between life and death.

His mother when pregnant with him, checked herself into a hospital to abort him. A Christian friend passed by and saw her. She stopped to talk with her and then told her that the baby is God's gift. She got up and left the hospital.

Pray against abortion. Ask God to stop mothers from aborting their babies!

PRAYERS CAN MAKE THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PUNISHMENT AND PARDON!

Num 14 Refusal to enter Canaan.

The Israelites had a serious problem of unbelief and disobedience. God told them to enter the promised land but they didn’t believe they were able to. As a result they murmured and complained and sought for a leader to bring them back to Egypt. v1-4 God wanted to destroy them for their sin but Moses asked God to forgive them.
v 19-20 And now, LORD, according to the greatness of your unchanging love, forgive, I pray, the sin of these people, just as you have forgiven them ever since they left Egypt."
The LORD answered, "I will forgive them, as you have asked.

Again Jaeson Ma's story was an amazing testimony of how God turn his due punishment for his crimes into pardon. He was a thief and stole many things. After being convicted by the Lord he turned himself in to the Police. However in court after 3 sittings, the judge declared him totally free. He experienced God's grace first hand!

PRAYERS CAN MAKE THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN DEFEAT AND VICTORY!

Exod 17:11-13 – Battle with the Amalekites
The victory that Joshua and the army of Israel had over the Amalekites was as a result of Moses’ prayer. Joshua wouldn’t have succeeded without Moses lifting his hands before God with the support of Aaron and Hur on the mountains.

If Moses didn't pray Joshua and his men would have been defeated.

Parents and grandparents, your prayers will bring victories to you children and grandchildren! Pray and keep on praying. Pray alone and pray together! We all need prayer partners like Moses.

Leaders in churches, you need to pray for your children and youth. Pray for victory for them.

Victory over temptations, over worldliness, over their flesh etc.

PRAYERS CAN MAKE THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN BONDAGE AND FREEDOM!

Acts 16: 25-26 – Paul and Silas imprisoned in Philippi
Paul and Silas prayed and sang to God. A great earthquake took place and the prison doors were opened, chains were loosened. Not only they were loosed physically, the prisoners heard the gospel and were saved. They were loosed from the chains of sin and darkness.

Pray for people who are bound to all kinds of addictions to be set free.

Break the chains of addictions to drugs, to sex, to computer games, to pornography, to alcohol, to money, to gambling, to violence etc.

You will see then go free!

INDEED OUR PRAYERS CAN MAKE THE DIFFERENCE, therefore….
…..Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving (Col 4:2 NKJV)

Will you answer God’s call to STAND IN THE GAP to pray, pray and pray. Think of someone who is hanging in the balance between life and death….defeat and victory....bondage and freedom…. and pray for them today.

Be serious and watchful in your prayers

On 31st August 2010, the Malaysia National Independant's Day, some 250 Christians from different Churches in Ampang gathered together at Revival Centre for a time of worship and prayer for Ampang and Malaysia! There was great fervency, faith and unity in the prayers offered up to THE LORD GOD ALMIGHTY! And we believe our prayers have made a difference and will make a difference!

Before entering into prayer we looked at a verse in 1 Peter to encourage and empower us all to pray.

1 Pet 4:7 But the end of all things is at hand;
therefore be serious and watchful in your prayers.

• The end of all things is at hand

Look at the current news and you will agree that the world and our nation is in crisis. But God is in control at such a time as these! HE is the ONE shaking the heavens and the earth. We need to pray like never before at such times. We need God’s help, presence, peace, power…. We need HIM! And He wants to come to us and dwell with us!

• Therefore be serious and watchful in your prayers

These are times when God wants us to look up to Him, to trust in Him, to draw resources from Him and to be guided by Him. He will lead us through victoriously! And He is working His salvation plans on the earth! We must not panic and get frantic. We must not try to make things work without realising that He is at work! We need to pray to be in tune with Him. More than at any other time we need to be alert to pray seriously.

3 things to know as we seriously pray with alertness

• Prayer is our priviledge

Our prayers are different from the prayers of unbelievers. We pray to God as His children. Our "prayer line" is purchased for us with the blood of Jesus, the Son of God. We don't need to wait outside the "gates", we can come right into the "study room" of our Father and talk to Him and ask Him. Ask and you will receive is His promise to us. Don't live life at this critical time without His presence and resources. We will NOT have if we don't ask. We don't have to live a "hard" life if we take hold of our priviledge to pray to HIM! Don't be too busy not to pray. Don’t be deceived not to pray. Don't let the devil rob you of your priviledge to pray. You can have great blessings and victories in life because you choose to pray. You can pray anywhere, anytime and HE WILL ANSWER YOU FOR YOU ARE HIS CHILD!

• Prayer is powerful

When man works man works, when man prays God works!

That's how powerful our payer is. We see in the Bible that Prayer can stop rain for 3 years. Prayer can bring rain after 3 years. Pray can still storms. Prayer can open locked prison doors. Prayer can bring down high seemly insurmountable walls. Prayer can defeat gaint enemies. Prayer can even stop bullets and break chains. Prayer can heal a family, transforms a city and change a nation... BECAUSE OUR PRAYER RELEASES THE POWER OF THE ALMIGHTY GOD!

• Prayer needs patience and persistence

This is the 10th year of our national 40 days of Prayer and Fasting for the nation. We have been patiently praying for God to transform our nation. There are increasing prayers going up to God. The prayer movement is gathering speed. We need to persist on, that through faith and patience we may inherit the promise. The Israelites were in slavery in Egypt for 400 years before deliverance came. They were in captivity in Babylon for 70 years before they could return to Jerusalem. Daniel fasted and prayed for 21 days before the breakthrough came. Elijah prayed 7 times before the rain came. We must not give up. We must pray and we must continue to pray. We must not give up half way or even 90% of the way. We must pray through to the end .... till we see something of God happening! And things are already happening!

A few years back Ps Ann receive this for AMPANG

A ll
M ust
P ray
A nd
N ot
G ive up

AMPANG - LET US PRAY AND CONTINUE TO ....

P ray

U util

S omething

H appens

MALAYSIA ---- MERDEKA! MERDEKA! MERDEKA! MERDEKA! MERDEKA! MERDEKA! MERDEKA!

We must continue to love

When I read the newspapers there is a sick feeling in my heart. The kinds of crimes that are happening is horrendous. Yesterday a kindergarten teacher was stabbed to death. The news reported that she fought cancer for 2 years and won but now she fought the snatch thief and was killed. "Lord have mercy! Lord we cry to You for justice! Lord cleanse our land from wickedness!"

What does the Lord have us do at such times?
He still wants us to love like He loved.
In the days of Jesus there were all kinds of crimes too.
Jesus left the comforts, beauty and glory of heaven and came to a messy, ugly, dark and sinful earth to love sinners like you and me, to love those who eventually nailed Him to a cross.

Without what He did for us on the cross we will all be condemned to an eternal hell.

Without what the early missionaries to Malaysia did for us, without what our dedicated Christian predecessors did for us, we will all still be lost and in darkness.

Let us continue to love with His love.
We can't do it without His love in our hearts.
But praise the Lord, He has poured His love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit. Rom 5:5.

Let us continue to love because if we don't we will die!
Yes it is that serious. We will die, spiritually first and then our relationships will die and then we will end up in hell!

That's what GOD said. Read the verse below and allow the Holy Spirit to convict us!

We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love his brother abides in death. (1Jn 3:14 NKJV)

Ampang Pastors Prayer Drive

On Thursday 19th Aug 2010, 7 pastors, representing 7 churches in Ampang went on a prayer drive. We started from Bandar Baru Ampang and went through major parts of Ampang praying for the Lord to fill Ampang with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea. It was a God ordained and God appointed time during the national 40 days prayer and fasting for Malaysia! Great things are taking place!!!

· For the earth (AMPANG) will be filled With the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, As the waters cover the sea. (Hab 2:14 NKJV)
· For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. (2Co 4:6 NKJV)
· Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men,
for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence.
For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior,
who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. (1Ti 2:1-4 NKJV)

Prayer Targets
All residents in Ampang
Churches - all Christians
Schools - All young people
Old folks homes, Orphanages - the poor and needy
Hospitals - the sick
Police stations - those in authority
MPAJ - those in authority
Places of worship - for people of all religion
Places of business - for righteousness and God's blessings
Places of sins and unrighteousness businesses - for light to dispel all the darkness

Prayer Points
WE PRAYED God’s Kingdom come, God’s will be done
We asked the Lord for cleansing of the land from wickedness, unrighteousness, deception, idolatry, violence, lusts, greed…
We prayed against the “monsters” in Ampang and cast them out! We prayed for the works of the enemy to decline, to be cursed and to die away.
We prayed for conviction of sin that will bring repentance by the power of the Holy Spirit
We pray for Chrsitians in all CHURCHES TO ARISE AND SHINE, to pray , to love God and to love our neighbours. We prayed for all churches to grow exceedingly.

The route
Bandar Baru Ampang
Kosas
Bukit Indah – We prayed for School CF to be established, Prayed for Christian teachers to stand strong for the Lord and fulfill God's purposes. Prayed for Christian students to love God and to shine for Him.
Ampang Jaya
Ampang point
One Avenue
Ampang Police station
Pandan Indah – Mosques - We prayed for all our neighbours to be flooded with light, truth and love
MPAJ - We prayed for righteousness to prevail
Ampang New Village - We prayed against idols and idolatry. We declared the LORDSHIP OF JESUS THE KING OF KINGS
Bandar Baru Ampang

We thank the Lord that the incense of the prayers of the saints has risen to His throne.

Now we just give thanks and continue to pray and to look expectantly for the Lord to .. Do EXCEEDINGLY ABUNDANTLY BEYOND what we could ask or imagine! Ep 3:20

Halelujah! TO THE LORD JESUS CHRIST BE ALL THE GLORY!!

The Identity and Purpose for My Life in HIM

As I was praying and fasting the Lord led me to consider this most important thing:-
The Identity and Purpose for My Life in HIM.

Just looking at some scriptures in the Old testament helped me tremendously.
I would like to share them with you and also for my own prayers and declaration.

1. I am created by GOD in HIS image and according to HIS Likeness. Gen 1
2. I am blessed by GOD and given His authority, His life and His wisdom to rule, to subdue and to have dominion on earth. Gen 1
3. The LORD is mindful of me, He gives attention to me and cares for me. Ps 8
4. The LORD has crowned me with glory and honour. Ps 8
5. The LORD has made me to have dominion over the works of His hand. He has put all things under my feet. Ps 8
6. The Lord will bless me and make my name great and I will be a blessing. Gen 12
7. The Lord is my shield and my exceedingly great reward. Gen 15
8. The Lord is with me and makes all I do to prosper in my hand and I am a successful man. Gen 37
9. The LORD will certainly be with me. Ex 3:12
10. The Lord will magnify me in the sight of His people so that they will know that HE is with me. Jos 3:7
11. I will keep growing in the Lord and HE is with me and will let none of my words fall to the ground. 1 Sam 3:19-21
12. The Lord reveals Himself to me by the word of the Lord. 1 Sam 3:21
13. The Lord is with me and I behave wisely in all my ways and my name is highly esteemed. 1 Sam 18:14
14. I am raised up on high by the Lord, I am anointed of the Lord and I am a sweet psalmist of the Lord. 2 Sam 23:1
15. I walk before YOU Lord in truth, in righteousness and in uprightness of heart. 1 Kings 3:6
16. The Lord has given me a wise and understanding heart. He has also given me both riches and honour. 1 Kings 3:12-13

AMEN AND AMEN!!

Going to the nations

In the 1st year of HGC, 1994, the Lord showed us at a prayer meeting a vision of a world map with arrows shooting out from Malaysia and He said, "My people in Malaysia (and from this church) will go out into the nations and be a blessing"

Since then we have been going out into the nations. I would like to record here the trips that I have personally taken with the church since then.

Looking back these trips have transformed my life and the life of the church.

Only eternity will tell the kind the impact and fruits these trips have borne. To HIM alone be all THE GLORY

Philippines - Manila, Pangasinan and Bicol - Ps Ramon Augustin & Sister Cora

1st 1996 - Crusade in Botong and church was planted

2nd 1998

3rd 2000

4th 2002 Planted church in Pasima from Botong with leaders who became Christians in 1996

5th 2004

6th 2005

9th 2008

Philippines - Digos, Davao, Mindanao - Ps Ally Flores & Marlene

1st 1997 - Francis Lee, Bro Eng Bee, Chin Nee and I

2nd 1998 - this was the trip that I had the vision that sparked our daily morning prayer in HGC - Roger and I

3rd 2000 - Timothy Lew and I

4th 2002 - Bro Jimi Yong, Karen and I

5th 2005 - Bro Khoo and I

6th 2010 - Jimmy Yong, Chin Nee and I, ministered with Rodney Moore & Kathy & Jerry and Linda from Texas - JIL 25th Anniversary - Celebrating the favor of God

China

1st trip 2003 to Lugu Lake with Bro Tham Seng

2nd trip 2005 to Fujian with my family - preached in my grandmother and father's church which was 100 years old.

3rd trip 2006 to Fujian - took the elderly sisters of HGC to Fujian for ministry plus holiday. We went to the same church and it's already rebuilt (5 stories high) as the old one was dilapidated.

Europe - Switzerland

1st trip 1998 - quite an amazing 1st trip to Europe. The most beautiful thing was to meet the beautiful swiss relatives of sister Ruth.

2nd 2002

3rd 2006

4th 2010 - To visit Ps Daniel and family who has return for God's ministry. In this trip we saw God's amazing work amongst the people we know.

Myanmar

1st trip - with Ps TT Quah

2nd Trip - with Ps Raymond Mooi

Indonesia

1st trip - with Ps Shin in Dumai

2nd trip with Ps Shin in Bagan Siapiapi

India - Hyderabad - Sister Lata & Ps Abraham Lincoln

1st trip 2007 - to Narsampet

2nd trip 2008 - to Ongole

Cambodia

1st trip - mission

Other trips - holiday with my brother Woh Hock and family who lives there now

Australia

2008 - Brisbane - Ps Dr Sim

2006 - Brisbane - Ps Dr Sim - managed to attend Hillsong Conference and stayed with my Pastor Allan Webb and Val

A trip to Melboure with Ps TT Quah for holiday with some ministry. I was blessed to preach in the church I was baptised in in 1979 -the Swanston Street Church of Christ.

I studied in Melbourne from 1977 till 1983 and completed B Arch.

The Lord spoke to me in one of the trips that to take a yearly 7 days missions trip would be like keeping a modern day feast of the Tabernacles. In 7 days you keep your eyes on the Lord and on the harvests. And your realise that you are a pilgrim on earth.

For those who have not been on a foreign mission trip may I encourage you to make it one of your main goals to go. To India or Philippines or Bangladesh and our latest focus to Sarawak.

GO THEREFORE AND PREACH THE GOSPEL TO ALL THE NATIONS!

Increasing the Substance of Prayer

Rev 8:1-5
Rev 5:8 NKJV ….each having a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.
(Rev 8:4 NKJV) And the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, ascended before God from the angel's hand.
(Rev 8:5 NKJV) Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and threw it to the earth. And there were noises, thunderings, lightnings, and an earthquake.

11 years ago I was in Philippines for a mission trip.

When the ministries ended I was told the church have a morning prayer.

So I went the next day at 5am.

That morning, I had an encounter with the Lord that changed my life.

During the time of worship the presence of God was very tanglible and strong.

The pastor and his wife prayed for me and saw consecutive visions.

He first saw a fountain releasing much clear water.

Then he saw many luscious and fruitful plants and trees but all of it was covered by crystal clear water. And the 2 pictures pieced together.

The water that covers everything that was blooming was released from the fountain.

The interpretation was that the prayers that flows from our hearts are the fountain of water that is being released. And the water of prayers would cover everything and cause abundant life and fruitfulness to spring up.

I came back with a vision and commitment to pray for Ampang and our nation and to see the water of His glory and presence cover Ampang, causing His fruitfulness to thrive.

There is substance in our prayers. When we pray the water of His glory is released. When we pray incense rises to God.

And in the Book of Revelation we see that the prayers of the saints are like incense that rises to the throne of God. Apparently they are collected in bowls and then used to be poured out on earth to accomplish God’s will.

The way rain comes about is similar. The heat of the sun causes water vapour to rise to the sky. The vapour forms clouds and the clouds collected condenses and then comes down as rain. The rain would water the ground and bring fruitfulness to the crops.

Our prayers in the name of Jesus according to God's will have substance. They are never empty words. We need to know this and release faith when we pray. We are not to take our prayers lightly. They have the power to bring tremendous transformation to individuals, families, communities and even nations.

There is a very important aspect of prayer that is often neglected, and that is we need to pray with persistence, patience and endurance and never give up!
· Elijah prayed 7 times before the rain came. 1 Kings 18:41-46
· Daniel prayed for 21 days before the breakthrough came. Daniel 10: 2-3, 10-14
· Jesus prayed 3 times at garden of Gethsemane before He could face the cross Matt 26:36-46

The key verse for Malaysia National Prayer & Fasting is
if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land. (2Ch 7:14 NKJV)

Our prayers can bring healing to our land.

Instead of our well deserved judgment because of our sins, we can see God's mercy and grace poured out in our land. And revival and salvation can flood our beloved nation.

May I plead with you to make a determined decision that you will pray more during these times of great trials. Look at the disasters that are happening everyday in the global scene. We need to pray like never before because we really need His grace and mercy.

But the end of all things is at hand; therefore be serious and watchful in your prayers. (1Pe 4:7 NKJV)
Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man."
(Luk 21:36 NKJV)
Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving;
(Col 4:2 NKJV)

Therefore let us pray.

Dutch Sheets says,
We must release it. Release the river! Release the power! Release it and release it and release it and release it some more! Again and again and again!
We need committed, determined, systematic prayer not once in a while fireworks!

Make a commitment that you would cause prayers to rise to God like incense. See a vision of your prayer bowl being filled up. Commit to pray more by yourself; with your family; with Christian brethren; in church prayer meetings!

May His Kingdom come! May His will be done!