MPF I - Fire from Inside Out II

Pastor Daniel Ho, 11/09/2010
This is the second part of a two-part sermon in the Making Prayer Foundational (MPF) Series.
Dear reader, may the peace of God be with you.
Pastor Daniel reminded we are living in the most exciting and strategic times here in Malaysia. There are so many challenges that threatens to tear the nation apart. Malaysia is a great country. We want to believe as people of God that Malaysia can be a great nation. Faced with all these challenges, we have all the more reason to stay on. Unless we are called to leave, we should stay. When there is nothing worth dying for, there is nothing worth living for. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is worth dying for. It is so important for us to recognize the call of God to the churches in Malaysia to be watchmen.

Isa 62:6-7  On your walls, O Jerusalem, I have set watchmen; all the day and all the night they shall never be silent. You who put the LORD in remembrance, take no rest,  (7)  and give him no rest until he establishes Jerusalem and makes it a praise in the earth.
Mar 11:22-25  And Jesus answered them, "Have faith in God.  (23)  Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be taken up and thrown into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him.  (24)  Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.  (25)  And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses."

The call of the church

To be watchmen of the city and nation(s) – as intercessors (Is 62:6,7)

• we will not be silent – vocal
• day and night – never ceasing
• give ourselves no rest – press on
• give him no rest – urgent – like John Knott prayed for God to give him Scotland or let him die

Isa 66:8  Who has heard such a thing? Who has seen such things? Shall a land be born in one day? Shall a nation be brought forth in one moment? For as soon as Zion was in labor she brought forth her children.
A nation can be born in one day! It required divine intervention.
We are living in urgent days and urgent times. During a conference of senior pastors in Kota Kinabalu, a pastor from the Philippines passed away. We cannot take our life for granted.

1. Warning from God
2. Wakeup Call – that we are complacent
3. Warfare – the enemy is waging war
4. Watershed – God wants to shake us up

to pray for healing of the land

2Ch 7:14  if my people who are called by my name 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.
Land has been ravaged all over the world by corruption and bloodshed. This is an instruction given to the people of God, not to the political or economical leaders. So many forces are working to tear this nation apart, and the people of God in Malaysia are called to pray for the nation.
A tragedy struck Minnesota in the summer of 1876. Locusts destroyed the crops. On the following year, people fear the tragedy would repeat. On Apr 26, a banker led a prayer. The temperature in spring reached mid-summer high, suitable for the larvae to grow. A few days later, the temperature fell below freezing point killing all the larvae. That day has never been forgotten in the history of the state of Minnesota.

to pray prayers of faith

Heb 11:1,6  Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. …  (6)  And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.
There is a measure of faith that God is expecting in us.
The prayer of faith will make a difference.

to pray prophetically

Mar 11:22-23  And Jesus answered them, "Have faith in God.  (23)  Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be taken up and thrown into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him.
We are called to proclaim the Word of God and to bring down the plans of the enemy. We are to boldly speak prophetically for God.
Do something radical in our school and work place. God put us where we are to bring change and transformation. Love our parents.

To pray for revival

The hope of Malaysia is in the revival of the Church.
Psa 85:6  Will you not revive us again, that your people may rejoice in you?
Isa 64:1  Oh that you would rend the heavens and come down, that the mountains might quake at your presence--
These are the pleas of the people of God.
The 5 marks of revival

1. There will be a manifest presence of God. People will see God’s glory. People coming to church will encounter God. This will not be within the four walls but throughout the land.
2. Deep conviction & repentance of sin. Not just the people in the church but everyone else, pleading for forgiveness.
3. Miracles multiplied – people will rush for healings and miracles.
4. Kingdom of God greatly extended – people will come believe in Jesus.
5. Society impacted and transformed and they will never be the same again.

Evan Roberts, a young Welsh (26) got up and prayed from 0100 to 0500 every day during the spring of 1904. He also prayed for 100,000 souls to be saved. Evan Roberts came into a meeting to speak and it exploded like a spark ignited a tinderbox. It went on for 1.5 years and it impacted Wales and the surrounding areas.
People started to go to church. Alcoholism dropped. Many pubs went out of business. Crime decreased – people started returning things they stole. The police had less to do and they could go to church. Political rallies and football were postponed as people go to church. As much as 1/3 of students in universities gathered for prayers. The rough and rugged coal miners changed their ways – no longer swearing. The donkeys could no understand the newly polished languages of the coal miners.
On January 11th The Times noted that David Lloyd-George, who later became the British Prime Minister (1916 – 1922), said the Welsh revival gave hope "that at the next election Wales would declare with no uncertain sound against the corruption in high places which handed over the destiny of the people to the horrible brewing interest..." Lloyd-George even saw one of his political rallies taken over by the Welsh revival. He was impressed as a young girl prayed in the presence of 2,000 people. He said in one town the tavern sold only 9 cents worth of liquor drinks on Saturday night!
More on the Welsh Revival here.
Bill Bright, founder of Campus Crusade had the concept of “win the campus today and change the world tomorrow”
Let’s ask God for mercy and forgiveness for the times we thought there is little hope for our nations and the many times we thought badly about our nation. We cannot surrender our nation to the dogs. Don’t let it go down the drain. Ask God to purify our motives and boldness and commitment to do something fresh and new for our land.