Lord’s Day, Vol. 6 No. 24
Church Camp 2018
It was a time of rejoicing and prayer for the gathering of 61 campers for Blessed Hope Bible-Presbyterian Church’s 5thAnnual Family Bible Camp. This year’s campsite is the Amara Sanctuary Resort in Sentosa. The theme of our camp was “By Prayer and Supplication” (Philippians 4:6-7).
Philippians 4:6-7 (KJV) 6 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. 7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
OUTLINE
(1) Worry Not (Be careful for nothing…)
(2) Willing Whole-Hearted Prayer (but in everything…)
(3) Wherewithal of Prayer (by prayer and supplication…)
(4) Worship (with thanksgiving…)
(5) Words of Prayer (let your request be made known unto God…)
(6) Wonders of Prayer (And the peace of God which passes all understanding…)
(7) Well-being Through Prayer (shall keep your hearts and minds…)
(8) Wisdom of Prayer (…through Christ Jesus.)
Prayer is communion and fellowship with God. It is the highest form of human communication as it touches on the divine. It brings with it a transcendent value to meet our present and future needs. Its purpose encompasses all aspects of the believer’s life impacting his eternal well-being. The importance of prayer is as oxygen that supports the very life and continued well-being of the human body.
When a man meets with God, he is ushered into the supernatural, made possible, through Jesus Christ, who by His life and death and resurrection opened the way of access and communication with our heavenly Father. What a privilege!
The Efficacy of Prayer
Prayer brings a believer from a state of worry to a state of worship and culminates in a state of weal. The word “weal” means a sound, healthy or prosperous state; well-being. The word means to be strong, to avail, to prevail. It has a primary sense of strength, soundness, a state of well-being. This is the blessed spiritual state of the believer in touch with God through prayer.
The restfulness that comes with a heart connected with the Giver and Sustainer and “Prosperer” of life is immense. It is described as a peace beyond comprehension, a settled heart, established upon the truth of who God is and His care for our eternal good and well-being. This is the power of prayer in the believer’s life. And we would take time in this camp to move from a state of worry to a state of weal. The secret is in worship according to His Word by the enabling of the Holy Spirit.
Prayer, it is testified by the Apostle Paul, has the power to help the believer through the anxieties of life. It has such potency to allay our fears and worries that it is to be the primary and sole recourse for the believer through the vicissitudes of life. What is the season of life for you right now? You will find that prayer is effectual to meet your needs. It is the impetus for action and life that is in accordance with the will of God. A cautious, calming, correct way to build the Christian life. This is the counsel of a prisoner in Rome, for the Apostle Paul said these words in the midst of incarceration. He was in chains yet he was able to allay the fears of the church in Philippi to trust God and continue to seek Him for He is still on the throne. He is very much concerned for His suffering saints. Prayer enabled the Apostle Paul to overcome the hardship of prison life so that the will of God may be fulfilled that the gospel was carried to the very heart of the Rome empire bringing honour and glory to God in the Name of Jesus Christ.
Our campsite was just beside the place of the Trump-Kim Summit on 12 June 2018. As such, we are jolted to pray for kings and rulers – 1 Timothy 2:1-2 (KJV) 1 I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; 2 For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.
Andrew Murray said well, “This text is an example of real faith in the power of prayer. A few weak and despised Christians are to influence the mighty Roman emperors and help secure peace and quietness. Prayer is power that is honoured by God in His rule for the world. Let us pray for our country and its rulers, for all rulers of the world, for rulers in cities and districts in which we are interested. When God’s people unite, they can count upon prayer affecting the unseen world more than they know.” Thank God for the safety granted to all campers. Amen.
Yours lovingly,
Pastor Lek Aik Wee