First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. (1 Tim 2:1-2).
Most people make plans to celebrate their birthdays every year with family and loved ones. How then do you celebrate Singapore’s birthday? Many families put up the national flags. We watched the National Day Parade, say our pledge and sing the National Anthem. These are some ways we express our patriotism and our love for our country.
What else can we do? The Bible says that we should pray for our country and our leaders for they are appointed by God. Many of you will probably remember the National Day Rally last year when our Prime Minister Mr. Lee Hsien Loong had a fainting spell halfway through his speech. That was scary and it served to remind us that our leaders are humans not robots. They need God’s help to run the country so that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. We have come a long way in nation building and Singapore is what it is today because God has blessed us with good leaders.
Let us not take for granted God’s many blessings upon this tiny red dot like good governance; outstanding leaders; robust economy; excellent education; quality healthcare; racial harmony; religious freedom; good sanitation; clean drinking water etc. As a believer, I’m especially grateful for religious freedom in our country. May God forgive us for taking this for granted.
- Sharing our faith is a Fundamental Liberty protected by the Supreme Law of the Land. Article 15 of our Constitution says that every person has the right to profess and practice his religion and to propagate it. Let us use this freedom to make Christ known. What is holding you back? What are you afraid of?
- Some Christians were misled to think that it is illegal to witness to people of other faiths. Not so. The Maintenance of Religious Harmony Act Article 8 coaches us to witness in wise and winsome ways, without causing feelings of enmity, hatred, ill-will or hostility between different religious groups.
As people who have experienced God’s grace, let us boldly declare the good news of the Gospel to the lost around us, because the lost matters to God!!
Father, we place our nation in Your mighty hand because we trust you. We want to see Your glory and power in Singapore. We fix our eyes on you. We entrust our future to you. Lead and guide Singapore forward.
For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek, Rom 1: 16.
Sister Teo Soke Fung
