By Natalie Yap
As we celebrate Malaysia’s 66th year of independence, we want to uphold Malaysia and her people in prayer. We invite you to join us in proclaiming God’s Word and these six prayers over our nation. Let us affirm together the sovereignty and goodness of God in our land!
1. Hearts of repentance
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. (2 Chronicles 7:14)
“God, we know that there are so many things in our nation that displeases You and saddens Your heart. We have turned from Your ways and have disobeyed Your word. We idolise money, significance and comfort. We are greedy for more, frequently dissatisfied and eager to put ourselves first.
As a nation, God, we ask forgiveness for the times we look down on the less fortunate, fail to show integrity and have been apathetic towards the state of Malaysia. We humble ourselves and come before You, asking You to hear from heaven and grant us Your mercy. Forgive our sins and heal our land from her brokenness, prejudice and immorality. We thank You for the forgiveness Malaysia can find through the blood of Your son, Jesus Christ.”
2. Our leaders and those in authority
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 Timothy 2:1-2)
“You have instructed us, God, through Your Word to pray for everyone, but especially for those who are in authority. We come before Your throne of grace and surrender to You the government and political leaders in Malaysia:
- The Yang di-pertuan Agung, our King
- The Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim
- The Sultan and Yang di-pertua Negeri of our states
- The Ministers and Members of the Cabinet
- The State Assemblymen
- The Judiciary and Law Enforcers
We pray that they will lead the nation in a just manner, with a heart for the people that they serve. Grant them wisdom and discernment to steer the country forward in a way that honours You. As those in authority lead purposefully, we ask for peace to continue to be present in the homes and streets of Malaysia.”
3. A righteous people
Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people. (Proverbs 14:34)
“Lord, we pray for our leaders to remain righteous and upright. Help them to make decisions with integrity and to be honest in their dealings with other parties. May they lead Malaysia with fairness and morality. At the same time, we also pray for the nation herself to show trustworthiness in their workplaces and with each other. May the fear of God come upon the Malaysians that we would be afraid of the consequences of sin.
As we strive to be righteous and blameless, may we also rely heavily on Your grace that compels us to walk pleasing before You. We are grateful that because of Jesus, it is possible to be a righteous nation in Your eyes.”
4. Unity among Malaysians
Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity. (Psalms 133:1)
“You say, Lord, that it is good when people are able to live together in unity. Because of this, we then know that you are grieved when there is division among us as a nation. Help us, O God, to uproot the bitterness that is in our hearts – the discrimination, racial prejudice and general discord that is among us. Guard our hearts and let us be wary of the evil intentions of others that work to divide us for their benefit.
Guide us to be a people with mutual respect for one another. We pray for a love for one another that goes beyond ethnicity, income tiers and language barriers. Unite our hearts for the common good of Malaysia. We want to be a people that have a shared hope for the future of Malaysia.”
5. Comfort for those in need
Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob….. who executes justice for the oppressed, who gives food to the hungry. The Lord sets the prisoners free; the Lord opens the eyes of the blind. The Lord lifts up those who are bowed down…. (Psalms 146:5-8)
“We look around us, Lord, and we see so many people with needs in Malaysia. Poverty levels are rising, people are struggling even more to put food on the table, women and children are taken advantage of and cyberbullying is becoming more rampant. There are many who feel that they cannot cope with life and equally as many that suffer at the hands of others.
We cry out to You for deliverance and justice. We are comforted by Your Word that says You execute justice for the oppressed and give food to the hungry. We thank You that You are our Refuge and Provider. May we be Your hands and feet to meet the needs of the people of Malaysia. Give us a heart of compassion for those less fortunate around us.”
6. The Gospel to all nations
And they sang a new song, saying, “Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation.” (Revelations 5:9)
“Lord, we thank you for the diversity in Malaysia – for the different cultures and languages. We praise You that in Your Word it says that Your salvation is for every tribe and tongue and we are thankful that all of Malaysia is included in it! Although we do not deserve it, You have given mercy to all Malaysians and saved us from eternal damnation through Jesus Christ.
Convict our hearts to share Your goodness to our fellow Malaysians. Open opportunities and conversations to share the Gospel wherever we are. As we obey Your Word to advance the Gospel of Jesus Christ in this land, we also pray for Your presence as we proclaim Your Word boldly. May the work of the Holy Spirit soften the hearts of Malaysians to receive Your truth.”
