Fasting and Prayer Service

Today we didn't have our usual Indonesian evening service. Instead, we had a combined service for fasting and prayer organized by the Presbyterian Church Victoria, Church and Nation Committee. The church was nearly full with approximately 500 people from various Presbyterian churches in Victoria. Several Christian Members of Parliament were in attendance, so were key officers in the Presbyterian Church Victoria.

Several messages were highlighted in the service. Among the most important ones were the need for the church of Jesus Christ to be awaken from a long sleep while the nation is going further and further away from God's revealed truth in the Scripture. The other point was the urgency and importance for the church of Jesus Christ to teach and nurture each individual Christian to have an all-embracing Christian worldview which helps them to acutely aware that there is no area in this life that does not belong to Christ.

These two points are crucial in my opinion to be entertained in the church's agenda at all times lest we become to preoccupied with the internal business of the church that does not contribute to the advancement of the kingdom of God. As important as it may be to exhort the believers to be steep in doctrinal and devotional matters, the church must not neglect the third matter that is the cultural reformation mandated by God.

The service was punctuated often with prayers for the nation, community, government at all levels, politicians, and the church. Of particular concerns were the Abortion Law that was recently passed in Victoria (see my previous post on Abortion Law) and the the Assisted Reproductive Treatment Bill (ART) that was going to be passed in the next few weeks by the Victorian State Government. The latter puts the rights of an adult and their wish to conceive using modern technology called Assisted Reproductive Treatment. Under the bill, eligibility for Assisted Reproductive Treatment is no longer based on medical infertility; singleness or homosexuality are considered valid reasons for this treatment. This practically means that single people, gay men, lesbian woman, heterosexual de facto couples can choose to have a child. On the other hand, a child may end up having two mothers or two fathers legally recognised. In fact, this technology allows a surviving partner to conceive a child from a deceased spouse.

Sitting at the very back (which is somewhat a luxury for me as I always sit in front in typical Sundays) reading passages like Exodus 20 and Romans 13 and praying for the above issues, I cannot help thinking the grave importance of the Christian politicians and their roles in shaping and influencing such society-changing policies. We should pray for them more often, that they may see with the eyes of their hearts the glory, justice, mercy, love, holiness, and majesty of God so clearly that their decisions and actions are completely bound by them.

I do hope that as people humbled themselves before the Lord in prayers, there is a continued sense of awe for God that we carry within which slowly but steadily transforms the way we see things, set priorities, make decisions, and take actions, for the sake of Christ.