Just Beginning

The sanctuary was filled with a markedly smaller crowd than on the previous occassions leading up to GE13. I had expected it anyway. Humans are notoriously fickle-minded and wishy-washy. From time memorial it's always been the case. Many of us, including myself, are very fast to turn to God earnestly only when we are caught in 'desperado' circumstances ie when we want something "really really bad "out of Him. It was that way with the Israelites when they were slaves under an Egyptian yoke thousands of years ago in the time of Moses. For 400+ years God had been quiet (which by the way shouldn't be taken to mean He doesn't know or care)  but they were very noisy. Bible tells us during that long period, they groaned in their slavery and cried out and their cry for help...went up to God, and God heard (Exodus 2:23-24). Yet after God delivered the entire 1/2 million of them with a mighty Hand parting the Red Sea for them to walk across, all they did was grumble and mumble for another 40 years going round and round in the desert, when it should have taken them no more than 11 days to zip across into the Promised Land flowing with milk and honey.

So it is in the aftermath of GE13. Throughout the time leading up to GE 13, the M'sian church had never prayed this hard before. But the passion seems to have waned somewhat after the event, for whatever reason.  I venture in the wee hours of 6th May 2013 as the results of the election trickled over the TV screens, there must have been a fair bit of grumbles and mumbles zinging up from earth to heaven, ranging from disappointment  (how can, God?) , incredulity (You must be joking, God?), confusion (how come, God?) to anger (what are You doing, God?). No doubt too, many would have been busy blaming the devil at the other end of the pendulum (that's a definite favorite when we don't wanna 'blame' God). Who knows, some may even have given up on God and turned away, becoz He didn't answer 'our' prayers 'our' way (that happens a lot of times when we don't wanna dig deeper to understand what He's really doing).

Whatever. GE 13 is over. There was no change  in Putrajaya, no victory parades of a new government. Instead seemingly  even more division despite the politically correct announcement of national reconciliation. More rallies. More muttering. And it looks like less prayer ? - I hope I am wrong on this one, for as one pastor put it at the combined church prayer meeting that resumed 2 weeks thereafter, this is the time when even more prayer is needed. He sounded an alarm bell - We think we have prayed hard before the election? Hardly, that was just the beginning; he astutely noted. Indeed as far as God is concerned, that was just a 'practice-run'. The battle has just begun. And it's not about thousands upon thousands gathering in fields or stadiums dressed in black; though joining in such events is entirely up to the individual. But as Christians, we should know that's not where the real battle is fought nor won. Another pastor very aptly concluded with this reminder that whilst "some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God" (Psalm 20:7). It's not about political parties or people power. The battle is always won on our knees, calling onto God Almighty Himself and aligning our will and our plans to His (not the other way round).

I have to confess there have been (many) times  I questioned why I bother to pray, since God does things His own way anyway. Quite apart from the 1001 theologically correct answers why I should, what grabs my heart is simply the fact that it is by prayer, God wants me to 'get it' - to 'partner' Him to do His (not my own idea of) good and perfect things in the world I live in. Sure He can do anything; He doesn't 'need' me to pray, and it's not as if He's a sadist, waiting for me to beg Him for this, that or other . But by prayer, He invites me into His throne-room of grace where He shows me His heart.... to bring true reconciliation ie heal, restore and save relationships broken between man and man, and man and God. By prayer, through Him, I make a difference in  the particular place that He has put me - in my family, work, city, country and the world. He could do it without me of coz, but it seems He would rather do it with me. As for me, I simply can't do it without Him; I can't even save myself, what more save others! That's so humbling yet so awesome an experience, no wonder it has been said "prayer is a most precious privilege, one of the richest blessings conferred on man", for "the greatest thing anyone can do for God and man is pray; it is not the only thing; but it is the chief thing." Imagine, God doesn't require me to do great things like work miracles (that's His job); He just requires me to pray. Something everyone can do, from king to beggar; doesn't matter if one doesn't have money, degrees, skill, status, even language for that matter. All it takes is a willing heart to spend time talking with (not to) Him.

And I guess that's where many of us (I am included) 'mis-pray'. Isn't it strange how we pray "Lord, Thy will be done...in M'sia" and then we pout and sulk when He does it. Personally at the risk of being castigated, I am glad things turned out the way they did. Who knows,  perhaps we would have stopped praying altogether if God had granted the change many of us were demanding (oops, I mean, praying) for. Like the Israelites who, despite Moses' repeated reminders and warnings, promptly 'forgot' God after they finally entered the Promised Land.  As it is, if attendance is the gauge of "prayer-fever", it's tragic if the 'temperature' drops now. As much as we may be dissatisfied with what didn't happen in GE13, surely as pastor reminded us, we should be thankful for what did happen - peace that prevails to this day despite all attempts to instigate chaos, a new awakening of the truly "Malaysian" spirit which cuts across race, age, gender and religious differences drawing all into a common 'ownership' of this land , and an eye-opening perception of God's sovereignity in the unfathomable, unexpected ways that He chooses to work in our midst. Isn't that what change is all about, and isn't that what we prayed for? So who says God didn't answer our prayers?

Things always look different in the dark of nite and in the light of a new dawn. Again at the risk of going against the tide, after much personal rumination over GE 13,  I dare say we are not ready, at least not yet,  for Putrajaya to change hands, no matter how much we may wish it were so. Besides it seems to me we are in danger of losing sight of the forest for the trees; surely it's not only or all about Putrajaya. Perhaps we have forgotten God's intention is bigger than a change of government; His heart is for souls, not politics. The priority of the saints of God is as Billy Graham says, "To get nations back on their feet, we must first get down on our knees."

Let's not be distracted, but by faith, having confidence in what we hope for and assurance in what we cannot see (Hebrews 11:1), let's pray ....again, some more....

"I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people,  for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth" - 1 Timothy 2:1-4