Prayer Alert (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)

NECF Monthly Prayer Bulletin - October 2011

NECF Monthly Prayer Bulletin - October 2011

1. MV Logos Hope

THE MV Logos Hope is the newest ship of Operation Mobilisation (OM) and will visit Port Klang from 29 Sept to 23 Oct 2011. This is the vessel's first call in Malaysia. Logos Hope replaces the MV Doulos which last visited Port Klang in 2006. Known as the world's largest floating book fair, the ship carries over 5,000 titles on a wide range of subjects for sale at discounted prices. Through this, the ship has met the educational needs of communities around the world. The book fair opens daily for the general public. Logos Hope is also here to bless the community through conferences and seminars on board, through ministry teams sent on outreach, and through a two-week volunteer programme for Malaysians to experience work and service on the ship. Logos Hope has visited Penang (30 Aug - 26 Sept) and will visit other Malaysian ports including Kuching (28 Oct - 14 Nov) & Kota Kinabalu (18 Nov - 4 Dec).

  • Pray for good response from the public as well as Christians to visit the ship. MV Logos recorded 133,477 visitors in Penang
  • Pray that God will use MV Logos Hope and her crew to leave a positive impact during their visit here in Malaysia
  • Pray for a long term Chief Engineer for MV Logos
  • Pray for sufficient funds from donors to replace the current two old generators with new ones. In the mean time, pray for their engineers on board that they will succeed in repairing Generator 3 on time as a temporary solution before their journey to Kuching

 

2. October: Pastor’s Appreciation Month

Pastor's Appreciation Month is a special time that congregations set aside each year to honour their pastors and pastoral families for the hard work, sacrificial dedication and multiple blessings provided by these special people. It is typically scheduled in October, but can be held at any time that is convenient for the church and the community. It is also important to remember that appreciation, affirmation and prayer support of our spiritual leaders is appropriate throughout the entire year. Why is Pastors Appreciation Month necessary? Firstly, Pastors are humans too, with needs for encouragement and affirmation. Pastors and their families live under incredible pressures. Their lives are played out in a fishbowl, with the entire congregation and community watching their every move. They are expected to have ideal families, to be perfect people, to always be available, to never be down and to have all the answers we need to keep our own lives stable and moving forward. These are unrealistic expectations placed on them, yet most of us are disappointed when a pastor becomes overwhelmed, seems depressed, lets us down or completely burns out. Secondly, the nature of the service provided by pastors and their families is unique. God has entrusted to them one of the most precious assignment - the spiritual well-being of His flock. When a pastor becomes ineffective, the very souls of his or her flock are endangered. When eternity is in the balance, we should all be concerned.

  • Pray for our local Churches and congregation to know how to appreciate their Pastors and family
  • Pray for our local Churches and congregation to express their appreciation to their Pastors and family in practical and helpful ways
  • Pray for our Pastors and their family to be free from any sense of insecurity as a result of the nature of their work
  • Pray for our Pastors and their family to be anointed afresh as they continue to serve their congregation faithfully

 

3. Budget 2012

During a speech in Kampar on 24th September, Datuk Seri Najib Razak promised "surprises" for Malaysians in Budget 2012, saying it will focus on tackling the surge in living costs and strengthen the local economy. The budget for 2012 is due to be tabled in parliament on October the 7th. He gave assurance that the government was taking steps to ensure the local economy remained resilient despite the global economic meltdown. Among others, he is considering a hefty bonus or a pay increase for all 1.3 million civil servants in Budget 2012 in what is seen as an attempt to counter rising costs while keeping their support ahead of the next general election. He also plans to further liberalize the service and financial sectors as seen in 2009 which saw the removal of the 30 percent bumiputera equity for some 27 service sub-sectors and an easing of the licensing and foreign equity limits for investment banks to remain competitive. In addition, he also reiterated his desire to proceed with implementing the Goods and Services Tax (GST) but stressed the need to get domestic support. With the spiraling cost of living going up and the global financial world melting down, a well crafted budget is needed to help sustain our nation through these trying economic times.

  • Pray for a responsible and dynamic budget to be tabled
  • Pray for efficient implementation of the budget
  • Pray against all wastage and mismanagement of resources
  • Pray against corruption and fraud

 

Download this bulletin in PDF.

 



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