11 April 2014
MH370: Public prayer in a national crisis
THE MH370 tragedy is one which united the whole nation in sorrow. And praying - regardless of one's religious affiliation - became a focal point and a common way for people to cope with the tragedy. "Pray for MH370" was everywhere, on social media and in daily conversations about the missing plane. Various religious groups organised mass prayers for the search operation and there were even inter-faith prayer services.
Remembering MH370 at Borders Bookstore.
NECF Prayer Commission Executive-Secretary Pastor Karen Tan talks about how believers can respond in a national crisis like this when religious faith is on full display.
Q1. When praying with fellow believers in the wake of a tragedy, Christians will usually reaffirm God's sovereignty and express their continued faithfulness to Him despite tragic circumstances. Some Christians also pray using very triumphant language. Are such prayers appropriate and sensitive when said in public in inter-faith services, or when praying with a non-believer?
We definitely have to be careful with our word usage about God. There is a universal understanding of God in people's hearts although the definitions may differ. When we pray with non-believers, we should still use the generic term of "God' so that there is a feeling of inclusiveness. But we should also bear in mind that we pray according to the absolute truths for us as Christians - that God is sovereign over all creation and that there is only one God who alone has the power to redeem.
We don't have to specifically articulate this out loud but this should always be our framework. However, praying for or with non-believers is a good opportunity to convey these facts - that we trust in a God who is in control of everything and that we affirm ourselves as mere human beings who are finite and incapable of knowing the whole truth. I think affirming our humanity is important - it is another universal principle for most people and is easily appreciated especially in a time of distress. I think this humility should be emphasised in our prayer and is the posture we should adopt when we come to God.
So we can keep to these principles but communicate them in a general sense in public prayer with non-Christians.
And for those who pray in tongues, I would suggest not speaking aloud in tongues but quietly under your breath.
Q2. Does the Bible say anything about praying for non-believers?
Yes, definitely, it is our duty. Jesus said to pray for your enemies and to love them. If we are to pray for our enemies, what more for people in distress and sorrow? Prayer is part of our duty to be salt and light
2 Kings 5 tells of the healing of Naaman from leprosy. Naaman was not a believer of the God of Israel, but his Israelite slave girl saw his illness and suggested he go to the prophet Elisha. Likewise, it is our duty as believers to recommend prayer to those who are in need.
Q.3 Would it be appropriate to pray for a miracle at this juncture of the search, or in situations when reality suggests that a situation cannot be salvaged? There is this tension of wanting to be realistic on one hand, but also hopeful in our prayers because we believe in a powerful God.
In some cases, people may still insist on praying for miracles because they are not ready to handle and face loss. I feel it is better to prepare ourselves to face loss. The larger issue here is the person's inability to, as yet, face reality.
That said, as I mentioned earlier, we should always take a humble position and affirm our finiteness and inability to know everything, much less the outcome.
Thus, we should always pray for God's will to be done, recognizing that His ways are not our ways, and His thoughts not like our thoughts. In a national tragedy like this, it has shown us that we are all human, and that despite our country's religious tensions, we are able to unite through prayer over a single crisis. It has brought out the beauty and frailty of our humanity. This can set people in a better position to receive God.
Whenever I am called to pray for people near death in hospitals, I always pray for the readiness of heart to face whatever the outcome may be with the confidence that God will always take care of us.
Q.4 How can we broach the topic of prayer and seize the opportunity to pray for non-believers, whether for a sick loved one or a colleague in trouble, or a friend who has faced loss?
When people have needs that are beyond their own ability to meet, where there is a great need for divine intervention - it is always a great opportunity. People will want a greater power to help, even if up till then they have not believed in a divine being. But we must always ask permission before praying for them. Some may still say no, depending on their background. But usually it takes a very desperate situation before people will allow God to come into their lives. So it is an opportune time for Christian believers to offer them this powerful tool of prayer.
We are also not praying to "show off" that our God is greater than theirs. We should come with the attitude that we pray to show care and concern as fellow human beings. Don't have the attitude that says '"only the Christian God can answer prayer" - that would be offensive.
As believers, praying for others is an opportunity to convey to them the power of God. Sometimes, it is also not just the prayer itself, but the act of having prayed with the person that creates an impression. When we show that we love and care enough, God can use that to touch the person's heart.
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