Rev.
(Dr) Prabhudas Koshy
This is a topic debated by Christians and
non-Christians alike. Do we have an answer
from the Bible to this question? How about
the often cited verse, Matthew 7:1, which
says, "Judge not?" After citing this verse,
many are quick to chide, saying, "Who are
you to judge" "Don't you know that you are
not supposed to judge people?"
But the truth is that Matthew 7:1
does not prohibit proper judging.
Any verse taken out of context will
lead to misinterpretation. So its
necessary that we refer to Matthew
7:1-6. If we stop with the first verse,
as most people do, it would seem to
teach that to judge anyone is totally wrong. .
By the time you get to verse 5, it is clear that
Jesus is talking to hypocrites (i.e., the Jewish
religious leaders, such as the Pharisees)
who are condemning others for not living up
to their standards. In Matthew 7:5, we read,
"Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out
of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see
clearly to cast out the mote out of thy
brother’s eye." So Jesus’ message was that
to be proper judges of people and their
actions, every one need to be cleared of his
own sins.
What was the sin of the Pharisees? In an
earlier passage, Jesus explicitly said, "For I
say unto you, That except your
righteousness shall exceed the
righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees,
ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of
heaven" (Matthew 5:20). The Pharisees, who
had the most authoritative voice in Israel in
matters pertaining to religious laws,
demanded explicit submission to their
teachings (i.e., the oral traditions). They had
their own set of rules other than the divine
laws. If anyone did not live up to their man-
made rules, they would condemn them as
unrighteous. It is with this in mind that the
Lord told them not to judge. So the point of
this whole passage was a warning about
judging others based upon their own
standards, which was contrary to the divine
standards.
In fact, Jesus exhorts us in John 7:24 to
"judge not according to the appearance, but
judge righteous judgment. " Likewise Paul
cautions us, "Therefore thou are
inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that
judgest: for wherein thou judgest another,
thou condemnest thyself; for thou that
judgest does the same things" (Romans 2:1).
One important step towards making
righteous judgment is that we examine
ourselves first, before we make any
judgments on others. If we cleanse
ourselves of besetting sins, then we can
1
make better and accurate judgments of
others.
In John 8:1-11 we read how Jesus
condemned the men, who condemned the
woman taken in adultery, without judging
their own sins. Many of them might have
been guilty of having sex with harlots. Isn’t it
amazing that they dropped their stones when
He told them, "He that is without sin among
you, let him first cast a stone at her"?
There is a difference between judging in an
unrighteous manner and making righteous
judgment. Jesus once asked His disciples to
make a judgment about two persons whose
debts were forgiven — "Tell me therefore,
which of them will love him most?" When
Simon made the right judgment, Jesus
commended him, saying, "Thou hast rightly
judged" (Luke 7:40-43).
On the other hand, Jesus rebuked those who
did not judge and discern, "Yea, and why
even of yourselves judge ye not what is
right?" (Luke 12:57). To accept evil as good
is not Christ’s spirit. So the Scripture
admonishes us, "Abhor that which is evil;
cleave to that which is good" (Romans 12:9).
"Prove all things; hold fast that which is
good. Abstain from all appearance of evil" (1
Thessalonians 5:21-22).
If we do not make careful judgments of
persons, we can be easily deceived to
believe in false doctrines or lured into gross
sins. So the Apostle John admonishes us in
1 John 4:1-3, "Beloved, believe not every
spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of
God: because many false prophets are gone
out into the world . . . . and this is that spirit
of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it
should come; and even now already is it in
the world." We must "try" or judge every
person who comes around, to see whether
he is of the antichrist. We should be vigilant
even in our own church. In Acts 20:28-31,
we see the Apostle Paul warning the elders
of the church in Ephesus that "grievous
wolves enter in among you, not sparing the
flock. Also of your selves shall men arise,
speaking perverse things, to draw away
disciples after them." We ought to judge and
prove all things, whether they are according
to His truth and holy will, before we accept
them. Paul wrote to the Corinthians, "He that
is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is
judged of no man" (1 Corinthians 2:15). If we
judge all things and accept only that which is
good in the sight of the Lord, we have no
reason to fear any judgment of man. Let all
who desire to live godly, judge all things
righteously.
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 Chew Yiming Clement (FCM Science)
(Devotion delivered on 24 Dec 2005 at YPF
Carolling Session)
Text: Matthew 2:1-15
One day as I was travelling in a bus along
Orchard Road, I came across a sign that
was hanging on the walls of Tang’s
Shopping Centre. The sign boldly declares –
“Even Wise Men Seek Jesus”. This
statement immediately impressed me. The
Christmas decorations along Orchard Road
are very beautiful, but this statement is a cut
above the rest. It is a statement of truth, and
nothing can be more beautiful than the truth.
In today’s devotion, we are going to focus on
the men from the East who came to
Jerusalem to seek Jesus.
1. The Men Who Seek Jesus Were Wise
Firstly, the men who came to seek Jesus
were no ordinary men. The Bible described
them as wise men (v.1). Not foolish men,
but wise men. These men were the PhDs
and Nobel Prize winners of their time. In
modern terms, many will call them “gurus”.
Many perhaps would have flocked to hear
the words of wisdom spouted by these wise
men. However, the Bible records for us that
these wise men came to seek Jesus and not
the other way around.
Who is this Jesus? He is 100% man. But He
is also 100% God. Because Jesus is God,
He is all-knowing. The Bible records this –
“O the depth of the riches both of the
wisdom and knowledge of God! how
unsearchable are his judgments, and his
ways past finding out!” (Rom 11:33) As
men, we have finite knowledge. Even the
wisest men on earth have to submit to
Jesus.
In contrast, the world sings to a different
tune. Many acknowledge Jesus as a man,
but many reject His deity. For some, Jesus is
but a prophet. He is a good prophet, and a
good teacher. Nevertheless, He is an
imperfect man. Others are more daring,
claiming Jesus to be nothing but a myth. To
the world, you are a fool if you seek Jesus.
What does the Bible say? The foolishness of
God is wiser than man, and the weakness of
God is stronger then men (1 Cor 1:25).
Jesus Christ is a perfect Saviour. To seek
Christ and believe in Him is wisdom. God
says it. That settles it. I believe it.
2. The Men Who Seek Jesus Came From
Afar
Secondly, the wise men who seek Jesus
came from the east (v.1). Perhaps they were
men from the former regions of Persia and
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 Babylon. Whatever their origins, they
came from afar. During the birth of
Jesus, there were no cars, trains or
airplanes. Such a journey to see
Jesus may take days or even weeks.
Jesus must be someone precious
and special to them, or it would not
have been worthwhile for them to
make the journey. In contrast, the
chief priests and scribes showed little
interest in the birth of their Messiah
despite being able to identify
correctly from the Scriptures that the
Saviour will be born in Bethlehem
(v.5, 6). This is sad indeed.
How do we regard the Lord Jesus?
Do we consider Him as precious?
This is a good question for us to
answer this Christmas. Christians have
prayer and God’s Word as means of grace to
seek Jesus. Do we neglect these graces?
Have our attitude to service gone cold? Do
we serve for selfish motives? Let us
seriously examine our ways. If we have gone
wrong, we must repent and plead with God
for forgiveness.
Let us first deal with prayer. Our pastor has
always urged us to make prayer our first
priority early in the morning. This is a good
practice. Did Jesus not say that without Him
we can do nothing (Jn 15:5)? It is recorded
for us that Jesus made it a practice to pray
earnestly to the Father every morning. We
should seek to be like our Master. Let us
pray without ceasing (1 Th 5:17). “Ere you
left your room this morning, did you think to
pray?”
How about God’s Word? Some of us read
the Bible every day. That is good. We should
keep it up. But we must also know why we
read the Bible. We read the Bible every day
because man shall not live by bread alone,
but by every word that proceeds out of the
mouth of God (Matt 4:4). The Bible is God’s
perfect gift to us. How many of us have read
the entire Bible? If we have not done so, this
Christmas is a good time to start.
Paul exhorts Timothy to study the Word of
God diligently, rightly dividing the Word of
truth (2 Tim 2:15). Let us not be satisfied
with a peripheral knowledge of God’s Word.
Do not just be satisfied with just hearing one
or two sermons on the Lord’s Day. Due to
certain constraints, the preacher may not be
able to cover the whole Bible in-depth.
Attend the Sunday School. Get yourself a
good study Bible and use it with
discernment. Attend the FEBC night classes.
If possible, attempt to take credit. However, if
you are not able to, you should not give up
on the chance to learn from God’s Word.
Take credit and hear God’s Word being
taught and preached. It is profitable to learn
as much as we can from God’s Word. Let us
not waste such good opportunities to study
God’s Word.
Recently, two ladies from the YPF are
thinking of taking the day classes in FEBC
while awaiting entry into university. This is
very commendable. Equally encouraging is a
brother’s testimony of his wish to be able to
attend night classes even while in National
Service. If you honour God, God will honour
you.
Let us echo with the Psalmist – “How sweet
are thy words unto my taste! yea, sweeter
than honey to my mouth!” (Ps 119:103).
3. The Men Who Seek Jesus
Acknowledged Him as
King of the Jews
Thirdly, the men
from the east
recognised and
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acknowledged Jesus as King of the Jews
(v.2). These men were not Jews. They were
Gentiles. Unlike the Jews, the oracles of God
were not committed to them (Rom 3:2).
Despite this, they somehow came to know
about Jesus and acknowledge Him as King
of the Jews. Perhaps they had received
some copies of Scripture and had reached
the answer by diligently searching the Word
of God.
This was not so for the Jews. In His earthly
ministry, Jesus did many miracles and spoke
Words of wisdom to the Jews. Yet many did
not acknowledge Him as their Messiah. “He
came unto his own, and his own received
him not” (Jn 1:11). What a tragedy! If the
works of Jesus were done in Tyre and
Sodom, they would have repented in
sackcloth and ashes.
Perhaps there are some here who have
attended church for some time, but have not
come to acknowledge Jesus to be the
Saviour of the world. I pray that you will not
delay but come and fall at the Saviour’s feet.
4. The Men Who Seek Jesus Worshipped
Him
Fourthly, the men from the east came to
Jesus to worship Him (v.2). When they saw
the young Jesus, the wise men fell down and
worshipped Him (v.11). This shows us that
their worship was reverential. They had the
fear of God in their hearts. The wise men
also gave their best gifts – gold,
frankincense and myrrh. This shows us that
their worship was sincere.
How about our worship to God? Is it
reverential? Is it sincere? How do we
approach the Lord’s Day service? Do we
come humbly before Him in prayer with
contrite hearts? It has been observed
recently that there are some who chat
unnecessarily during worship services.
There are even some who make signs and
gestures to one another across the
auditorium. Handphones ring when the
preacher is delivering the sermon. This is not
right. Imagine you are attending the Prime
Minister’s National Day Rally. I am sure not
many of us will be chatting or making
gestures to one another during the rally. We
desire to show respect and courtesy to the
speaker. If we can observe a proper code of
conduct while attending the Prime Minister’s
function, why are we not able to do the same
when entering God’s house? Remember, we
are coming before the King of Kings and the
Lord of lords! He is the Creator of this world.
Our lives are in His hands. Should we not
fear Him and humble ourselves to worship
Him?
Of course, our worship to God should not be
just limited to the worship service. Our whole
life must reflect the fear of God. Let us do
our best for God in everything. Let us shine
as lights in this ungodly world that others
may see Christ. We must be a living sacrifice
unto the Lord. This is our reasonable service
(Rom 12:1-2).
Let us now come back to the text. Notice that
Herod was also actively seeking for Jesus.
Like the wise men, he also recognised and
acknowledged Jesus as the King of the
Jews. Herod knew that the Scriptures are
true. However, unlike the wise men, Herod
did not submit to Jesus Christ. Neither did
Herod want to worship Jesus. Herod wanted
to kill Jesus for he feared that Jesus would
5
take over his position as king. Herod did not
have saving faith.

What is saving faith? According to Richard

Muller, it consists of three elements. The first
is knowledge of the actual content of the
Gospel. The second is an intellectual
acknowledgement of the truth without
involving any personal trust in it. The third is
faithful apprehension which involves a
personal trust on the truth. Herod lacked the
third element. He is no different from the
devils that believe and tremble (James 2:19).
Recently, I heard this testimony about a
brother of one member in True Life BPC. His
brother frequents many Christian bookstores
such as Tabernacle Books in Calvary
Pandan BPC and the FEBC Bookroom. He
buys many books to learn more about the
Christian faith. However, he does it only to
attack Christianity in order to uphold his
Roman Catholic belief. This is certainly not
the right motive. We must pray for him.
Just as atrocious are false teachers who
masquerade as fervent sincere believers.
They creep into churches unawares. They
appear as angels of light. Soon, they poison
the churches with their nefarious doctrines.
Unbelief takes over the churches. Such
teachers are no different from Herod.
Conclusion
In closing, here is a sincere call to everyone.
Have you believed in Jesus? “That if thou
shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord
Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart
that God hath raised him from the dead,
thou shalt be saved” (Rom 10:9). Believe
in Jesus Christ today as Lord and Saviour.
Only the Lord Jesus Christ saves. Now is the
day of salvation.
How about us who are Christians? Let us
take time to examine our ways this
Christmas. Let us come to Jesus for mercy.
Let us pray that we may be reverent and
sincere in our worship of God, just like the
wise men of old.
Even wise men seek Jesus. How about you?
Amen.

6
 Quiz yourself!!
1. In the parable of the wheat and tares, which of the above (wheat or tares) will be gathered first
in the harvest?
2. At Herod's birthday, he promised "to give her whatsoever she would ask" (Matt 14:7). Who is
she whom Herod had promised?
3. At the feeding of the 5000, how many baskets of fragments were left behind after the multitude
had eaten their fill?
4. A woman who was suffering from an issue of blood was healed when she touched Jesus'
garment. For how long did she have the issue of blood?
5. Why did Jesus have compassion on the 4000 and fed them eventually?
6. Jesus said He would go before the disciples to a certain place after His resurrection. Where is
this place?
7. Fill in the blanks:
"Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet _________, and putteth forth
__________, ye know that _________ is nigh:" (Matt 24:32).
8. What happened to the veil of the Temple when Jesus "gave up the ghost"? (Mk 15:37).
9. What did Moses and Elias (Elijah) speak about at the Transfiguration of our Lord Jesus Christ?
10. In whose house was Jesus in when He asked the lawyers and Pharisees, "Is it lawful to heal
on the sabbath day?" (Lk 14:3).
[Ans on pg 13]

Lee Yujie (FCM Science)

“Some trust in chariots, and some in
horses: but we will remember the name of
the LORD our God.” ~ Ps 20:7
It is the beginning of another year. No one
knows what the year ahead will be. Will it be
a blessed and peaceful year? 2005 was a
year of many earthquakes. Though
Singapore was shielded from these
earthquakes we faced a dengue fever
outbreak. Today, the world has to deal with
another epidemic - bird flu. “…and there
shall be famines, and pestilences, and
earthquakes, in divers places. All these
are the beginning of sorrows.” Matt
24:7b-8. Truly, the Lord’s return is nearer
than we think!
Is there hope in the world today? Many
people of the world resolve to thinking that
there is no God. Some question how a God
can exist when there is so much suffering.
Others are not even bothered if there is a
God. The attractions of the world are more
tempting and pleasurable.

7
As Christians, where do we place our trust?
Are we like some who place their trust in the
riches of this world? Do we place our trust in
the things and circumstances that happen
around us? Are we like Job’s wife who told
Job to curse God and die when things were
not going smoothly? Or are we like the
disciples who lost faith when the ship they
were on tossed in the midst of the sea? Is
our trust merely in chariots and horses?
In the past, horses and chariots were the
means of transport when people went to
battle. People were confident that if they had
good horses and chariots, they had a higher
chance of winning. David was a small
shepherd boy when
he fought Goliath. In
the world’s opinion,
David was not
physically able to
challenge his
opponent. But David
was not discouraged
by the
circumstances he
saw around him. He
trusted in God and
remembered that this God, who delivered
him from the attacks of the lion and bear, will
be able to deliver him from Israel’s enemies.
“And David said to Saul, Let no man’s
heart fail because of him; thy servant will
go and fight with this Philistine. David
said moreover, The Lord that delivered
me out of the paw of the lion, and out of
the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out
of the hand of this Philistine. And Saul
said unto David, Go, and the Lord be with
thee” (1 Sam 17:32, 37). David, the
psalmist, truly understood what it means not
to trust in chariots and in horses.
Can we be like David who remembered the
Name of the Lord? Sometimes, as students
we get discouraged when we have tried our
very best to prepare well for our tests but still
fail to do well. At times we lose faith even
before an exam when we have so little time
to study. Let us not fear the circumstances
around us and lose faith. Rather, remember
the Lord’s faithfulness. Recall the numerous
times the Lord has seen us through our
difficulties in the past. He will likewise do the
same even today.
In the new year ahead, there is hope for us.
Hope not in the world, but hope in our Lord
Jesus. May we remember His goodness and
blessings from the past year and have faith.
The God who fought for David, the shepherd
boy, is He not the God of our lives? May we
not be stumbled by the circumstances we
face but rather cast all our cares upon Jesus
who cares for us (1 Pet 5:7).
Trust not in chariots and horses,
but in the LORD our God.
8
 Herbert Goh (NTU/NIE FCM)
I know I have to pray but…
I know I need to pray but…
I know it is important to pray but…
I know God will bless me if I pray but…
I know it is God’s will for me to pray but…
I just don’t do it.
So the next question is: Why? Why won’t
you pray? Let us consider some reasons.
(1) Why is there a lack of Motivation in
Prayer?
We Don’t See the Need to
When life is good and enjoyable and
finances are stable, our hearts will turn cold.
When this happens, there is little motivation
to pray and the things of God become dull.
This is the time when people will say: “I don’t
feel like praying.”
God Doesn’t Answer our Prayers the Way
We Want
Wanting God to answer our prayers the way
we desire is like typing a wish-list on a nice
piece of paper and asking God to sign on the
dotted line to endorse our wishes. When
God does not do so, we feel disillusioned.
We feel that God doesn’t care about us.
Since we cannot get what we want through
Him, we seek to find other means and
alternatives to satisfy our lust of the flesh,
our lust of the eyes and our pride of life.
Too Busy to Pray
Singaporeans in general lead a hectic and
busy life-style – the demands of school and
work are very high. More often than not, we
leave home early in the morning and come
home only late at night. When we reach
home, we would be entirely exhausted from
the day’s labour. All we can do is to utter a
few words to ask God to bless us at school
or work the next day. Before we know it, we
would be well in our sleep.
(2) Why we have to pray?
Here are some reasons (not exhaustive) why
we must persevere in prayer. In fact, we
ought to obey God’s injunction: “men ought
always to pray, and not to faint” (Lk 18:1).
These reasons are simplified in the acronym
“G-N-C”.
Gratitude towards God
Our motivation to pray must most of all be
constrained by the love of God. God gave us
His only, begotten Son, our Lord Jesus
9
Christ that we may be rescued from eternal
damnation to eternal glory
in heaven. The Lord
Jesus Christ, who knew
no sin, became sin for us
that we can become
God’s children (2 Cor
5:21). Can sinful man ever
understand the greatness
of God’s love for us when
He left heaven’s glory to
die on the cruel tree? Can depraved man
ever fathom the grace that God the Son
exhibited when He willingly gave Himself to
the Roman soldiers to be mocked, spat at
and tortured? As hard as we might try, we
will not be able to comprehend it, at least
while we are in this sinful, mortal body.
The Lord has instructed us to “pray without
ceasing.” Won’t we obey this commandment
to pray whole-heartedly without any
condition? Won’t we purpose in our hearts to
pray because we love God and are so
indebted and grateful to Him?
God the Father showed us how serious He
was when He said He loves us – He gave us
His best, even the Lord Jesus Christ to die
for us. My friend, how serious are you when
you say you love God? Are you willing to
obey His commandment?
The Lord Jesus said: “If ye love me, keep
my commandments” (Jn 14:15).
The Need to Pray
“Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs
is the kingdom of heaven” Matt 5:3
Why did the Lord Jesus Christ begin His
Sermon of the Mount with these words? The
Lord wants to remind us of our position and
where we stand before God. He wants us to
realise how small we are, which in truth,
absolutely nothing at all, like the dust on the
ground. The Lord wants us to
understand how inadequate
we are and that we need Him
every moment of our lives.
Because He is the One who
gives us life, without Him, we
can do absolutely nothing at
all (Jn 15:5). We need God to
help us even in our slightest
endeavour.
Consider a person who is so poor that he
has nothing on his own - neither money nor
possession. He has to beg in order to live.
He is so dependent on other people’s charity
that without them, it is impossible for him to
survive. We are like this person. We need
God’s charity of blessings every moment of
every day. We need Him in our daily
vocation, at school or at work. We need Him
in our trials, temptations and weaknesses.
We need Him for wisdom in every decision
we make to do God’s will. We need Him in
our daily dealings with man - for courage to
stand up for Christ and grace to be a good
testimony. Whether in things big or small, we
need the Lord. We need God in everything
that we do.
John Calvin said, “He only who is reduced to
nothing in himself, and relies on the mercy of
God is poor in spirit.”
My friend, are you poor in spirit? Let us
humble ourselves and pray ceaselessly that
the Lord will be merciful and gracious to
sustain us with His charity.
Christ Set the Example for us
There were numerous occasions in the
Gospels that highlighted the prayers of
Christ. Many a time, our Lord would retreat
Himself to the mountains to pray and
commune alone with His heavenly Father.
10
For instance, our Lord prayed all night before
the choosing of the Twelve. “And it came to
pass in those days, that he went out into
a mountain to pray, and continued all
night in prayer to God. And when it was
day, he called unto him his disciples: and
of them he chose twelve, whom also he
named apostles” (Lk 6:12-13)
Although He is God and has all wisdom, our
Lord nevertheless showed us every decision
we make must be guided and led by the
wisdom of God. Our Master Jesus Christ had
set a pattern of prayer for us to follow.
As God’s blood-bought children, our goal in
this life is to be more Christ-like. Our attitude,
speech, habits, thoughts and actions must
be transformed to be more and more like
Christ. The aspect of praying without ceasing
is no exception.
(3) Some Practical Suggestions to Pray
Ceaselessly
Persevere and Pray for the Desire to Pray
As mentioned, one reason why some people
do not pray is because they “do not feel like
praying.” When asked if they have
persevered or tried to pray, their response
would usually be: “If I pray without feeling
like doing so, I will be no different from a
hypocrite. That is why I do not pray.”
My friend, is this true? Is persevering to pray
when we do not “feel” like doing so make us
hypocrites? It will seem like we are if we pray
without having God’s Word in mind. The
focus of attention will be on ourselves. Such
is a self-centred person who will say: “Since I
do not feel like it, and I do not want to be a
hypocrite, I shall not pray.” However, if we
focus on God and understand that it is His
will for us to pray without ceasing, we will
realise that persevering to pray is an act of
persistence and determination. Such is a
God-centred person who will say: “Since I do
not feel like praying, all the more I must force
myself to pray because I know God wants us
to pray without stopping. I want to please
God. I need to pray for the desire to pray!”
Note the difference in the focus: the former is
on self (full of “I”s) while the latter is on the
Lord.
There are numerous times when I do not feel
like praying too. When I examined myself, I
realised that this “feeling” is not in
accordance with God’s will because He has
charged us “always to pray, and not to
faint” (Lk 18:1). I also remembered that I
need God and His grace to sustain me. As
such, I know that I have to rise above my
“feelings” to pray. I struggled to ask the Lord
for strength and grace to commune with Him.
Though it is by no means easy, God’s grace
is sufficient for us. After the initial hurdle of
getting started, the Lord gave strength and I
was in the spirit of prayer. This only goes to
show that when we do not feel like praying,
God is testing our perseverance in prayer
and wants us to depend on Him.
Remember our hearts are desperately
wicked and deceitful above all things (Jer
17:9) and the devil will stop at nothing to
11
distract us from walking close to God. We
have to overcome our “feelings”. Persevere
on in prayer and ask the Lord to give you the
desire and burden to pray. Force yourself to
pray if necessary.
“I have heard some Christians say, I do not
feel in a proper frame of mind to pray; My
brother, pray until you do” (Spurgeon).
Develop a Habit of Praying
Let prayer be of
second-nature to
you; like how
breathing is
second-nature to
us. One who does
not breathe will die
physically.
Similarly, one who
does not pray will
die spiritually.
Since we breathe
without ceasing, let us also pray without
ceasing. Spurgeon said: “Prayer is the
breath of the soul and he that can do without
it is dead in sin”.
Incidentally, praying is also a sign that we
are born again. Granted, not every man who
prays is saved. But every man who is saved
prays. “Prayer is to faith what breath is to
life. How a man can live and not breathe is
past my comprehension, and how a man can
believe and not pray is past my
comprehension too” (J. C. Ryle).
Make Use of Every Opportunity to Pray
Pray when we are walking. When we are
walking by ourselves to the bus-stop or MRT
station or taking a stroll in the park, we can
commune with God. Thank Him for all the
good things He has done for you. Tell Him
how much you love Him. Share with Him
your joys, burdens, prayer requests and your
need of grace. Pray that you may live a
better and holier life for Him. Be sure to do
so reverently.
Pray when travelling from place to place.
While waiting for the bus or MRT to arrive or
when we are travelling to our destination in
the bus or MRT, we can make use of the
time to pray. Instead of idling our time away
by looking at other people and what they are
wearing, why not spend the time in close
communion with God? Personally, praying
on my travels has always been fruitful and
blessed. Usually I use this time to intercede
for my fellowship and my loved ones.
Prayer Meeting. Go to your church’s prayer
meeting. It is the most important spiritual
event after the Lord’s Day worship service!
Moreover, it is an opportunity to pour out our
ardent prayers unto the Lord Most High.
Pray for the Smallest Things
When pressing needs, trials, exams and
emergencies come our way, we will naturally
pray. However, prayer should not be limited
to such seemingly major events. We should
pray even for the slightest things and things
which seem to be routine. Do we pray first
thing when we awake in the morning and last
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thing before we close our eyes to rest at
night? Do we pray for the Lord’s blessings
and commit the day to Him before we leave
home each day? Do we pray before we do
our homework or meet our friends for project
discussions? Do we pray for a safe journey
to our destination, for the right words to say
to our friends, for the pastor before he
preaches every Lord’s Day? Do we pray
before and after every sermon, asking God
to give us attentive ears and help us apply
the Word into our lives? The list goes on.
The Lord Jesus taught: “He that is faithful
in that which is least is faithful also in
much” (Lk 16:10). If you are faithful in
prayer in small and routine things, you can
be sure that you will be faithful in prayer in
big things.
Wake up Early in the Morning to pray
“My voice shalt thou hear in the morning,
O LORD; in the morning will I direct my
prayer unto thee, and will look up.”
Psalms 5:3
pleased when we seek Him early and He will
bless us throughout the day. The Lord Jesus
Christ is the most important Person we must
meet each day. There is no better time to do
so than first thing in the morning.
Conclusion
We have considered some reasons why
people do not pray, why we ought to pray
and how we can pray ceaselessly. May the
Lord help us to purpose in our heart today to
pray without ceasing, for “the prayer of the
upright is his delight” (Pro 15:8).
“Pray without ceasing not because the
circumstances which surround you are
favourable, but simply because Jesus
bids you to continue in prayer”
(Spurgeon).
May the Lord help us.
Soli Deo Gloria!

It is always a blessing to start the day right

with the Lord. Endeavour to wake up an hour
earlier to spend time with God. Even if you
have to leave home early for school or work,
discipline yourself to do so. The Lord is

Answers:
1. Tares (to be burnt) (Matt 13:30)
2. The daughter of Herodias (Matt 14:6)
3. Twelve baskets full (Matt 14:20)
4. 12 years (Mk 5:25)
5. "I have compassion on the multitude, because they have now been with me
three days, and have nothing to eat " (Mk 8:2)
6. Galilee (Matt 26:32)
7. "Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and
putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh:" (Matt 24:32)
8. "And the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom" (Mk
15:38).
9. Moses and Elias spoke about Christ's death which should be accomplished
at Jerusalem (Lk 9:30-31).
10. Jesus was in one of the chief Pharisee's house (Lk 14:1-3).
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Nanyang Technological University/ National Institute of Education

1. NTU/NIE Group
Comprising students in all the faculties of NTU & NIE

Bible Study Leader : Rev Wee Eng Moh (Pastor of Berith B-P Church)
E-mail: emwee@singnet.com.sg
Student Coordinator : Low Boon Siang [9183 1750 (HP)]
E-mail: lbs83@yahoo.com
Meeting Place : North Spine, N3, Level 5, TR 1-10 (any of the rooms)
Meeting Time : Every Wednesday, 6.30pm
Dinner : Canteen A, 5.30pm

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National University of Singapore

2. Science Group
Comprising students of the Science, Medicine, Dentistry, Pharmacy, Information & Computer Science Faculties

Bible Study Leader : Bro. Nelson (Gospel Light BP Church)

Student Coordinator : Lee Yujie [9107 7470 (HP)]
E-mail: ug@email.com
Meeting Place : Science Block 13, 5th Floor, Room 03/04, NUS Science Faculty
Meeting Time : Every Wednesday, 5.00pm

3. Arts/ Engineering Group

Comprising students from the Arts, Engineering, Architecture, Building & Real Estate, Law & Business
Administration Faculties

Bible Study Leader : Rev Ronny Khoo [9411 1120 (PG)]

Student Coordinator : Charmaine [9762 2735 (HP)]
E-mail: charwb@singnet.com.sg
Meeting Place : Engineering Block 1, 6th Floor, NUS Eng. Faculty (E1-06 tut room)
Meeting Time : Every Friday, 6.00pm – 9.00pm

Polytechnics

4. Comprising students from Ngee Ann, Singapore, Nanyang and Temasek Polytechnics

Bible Study Leaders : Pr. Ho Chee Lai (Gospel Light B-P Church)
E-mail: cheelai@starhub.net.sg
Dn Peter Phoa (Calvary Tengah B-P Church)
E-mail: Peter_PHOA@NYP.gov.sg
Student Coordinator : Clarice Lim [9363 6276 (HP)]
E-mail: mon_amie1986@hotmail.com
Meeting Place : Life B-P Church
Meeting Time : Every Thursday, 7.00pm
Dinner : 6.30pm

Singapore Management University

5. Comprising students from Accounting, Business Administration & Arts Faculties

Bible Study Leaders : Bro. Wee Hian Kok (Berean B-P Church)
E-mail: wee8k@yahoo.com.sg
Student Coordinator : Esther Huang [92383015 (HP)]
E-mail: esther.huang.2003@business.smu.edu.sg
Lee Yu Wei [98370607 (HP)]
E-mail: yuwei.lee.2003@acccountancy.smu.edu.sg
Meeting Place : Venue to be confirmed though Email
Meeting Time : Every Friday 6.45pm, Supper thereafter

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that
believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to
faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.” Romans 1:16-17

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