that unique day

in the year when

young and old

male and female

rich and poor

strong and weak

local-born and

foreign-born

conservative

and charismatic

come with one heart

to pray for matters

that truly matter:

a life changed

a church revived

a nation transformed

a world evangelised!

8 AUGUST

Singapore Expo

Max Pavilion

7.30 PM

Be seated by 7.15 pm

May God bless you with discomfort

At easy answers, half-truths, and superficial relationships

So that you may live deep within your heart.

May God bless you with anger

At injustice, oppression, and exploitation of people,

So that you may work for justice, freedom, and peace.

May God bless you with tears

To shed for those who suffer pain, rejection, hunger and war,

So that you may reach out your hand to comfort them and

To turn their pain into joy.

And may God bless you with enough foolishness

To believe that you can make a difference in the world,

So that you can do what others claim cannot be done

To bring justice and kindness to all our children and the poor. Amen.

What better way to preface this 12th edition of our prayer guide than to quote the powerful words of the Franciscan Benediction? Open your heart and be differently blessed this 40-Day season. It’s beyond words.

beyond words

HOW TO FAST

You are free to fast however the Spirit leads you. Here are some options:

Total Fast■ Abstain from solid foods and beverages for 24 hours. Take only water.

Partial Fast■ Abstain from solid foods for an extended part of the day. Take only water. You may fast from sunrise to sundown or from breakfast to afternoon tea.

1-Meal Fast■ Sacrifi ce one full meal a day.

Beverage Fast■ Abstain from solid foods for 24 hours. Take only water and liquid foods such as milk, milo or other health beverages.

Daniel Fast■ Abstain from meats and other favourite delicacies. Take only small portions of fresh vegetables, fruit and juices. You may practise this as a 40-day routine. Or as Daniel 1:12 suggests, make this a 10-day fast.

Esther Fast■ Abstain from solid foods for 24 hours for 3 days. [ESTHER 4:16]

HOW TO ENJOY FASTING

■ Set aside time each day to seek God in prayer and fasting. It may be half an hour or one hour or more. ■ Adopt an attitude of prayer as you go about your daily duties at home, at work or at school. Apply what you learnt in tangible actions.■ Scale down your normal activities. Avoid rigorous exercise such as rock-climbing, cycling or jogging.■ Be alert! Besides fasting from food, fast from things that distract, such as television, internet, computer games; or things that destroy such as coarse jesting or careless words.■ Break your fast gradually and wisely. For health reasons, you should consume small portions as you break fast, avoiding chilli or acidic foods as much as possible.

HOW TO USE THIS PRAYER GUIDE

Daily pray through the 40-Day prayer guide. For each entry, first read aloud and meditate on the Scripture referenced. ■ Pray as the Spirit leads. Stop, listen and wait for impressions from the Spirit. ■ Record them in your personal journal. And then, whatever He says to you, just do it.

HOW TO INVOLVE OTHERS

Fasting together as a group is easier than doing it alone.

■ FamilyAgree to fast and pray as a family. Decide on the type of fast your family members are comfortable with. Use this 40-Day prayer guide for your family devotion.

■ NeighboursFind out who are the Christians in your block. Get together as often as possible for prayer.

■ Cell GroupObtain more copies of this 40-Day prayer guide for your cell members. As a group, commit yourselves to a specifi c type of fast. Throughout this 40-Day period, yearn for personal transformation and national transformation. Ask God to use your cell group to be His mouthpiece and His outstretched hands here in Singapore and the nations.

■ FriendsIn this city of mobile phones, prayer is really just a beep away. Keep a daily prayer appointment with a friend by phone. Send SMS reminders. At the agreed time, connect to pray!

■ Offi ceInspire colleagues to fast with you. Utilise tea breaks or lunch breaks at the offi ce to pray together. Follow the 40-Day prayer guide. Rally others in your same offi ce block to pray together.

■ City@PrayerEvery weekday. 1-2 pm. CityGate at High Street Centre located directly across from the New Parliament House. Join with Christians from all walks of life, representing diverse church families, to pray for Singapore and the nations.

■ Copyright and Distribution Enquiries: Please contact LoveSingapore at 62769194 or send an email to visioncity@pacifi c.net.sg.

beyond words

beyo

nd w

ords

www.lovesingapore.org.sg • visioncity@

pacifi c.net.sg

city@prayer

July 1 - August 8

Mon to Fri. 1 - 2 pm

CityGate Auditorium

High Street Centre 30th Floor

opposite the new Parliament House