40 Days of Prayer and Fasting

After a weeklong holiday full of tension and angst... we've decided to come together to pray and fast during our 40 Day Prayer Journey. 

Day 3... and we've settled to praying together after dinner at the dinner table. The kids don't resist... it's almost like those days when we prayed as a family during advent.

As for fasting...  SW is fasting Crash Royale.  NN is fasting Tik Tok, Youtube, IG, and her favorite game Rock Blast.  Joyce is fasting Royal Crush... a mobile game she's been playing for over 2 years.  And me....I'm fasting speeding.

Not even 6 hours into day one... NN started to regret overfasting.  And now on Day 3... they've re-neg'ed.  SW is now fasting social media but he can play Crash Royale.  NN still fasts Rock Blast... but she's changed her fasting to doom scrolling.  She can still watch long videos.  

Heh... let's see how long this lasts.  

Unintentional IT Support Comedy

All those years of IT support with mom has prepared me for this.  I was doing IT support over the phone with a tech-newbie..  I spent almost 10 minutes telling someone to hit the Home button on her iPad. I was having an impossible time describing how to hit that button - blind.  Then I tried to facetime or video call her... and she didn't know how to flip the phone's camera. She was at a point of yelling at me when she could NOT find the "circle" or the button.  Adamant that one doesn't exist.  It got to a point where I was making zero progress... I gave up.  We'll do it Sunday.  Bring your iPad to church.  Oh my... 

Like a house of cards

NN is strong... she is sure of herself.  She is an overachiever that knows..by hard work.. she can accomplish anything.  But there are some things that are simply out of our control.  We're not tall enough.  We're not big enough.  I can't control my male patterned baldness. We're simply not made to be like the next person.  

Such as the case last night... when SW unassumingly made a comment... "Wow... you have a lot of pimples." 

This isn't something NN can control. She spent the rest of the night mulling over that comment.  To a point where I was trying to put her to sleep... and she got up and hid in the bathroom for infinity.  Who knows what she was doing in there...or what she was going through.

When she came back into bed... she was balling.  "I tried everything. I clean my face. I wash my bed sheets. I can't help it!!!"  She was devastated. As strong as she is... she crumbled like a house of cards. To a point where I had to wake SW up... go over to NN's bed... and have him apologize.  He doesn't know any better.  He's just stating the obvious. But words hurt. Especially for a tweenager that can't wait to rid herself of this curse of pimples and zits.

I tried consoling her by sharing my experience.  Including the dreaded pimple on the tip of your nose.  Worse yet... is the time when there's a pimple on top of a pimple.  Double whammy. There was nothing I can say that could right the wrong.  And with the crumbled house of cards... we start rebuilding. 

萬事都互相效力

Love the fact that almost all the CS fellowships are now establishing daily prayer altars for the 40 Days of Prayer Journey.  I can't shake the feeling that this was because Eden proved that this can be done. 

Prayer is a blessing.  Prayer should be sweet. Prayer "where 2 or 3 are gathered in His name, I am in their midst." 

Pray Until Something Happens - P.U.S.H. 

What do we want to happen, though?  

40 Days of Prayer

COVID19 - School Closure - Day 157  School Reopens - Day 162

40日禱告旅程, 說長不長， 說短不短. 光陰似箭, 似水流年, 飄流而去.  開始時, 團長沒太大的信心可以達成，連牧師都覺得呢件事、若然做到是非常之commendable.

還記得第一晚,我自己望住個screen, 心𥚃充滿不安、恐怕未來40日會是自己度過。這計劃, 這事工, 這禱告事項就此失敗. 點知神正在使用這粒小小的芥菜種子、讓我學習新的一課。

回望過去這40日

• 先一兩個禮拜,平均有四至五個家庭一起聚. 到後期只有兩三個人參加. 常言道, 這不是 sprint, 而是 marathon.
• 只有一晚有兩個family, 但祈禱之後有的團契聊天、反而更有anointing.
• 只有一晚是我倆公婆, 因為home group 遲了完, 大家都累、沒有人參加。
• 有一晚, 因公司的事務繁瑣、心裏好亂, 靈裏不定, 但透過禱告, 再次順服給聖靈、 可以平靜了。
• 有一晚, 同小華玩到樂極忘形, 幸好老婆及時提醒。
• 有一晚, 我實在太忙，透不過氣, 想偷懶缺席. 當晚是祈禱會,「多我一個唔多, 少我一個唔少」. 到最後、都咬實牙根、捱 了下去.
• 有一晚為醫院牧師禱告，這一班人是我忽略了、從來沒有為這一班人禱告，這算是禱告的突破.
• 第37日, 以為剩下三日的時間, 團長竟然挑戰我們未來七日都要為某一個國家禱告, 40日竟變成44日. 其實多四日又算得上什麼?

想起聖經裏面, 摩西上山索取十誡, 他會否在第37日開始諗「還有四日就可以落山?」 又或者耶穌在曠野禁食禱告, 會不會諗, 剩下四日就可以搵班friend吃喝玩樂? 這兩位聖經的大英雄其實是到41日、受到極大的試探，我們務要小心.  

豁達來看，這40日大部份, 都是交功課, 逼住自己去, 不是忍不住要祈禱，而當洗濕了個頭, 無得返轉頭. 身為搞手, 有責任晚晚出現.  这40日, 我生命有沒有改變? 可能這個答案要好多年後先可以答到. 我不敢話可以改變任何生命, 可以改變任何靈命，但透過今次, 不知不覺間將團契拉近了. 某些什少主動出聲或出席禱告會都有參與.  老婆非常之討厭 corporate prayer都有來。我相信身為基督徒、在適當的時候禱告的熱枕會浮現。

今日大年初一星期五，星期五晚我都有 Family Movie Night. 但過去這六個禮拜, 一到8:30, 我要拋低小孩、到网上聚會，實是一個掙扎, 一個挑戰. 今晚當我在諗我們可以睇什麼戲的時候, 我突然間諗.... "哎呀8:30!又要祈禱!" 之後愕然驚醒, 聚會已經完結, 忽然有一陣釋放的感覺。 

我點解可以堅持40日, 不間斷地每晚8:30祈禱? 源於幾年前, 我同某個弟兄嘗試過20日, 從不間斷晚晚聚會.  連他要到亞洲公幹出差, 都仍然保持約會. 如果這個並非40日的禱告旅程, 而是40週, 40個月, 40年..... 我們家庭生活, 個人生活, 靈命會去到什麼地步呢? 某程度上, 可以堅持40日禱告, 是直得驕傲，但有一點兒驕傲, 就進入犯罪. 

祈禱不應是個特別事項,或特別嘅約會, 應該每個基督徒應有的責任、應有的本分、應有的享受.

I sleep at the same time

COVID19 - School Closure - Day 157  School Reopens - Day 132

One week long... one week strong.  33 more days to go.

I'm still amazed... every night... we have consistently 4-5 families that join.  We encountered our first trials on Friday and Saturday nights... when some families are busy.  I was especially nervous on Saturday when it was just me and Kit-Yuk.  But y'know... when it was just me and Stan... or just me and Joshua on FOTA... we prayed fervently for an hour.  

Kinda cool that Ken shared tonight... that initially... he didn't reply to my email because he was in disbelief.  And he was trying to find a way to say no.  Thank goodness he didn't... because this test of faith is for more than just me.  He goes on to say that... every night, for the past 7 days, he still sleeps at the same time.  He still gets the same things done.  So he starts wondering... if he didn't pray for those 20 minutes... where would that time have gone?

The novelty has worn off.  Now's the time to really see who's in this for the long haul.  

One week long... one week strong.  33 more days to go.  

Of such little faith...

 COVID19 - School Closure - Day 157  School Reopens - Day 125

Church kicked off a 40 day prayer journey today and I had the whim to start a 40 day (night) Prayer Altar.  I asked a few people to co-lead this with me... got 2 response.  The other people aren't responding cuz they're too busy? (it's vacation...and the weekend) or they didn't see it? Can't they even give me the courtesy of a "No?"  A no response means what?

At 7:30PM, Ken sent out a text reminding everyone about this.  Good... Ken and Hody were gonna show up.  Around 8:25PM... I started getting nervous. What if it's just me? Sigh... 

8:28PM - I log in and started playing background music.  Joyce is at the couch playing with her phone.  

Tic-toc, tic-toc... 

8:29PM.  At the very least.. I can pray by myself.  That's what Jesus did for 40 days and 40 nights.

Tic-toc... tic-toc...

8:30PM.  Joyce walks around getting water.  She'll join me... I guess.  

Tic-toc... tic-toc....

8:31PM.  Joyce sits down.  I look at her and shake my head.  Sigh.... Husband and wife prayer altar.  That's a beautiful thing.

Tic-toc... tic-toc....

8:32PM.  Two minutes... people are normally 4-5 minutes late.  This is normal.  Ken and Hody will show up.  They always do.  

Tic-toc... tic-toc....

8:33PM.  I click on the participants list... "Henry (Host)".  Sigh.... Just another one of my crazy ideas.  People are busy.  They're putting their kids to sleep.  They're bathing their kids.  They're eating.  People have a routine.  I think to myself... should I have polled everyone?? Should I have gotten a majority to agree on the time??

Tic-toc...tic-toc....

8:34PM.  *BING*  Joyce gets a text.  Then another. Then another.  "They can't get in."  

CRAP!! I did it again.  Must've sent out the wrong link.  Hate doing that.  Then I get screenshots.  Then I get a text saying the link in Whatsapp is different than in the email (People read the email?!?!?)  

Tic-toc... Tic-toc.... 

8:35PM.  Re-sent new link.  Didn't know what happened... got 5 families online!! With a 6th struggling, but joining.  

Started late.  Ended late.  I hate being late.  I hate going long.  I hate breaking my promise of "15-20 minutes."  Was about to cut it short after 2 rounds... but not tonight.  Not the first night.  Not when the Holy Spirit is saying... "It's worth it.  I'm worth it."  

Final round of prayers... I started weeping.  One by one, we declared our sonship and daughtership.  And as I wrapped it up... my voice started to crack.  Ohhhhh... of such little faith.  Eden Fellowship.  We may seem disjointed.  Dis-interested.  Dis-combobulated.  But Eden... are all children of God.  

Amen.  

39 nine days to go.  Will we finish our journey???