The NOW Generation - Bedok Methodist Church

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KIDS ON MISSION Shining for Jesus By Linda Cheam Children’s Ministry Trip to Manila, the Philippines, 8 - 13 December 2008 “In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.” Matthew 5:16 Our Children’s Ministry children certainly shone for Jesus in Manila. They cooperated, worked and performed enthusiastically with the one aim of bringing the love of Jesus to the slum children and the poor living in Manila. Hosted by Oikos Helping Hand Ministry, our team of 13 adults and 17 children performed skits and mimes, led in praise and worship, shared the gospel story, did arts and craft, prayed for individual children, gave hygiene talks and distributed gifts and food rations. Our children’s eyes were opened to an unfamiliar world of poverty and suffering, yet they also learnt and saw for themselves that joy and happiness are not dependent on material blessings or their physical surroundings.
Children in Prayer By Ivy Wong Our BMC children at prayer and intercession? Yes, be amazed! Ivy Wong gleans biblical principles on teaching our children to pray and shares exciting testimonies of our very own children at prayer. Praying from the heart CHILDREN should be taught to pray from young. The earlier their hearts are captivated by God and connected to Him in prayer, the less likely they are to be captivated by the world. Many of us want our children to learn to pray and to pray well. We want our children to be equipped with the know-how of prayer and to pray eloquent prayers. What we sometimes fail to realise is that it is not the techniques or words we use in prayer that matter. Prayer is a matter of the heart. Loving God through prayer A good prayer is one that flows spontaneously from the heart of the person who prays. After all, prayer is about relationship. It is the outpouring of one’s heart to God our Father. Some of the best prayers are really the overflow of emotion from the innermost depths of our being. In prayer, we learn to grow in love in that relationship and in that process, move from distance and fear of God to honesty, boldness, openness, vulnerability, trust and intimacy. The kind of prayer that reaches God’s heart is not necessarily one which sounds impressive to human ears, but a sincere one from the heart. So often in our attempts to craft our prayers, we take the focus away from God. Children should be encouraged to pray short, honest and simple prayers, with the emphasis on what is on their hearts. We can teach them to unmask their feelings and thoughts in prayer so that they come to God with a truthful and sincere heart. I believe if our children are able to build a strong relationship with God in prayer 10 while they are young, there is a better chance of them turning to God in the tumultuous years of adolescence and adulthood. Loving God and others through prayer In prayer, children learn to love God and love others. Without love, our prayers will sound like a clanging cymbal. Love for God and for others must be the motivating force for us to approach Him in prayer for a person or a particular situation. Having said that, we cannot love God enough. So does that mean we are not in the position to pray? Surely not! The good news is that approaching God in prayer with the attitude of a child wanting to commune with his beloved Dad will always lead to a deepening of our relationship with Him. And likewise, when we consistently pray and intercede for others, it will lead us to love them more. With that in mind, it is so important that we pray often if we want to fulfil the greatest commandment of loving God and our
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The NOW Generation - Bedok Methodist Church

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