More than 15,000 believers. One Church under One Lord.

Coming together to lift up prayers for the nation in this milestone year, a record number of Christians from all over the country gathered in regional centres across Singapore for Day of His Power (DOHP) tonight. 

In celebration of its 30th anniversary, DOHP is holding 30 prayer gatherings over the National Day weekend (August 8-9), including services in English, Mandarin, Tamil and Hokkien.

This is the largest number of regional centres DOHP has seen since the yearly prayer gathering was decentralised in 2022. This year’s DOHP also recorded the highest turnout ever.

Across the 28 centres that held services tonight, there were 15,075 who attended – a significant jump compared to 9,700 in 2024 and 6,800 in 2023. 

This figure is almost double the pre-Covid peak, which saw more than 8,000 in attendance at the Singapore Indoor Stadium. 

Organised by unity movement LoveSingapore, DOHP concludes the 40.Day Prayer season, which is always held in the 40 days leading up to National Day.

“It is so encouraging to see God’s people turn out in the multitudes to pray,” said Pastor Edric Sng, LoveSingapore’s coordinator for the 40.Day season of prayer.

“It’s not about numbers. It’s about prayer. In Revelation 5 and 8, Scripture talks about heavenly bowls of incense being filled with the prayers of God’s people. I believe that tonight, we came together – many streams, in many languages, but as one church – with unity in purpose and spirit.”

This year, LoveSingapore also released a rallying song ahead of the event. Written and performed by one worship team made up of members from different churches, “God of the Nations” is a call not only for the people of God to unite in prayer, but also to consecrate themselves for the Great Commission. 

Kicking off the night with his opening message, LoveSingapore Chairman Pastor Jeff Chong said: “2025 is special because not only is it the 60th year of Singapore’s independence, it also marks the 30th year of Day of His Power.”

“Our prayer is the most precious gift we can present to Singapore on her 60th birthday,” added Ps Jeff, describing DOHP as a “prayer chain stretching across Singapore – from the north to the south, from the east to the west” .

United in worship and prayer

This movement of prayer has indeed grown across the island, from nine DOHP centres last year to 30 this year.

New additions to 2025’s locations include Geylang Chinese Methodist Church, Bukit Panjang Gospel Chapel and Sengkang Methodist Church (SKMC). 

In line with this year’s DOHP theme of “All In”, SKMC also opened its doors to attendees with special needs. 

“No one should be left behind or forgotten. We believe that everyone, regardless of ability, can come together to pray and worship in a safe, loving and non-judgemental environment,” said Dominique Phang, Chairperson of Ohana, a ministry serving those with special needs at SKMC.

“Through DOHP, we hope our friends with special needs will encounter God’s love, find belonging and know that their presence enriches the church family.”

Speaking through his caregiver, Ben Ong, 45, said he decided to attend DOHP because he wanted to “experience how the nation worships and support the Church”.

“My prayer and hope is for more souls to be saved,” he told Salt&Light.

Also attending the service at SKMC was Reverend Lek Yong Teck, President of the Chinese Annual Conference of the Methodist Church in Singapore. 

“We are called to make disciples of all nations, (and) the special needs community is a group of disciples that needs to be included because they are disciples of Christ,” said Rev Lek, who is a strong champion of disability inclusion.

“⁠I believe every person created by God has a spirit within. That spirit can recognise God and cries out, ‘Abba, Father’, even if the person cannot speak or sit still.

“We are called to worship God together in spirit and in truth (John 4:24). Therefore learning to worship and pray together is a means of God’s grace with the same heartbeat of turning all Godward.” 

Turning Singapore Godward

This same spirit of unity was present at other prayer centres, where believers gathered to intercede with one voice. 

All across the island, prayers centred around LoveSingapore’s three strategic priorities of turning Singapore Godward, winning the youth and blessing the nations.

Over at Bethesda Bedok-Tampines Church (BBTC), believers were first led into a time of personal reflection and repentance. 

“⁠Before we pray for the nations, we pray for ourselves that we turn back to you,” said Pastor Adrian Lim from Bethesda Cathedral.

“It’s one thing to come and pray…But are we loving Christ above all else?” he asked.

Praying for God to take away any hearts of stone and replace it with the compassionate heart of Jesus, Ps Adrian said: “⁠God, if we have gone cold or complacent…we seek forgiveness Lord.

“Holy Spirit, turn our hearts to You!”

Sharing a prophetic dream about how time is running out and the second coming of Jesus is imminent, Pastor Edric Sng, Deputy Senior Pastor of BBTC, urged: “We are one day closer to His return…But there are many out there who have yet to know him. 

“These are urgent times. We must do whatever it takes, whatever we can, to turn Singapore Godward.” 

Joining with those around them in prayer, believers then prayed for friends who have yet to know God.

Winning the youth

For the next segment on Winning the Youth, a video interview with two teens was played, showing how all it takes is a simple conversation for God to turn people’s lives around.

“If you’re feeling discouraged because your friends or families are not receptive, remember that planting a seed is an act of faith,” said 16-year-old Jayla, who shared the Gospel with her schoolmate Munxin, 17.

“Don’t underestimate what God can do with that seed. Let’s keep sowing and trusting in God that they will come to Christ.

“Let’s keep saying ‘yes’ to God. Together, let’s win our generation for Jesus!”

Sharing his own story at BBTC, Elder Andy Chua from Bethesda Community said he, too, came to know the Lord during his youth through a Boys’ Brigade officer who spent time with him.

“No long sermon; he just lived out Jesus in a real and consistent way. That planted a seed in my heart. His life made me curious about Jesus, and that’s where I started my journey of faith.

“This kind of encounter is happening among our young people. People believed in us when we were young – now it’s our turn to believe in the next generation.”

Declaring a prayer over themselves, all the young people were then invited to stand and read 1 Timothy 4:12 together, before everyone joined in to pray for Gen Z and Gen Alpha.

Blessing the nations

In the final segment, believers then turned their focus to beyond Singapore, praying for more to get up and go in this decade of missions (2023-2033).

“We go all in to go all out…This is what our final segment is all about,” said Rev Mark Poh, Senior Pastor, Emmanuel Assembly of God.

A video testimony by Pastor James Goh from 3:16 Church was also played.

Sharing how God spoke to his family to be missionaries in Japan, Ps James encouraged everyone: “Let us all pray boldly for Singapore to walk in our destiny. Let us give sacrificially to bless the nations.

“And lastly, for those that God has called, let us go obediently without hesitation.” 

As DOHP came to a close, believers across prayer centres gave thanks to God for 60 years of nationhood.

Amid a time of geopolitical tension, they also prayed for good leaders to govern Singapore and declared God’s light and peace over the country. 

Ending the night of prayer on a high note, the National Anthem was sung in unison.

Unceasing prayer

But just as DOHP’s English and bilingual services were wrapping up, DOHP’s Tamil programme was just beginning over at Parish of Christ Church.

Coming together from different denominations and Indian language groups, 356 Christians gathered for an overnight prayer from 10pm to 5am.

Sharing that it has been more than 20 years since the Indian churches gathered for all-night prayer, Rev Samuel Gift Stephen, Chairman of the Organising Committee for DOHP’s Tamil service, said: “It’s exciting to gather as one Church to participate and seek God’s face all night.”  

“DOHP has given the Indian church a clearer and greater alignment, unity and sense of belonging to the bigger body of Christ,” added Rev Samuel, who is also the Chairman of the Alliance of Indian Ministries (AIM).

“Like in Psalm 133, we trust God for a fresh outpouring of oil on the pastors and the congregation attending this DOHP.” 

Every tribe and tongue

On the morning of August 9, over a thousand Mandarin- and Hokkien-speaking Christians also joined other believers in praise and prayer at two different venues in Bethesda Bedok-Tampines Church.

This is the first time DOHP is holding a Hokkien service.

Although Hokkien congregations are a minority in Singapore, Rev Gilbert Sng, Anchor Pastor for Hokkien DOHP, is heartened that the community is able to participate this year.

“God has not forgotten them,” said Rev Sng who is also a Pastor at Covenant Evangelical Free Church.

“I count it a privilege to join LoveSingapore for this historical movement to gather all Hokkien churches to join the body of Christ to pray in unity for our nation,” said Rev Sng.

Rev Sng estimates that there are over 40 Hokkien services in Singapore. Before the pandemic, this used to be higher at around 70.

Besides praying for Singapore and the nations, believers contended for the salvations of the roughly 240,000 people in Singapore who speak mostly in the dialect, many of whom are illiterate.

Explaining why he felt moved to include a dialect service this year, Rev Dr Chern Hock Chye, Anchor Pastor for Mandarin DOHP, said: “There are many dialect-speaking Singaporeans. Hence, I thought about the possibility of a Hokkien DOHP.

“I hope people of different dialect groups will come to believe in Christ!”

Addressing the Mandarin congregation, Ps Ian Toh, Executive Director, LoveSingapore, invited the Church to a simple and wholehearted “yes”.

Preaching from Matthew 4:19, Ps Ian issued a call: “The same Jesus who once said, ‘Come, follow Me,’ is still calling, and He still turns ordinary people into fishers of men.

“Rooted in the Father’s love and burdened for the shalom of Singapore, we must choose to love a little braver and reach the friends and family already in our lives.

“The Holy Spirit is doing a deeper work no man can do – and yet He graciously invites us to join Him.”

The Chinese and Hokkien DOHPs followed a similar programme as the English services from the night before, with segments focused on turning Singapore Godward, winning the youth and blessing the nations.

“Though we’re from different denominations, I hope the Chinese church in Singapore can come together in unity and intercede for the nation,” said Rev Chern, who is also the Senior Pastor of Renewal Christian Church.

“In God’s kingdom, we are all one family. May our unity bring revival!”

Reporting by Beatrice Wu, Gabriel Ong and Gracia Chiang