“One special morning four years ago, God spoke to my wife Lilis and myself that she will be a spiritual mother in a way she has never experienced before,” shared Lead Pastor Ian Toh of 3:16 Church at PraySingapore.
“We were both touched by God and we knew He was preparing us for something amazing to come. That night, Roslina called.”
Roslina was a girl whom Pastor Ian and his wife had been acquainted with after they spoke at a halfway house for juvenile delinquents. Roslina was residing in the halfway house because her parents could not and would not provide for her.
“Roslina seemed so disinterested when I was sharing. In fact, her face was so black that I felt like I had offended her,” Pastor Ian joked.
Who knew that years later, God would bring them together under the same roof: First in church, and later literally under the roof of his home?
Because the same night Pastor Ian and his wife received the word from God, they also received a call from Roslina. She asked if she could stay with them, as she had been told to leave the halfway house but had nowhere to turn to.
“We knew that it was a call from Abba Father not just to open our homes but to open our hearts for His children,” Pastor Ian told attendees of PraySingapore. “That night we received and adopted Roslina into our family. She became our oldest child.”
Four years on, Roslina is now well-settled into her new family. And just as how Pastor Ian and his wife took the radical step of welcoming a stranger into his family, Roslina eventually took the step of reconciling with her biological father.
“God is in the business of bringing His sons and daughters back home, and He is in the business of turning the hearts of children and parents to each other,” he said.
BLESSING THE FAMILY
“I believe God is doing something as we declare the words of life into the atmosphere,” Pastor Ian said as he led the crowd to stand and prophetically declare Malachi 4:5-6 together – thrice, as a mark of confirmation and completion.
“See, I will send the prophet Elijah to you before that great and dreadful day of the Lord comes. He will turn the hearts of the parents to their children, and the hearts of the children to their parents; or else I will come and strike the land with total destruction.” (Malachi 4:5-6)
“God is bringing about restoration, reconciliation and redemption!” Pastor Ian cried. “He’s here to hear your pleas for your son, daughters, mother, and father!”
“God is bringing about restoration, reconciliation and redemption!”
He then led the tens of thousands in the National Stadium in interceding for the salvation of their unsaved loved ones.
“We pray now: Save them. Use us to love them. We pray for a mighty harvest to come in the land of Singapore. Your kingdom come, Your will – that none should perish – be done on earth as it is in heaven.”
BLESSING THE NEXT GENERATION
As Pastor Ian concluded the prayer, three local church leaders – Senior Pastor Chern Hock Chye of Renewal Christian Church, Senior Pastor Jeff Chong of Hope Church Singapore, and Senior Pastor Samuel Gift Stephen of Smyrna Assembly – took to the stage, accompanied by a group of children dressed in white.
“We are not praying for gold or silver, but for souls to come into the kingdom,” Pastor Hock Chye began.
Pastor Jeff spoke blessings over the children, representing the next generation in Singapore. “You are not just a good gift to have, but you are God’s sharp arrows. You are the future of family, you are a sign of hope. Be strong in the Spirit and do great exploits for the honour of God’s name.”
In response, the group of children received the blessing with an age-old song known by generations of Christians the world over.
Jesus loves me this I know
For the Bible tells me so
Little ones to Him belong
They are weak but He is strong
Yes, Jesus loves me!
