Pray
for Jakarta
On January 14th 2016 there were multiple attacks in Jakarta
resulting in seven deaths and major disruptions. Understandably, the event
attracted much attention in Indonesia and its SE Asia neighbours, even if
struggling to draw much media attention outside of the region. Concerns were
heightened when Islamic State connections claimed responsibility. Is the
current wave of Syrian/ Iraqi radical Islam coming to SE Asia? How will it
affect Thailand and the Philippines with their Muslim insurgencies and Malaysia
with its Muslim majority in a mixed-faith society? Will Indonesia’s record of
mostly (but not entirely) harmonious relations between its different faith
communities be threatened?
Christian people soon posted calls to ‘Pray for Jakarta on social
media. This is good. Prayer should be the Christian’s first response to
trouble, not the desperate last measure. God is always honoured when we join
King David and cry in anguish to him when there is trouble (eg, Ps 57). Prayer
is also the most practical help we can give – especially when we are remote
from the scene or powerless to do anything more immediate.
How do we ‘Pray for Jakarta’?
It is always good to be thoughtful and intentional in how we pray about
something.
Praying in my name and according to
his will
Jesus promises that Whatever you
ask for in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son
(Jn 14:13). This does not mean that we ask what we want and then add ‘In
Jesus’ name, amen’ as though the Lord’s name is a magical pin number. To pray
in Jesus’ name is to pray as Jesus did and would pray. It is to pray that God’s
name be hallowed, his kingdom extended and his will be done (Matt 6:9-10) in
ways appropriate to the immediate issue.
We are also told that ... if we
ask anything according to his will he hears us. And if we know that he hears us
in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him
(1 Jn 5:14-15). To pray within God’s will is again to pray in a way that is
consistent of what we know of God’s character and desires as revealed through
the Bible and in Jesus. For example, it is right to pray for someone’s
salvation for Scripture tells us that this is what God desires (eg 1 Tim 2:4).
However, it would be wrong to pray for success in a scheme to defraud someone,
for we know that God forbids theft (Ex 20:15). Just as deep knowledge of a
close friend enables us to know what would please them, so the Christian’s deep
knowledge of God enables us to know what pleases him in situations where the
Bible is unclear and can thus guide our prayers.
Thoughtful prayers for Jakarta, or anything else will ask what would
reflect Jesus here and what is within the revealed will and character of God.
Of course, there are times when the agony of the moment overtakes us or we
really don’t know what to pray. This should not paralyse our prayers. In our
weakness we should pour out what is on our heart before God and trust in the
Holy Spirit to make sense of our jumbled feelings and words and turn them into
something worthy of God (Rom 8:26-27).
So, how do we ‘pray for Jakarta’ in a thoughtful way?
Praying for Jakarta
There are several matters for prayer in the Jakarta bombings.
Pray that the Indonesian government (and community organizations) would
be God’s servants in bringing his justice to the wrongdoers and his care to the
victims (Rom 13:4-5). Ask that corruption and lack of resources would not
hinder either justice or care-giving. Effective justice is a deterrent to
potential future wrongdoers and an encouragement for Indonesian people to keep
living life as normal. Effective care-giving reflects God’s heart for the
hurting (eg Jas 1:27), meets care needs and encourages victims to resume normal
life.
The minority Christian churches of Indonesia also have apart to play.
This is an opportunity be light and salt to the watching world which is mostly
Muslim (Matt 5:13-16). Pray that local churches will be quick to extend care to
any affected people from their neighbourhood, to speak and show Jesus through
their good deeds (1 Pet 2:12) and to give a reason for their hope before the capricious
uncertainties of a terrorist attack (1 Pet 3:15).
On a wider level, pray that the Indonesian government would be wise,
fair and balanced in its domestic and foreign policies .. that we may live a peaceful and quiet life (1 Tim 2:2). Such a
life pleases God (for it reflects his orderliness and justice) and it is
conducive to his desire that all are saved through Jesus (1 Tim 2:4). Mixed
countries like Indonesia (and most SE Asian nations) have the potential for
internal fragmentation and conflict resulting in discrimination and oppression
of minorities and disrupted lives for all. It is right to pray that God will
enable the Indonesian government to bring peace and quiet. Such peace is for
the common good of all Indonesians and certainly for the good of its
minorities, including Christian people. As events elsewhere show (including the
history of the church in the first few centuries), the gospel is more likely to
spread and churches to grow, when there is civil peace. Of course, these
prayers can well extend to regional nations and their governments. From love of
God and neighbour, we can pray that such terrorist violence does not spread
further into both Indonesia and SE Asia with the resultant destruction and
destabilisation of individuals, common liberties and civil society.
We should also pray for those who have done or who plot violence. We
should pray that God will bless them in the deepest sense and we can pray for
grace that we are too (including their victims) are a means of that blessing
(Matt 5:43-48; Rom 12:14-21). This is a prayer God will restrain them from
further sins of violence and that he will soften their hearts towards those
whom they hate and hurt.
So, there are prayers to be said for
Indonesian and regional governments, for victims and for the terrorists.
There are yet more prayers in response to the
Jakarta bombings.
Most of us live ordered and care-less lives
in which we assume that the world that we have constructed around us continues
as is. Events such as a terrorist attack (or other disasters) are like an
exclamation mark from eternity. They remind us that we are fragile creatures
whose lives are easily taken. They are occasions to hear the call that we
repent while we can (lest we perish like those caught up in such events) and
that we not presume on the patience of God that is designed to lead to
salvation (Lke 13:1-5; 2 Pet 3:9).
