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Reflection on Singapore’s 61^st Year of Nationhood

Elder Jonathan Loo 9 August 2026

          Thank God that since Singapore’s founding, He has given us, generation after generation, leaders who are upright, incorruptible, and true to their word. They have devoted their utmost wisdom and heart, leading the people through wave after wave of hardship and challenge, to bring about the prosperity we enjoy today and the blessedness of living and working in peace.

          Over these sixty-one years, the government has championed equality, racial harmony, care for the needy, diligence and self-reliance, integrity and honesty, and lifelong learning. Above all, it has cultivated a global outlook that frees Singapore from narrow, parochial thinking. Our prosperity and achievements today are plain for all to see. Yet if we indulge in prosperity and are not vigilant, decline could come swiftly. Only by firmly adhering to right conduct and conviction can we secure peace and blessing.

          We can draw a golden rule from the history of the divided kingdoms of Israel and Judah in the Old Testament: Every earthly king will be judged by God, whether he did what was right in God’s eyes or what was evil. The former brought blessing, peace, and strength; the latter brought decline and even the nation’s downfall. This law runs through every nation and every dynasty in the long course of human history, without exception.   

          As children of God living in this blessed land, beyond a heart of gratitude, we bear the responsibilities of citizenship and carry the mission to live as a testimony for our faith. I believe there are at least three things we ought to strive to do.

1. Pray for our nation’s leaders

“…for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way.” (1 Timothy 2:2, ESV)

          As Romans 13:1 (ESV) says, all authority comes from God: “there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God.” To pray for those in authority is to pray for peace in society: asking God to grant justice and fairness, that the nation may be stable and the people spared oppression and injustice.

          Specific areas of intercession include:

          Praying for wisdom and sound counsel — that God would grant our leaders heavenly wisdom, discernment, and the ability to distinguish good from evil, so that in governing the nation and shaping policy they may act with fairness and justice.

          Praying for a humble and upright heart — that their thoughts and intentions are governed by God, curbing selfishness, pride, or evil, so that they may be attentive to the nation’s needs and support the weak.

          Praying for the preservation of justice and peace in society — that they would govern effectively, rewarding good and restraining evil, so that society is spared turmoil and violence, and the people may live in peace and walk in godliness.

          Praying for the leaders’ personal salvation — that God would open the eyes of their hearts and grant them the opportunity to know the truth and to experience God.

2. Pray for ourselves and for all Christians

          Both the church and individual believer are constantly locked in an unceasing struggle against Satan on the spiritual battlefield.

          “Put on the whole armour of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.” (Ephesians 6:11–12, ESV)

          We must pray for the Lord to make us watchful soldiers who never grow slack and victorious warriors who walk in Jesus’ way; furthermore, for Him to revive His church into a lighthouse that illuminates people’s hearts and a place where His living water flows without ceasing.

          We must pray for God to help His children stand as steadfast pillars before the tide of sin and moral decline, unmoved by the rushing current; that they will live boldly and powerfully in holiness and continually radiate the peace of God even amid affliction and hardship.

          We must pray that God will grant His children wisdom to discern good from evil and to remain faithful to God, even unto death; that they may diligently pass on the torch of faith, not drift like fallen leaves carried wherever the wind blows, but stand like trees, deeply rooted and unshaken.

3. Proclaim the gospel of Christ

“Do you not say, ‘There are yet four months, then comes the harvest’? Look, I tell you, lift up your eyes, and see that the fields are white for harvest.” (John 4:35, ESV)

          Without God, no matter how prosperous or wealthy the outward appearance may be, it ultimately amounts to emptiness. People who do not know God endlessly chase fame, status and power, trying to fill the void in their heart which is God’s to fill. Thus, they are blinded by the world’s fleeting things, unaware that the moment they gain the whole world, it would cost them their one and only life, which can never be recovered. What people truly need is not ever-swelling desire, but the salvation God has prepared through Jesus Christ.

          As children of God, we must not join in the tide of the world’s pursuits. May God grant us the wisdom and courage to discern the times, so that we may live simply, work diligently, proclaim the gospel earnestly, and carry the hope of eternal life in Jesus Christ to every soul around us who is living in emptiness.