PRAYER FOR KEDAH
The state of Kedah is the most ancient in Malaysia with records dating back to the 5th Century. It was once a prosperous centre for traders in the early days, especially those from India and China. This is reflected in the numerous ruined artefacts recovered in Kedah.
Kedah is known as the “rice bowl’ of the country. Kedah has 9 districts as in the map below:
I) Scriptures:
1 “Arise, shine, for your light has come,
and the glory of the Lord rises upon you.
2 See, darkness covers the earth
and thick darkness is over the peoples,
but the Lord rises upon you
and his glory appears over you.”
Isaiah 60: 1-2
“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
Joshua 1: 9
- Pray for the churches in Kedah to arise and shine, and not be afraid of the challenges facing them; and wisdom for the church leaders as well as courage to be the salt and light for the people in Kedah.
II) Major Concerns for Kedah:
- As of 2010, the population of Kedah is 77.2% Muslim, 14.2% Buddhist, 6.7% Hindu, 0.8% Christian, 0.6% unknown / none, 0.3% Taoist or Chinese religion followers, 0.1% followers of other religions, and 0.1% non-religious.
- Kedah is ruled by the PAS government. Development is slow in the state with roads not repaired, and also poor management of funds by the state government.
- Kedah faces the problems of high rates of drug addiction, truancy and other social issues where the poor is neglected.
- The main religion in Kedah is Islam, where the Zahir Mosque in Alor Setar is the state mosque. There are also major Thai Buddhist temples in Kedah. These temples are built in Kota Setar district (Alor Setar), Kubang Pasu district, Pendang district, and Kuala Muda district (Sungai Petani). Hinduism is also -significant in Kedah. Hindu temples are built in the Kota Setar district (Alor Setar), Kuala Muda district (Sungai Petani) and Langkawi district. Pray over these strongholds in the state of Kedah.
- Logging, deforestation and massive flooding are still rampant in this state.
- Human trafficking/smuggling is high in this state.
- The number of refugees/stateless people is high in this state.
- The following information is found at the chart below:
- More elderly people in Kedah
- Unemployment rate is high
- GDP dropped in the last two years: 2020-2021
- Slow birth rate in Kedah state
- There are 49 churches in Kedah. Pray for more churches to be planted in this state.
- There is a large number of poor people in this state, and abuses in families are quite rampant as well.
Source: Department of Statistics, Malaysia
III) Cleansing of the land
Kedah has Gunung Jerai as the “Kedah Peak”, as it is the highest peak of the state and it is filled with many beautiful flora and fauna. Now it has become a resort park and is a local tourist attraction for those who want to have a vacation in a very cooling atmosphere where families come together to bond with one another from all states and all walks of life.
Please declare Isaiah 2:2 over Kedah for Gunung Jerai: “In the last days, the mountain of the LORD’s house will be the highest of all— the most important place on earth. It will be raised above the other hills, and people from all over the world will stream there to worship.”
- Pray that one day Gunung Jerai will be called a mountain that will glorify God and God will consecrate this mountain for Himself, and all people from all walks of life will come to worship Him in this mountain, and it will be a beacon to attract those who come to this mountain for their vacation there.
- Pray that the people who visit Gunung Jerai will be able to enjoy the presence of God and appreciate His creation as they take their vacation there.
- Pray that as families come together to enjoy their vacation and the fresh air in Gunung Jerai, there will be restoration of relationships and bonds.
- Pray that the business in Gunung Jerai will be prosperous as more visitors are attracted to visit this mountain.
- Pray that the house of prayers to the Lord will start from Gunung Jerai, and that Gunung Jerai will be a holy mountain for the Lord.
Langkawi
The name Langkawi is thought to have existed by the early 15th century, although in the 16th century the island of Langkawi was also marked on maps variously as Langa, Langka, Lansura, and Langapura.
There are many suggestions for the origin of the name of Langkawi. According to one interpretation, Langkawi means island of the reddish-brown eagle, a Brahminy kite in colloquial Malay. The Malay word for eagle is helang (colloquially shortened to lang), and kawi is a red stone used as a chalk to mark goods.[5]This interpretation was used to create the landmark sculpture of an eagle as the symbol of Langkawi at Dataran Helang (Eagle Square) in Kuah.
Declare Isaiah 40: 31 for Langkawi:
“But those who hope in the Lord
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.”
- Pray for Langkawi to be a centre that brings tourists from around the world to know Jesus.
- Pray against the curse of Mahsuri that is upon the land and that the COVID situation will be brought down in this island.
- Pray that God will open the eyes of the churches in Langkawi, to be the salt and light to those around them.
- Pray for God to restore the economy in Langkawi and create more job opportunities there.
- Pray that prayer mountains will be set up on this island and that it will be a light to point people to Jesus as the churches rise up on the wings of an eagle to manage the situations ahead of them. Pray for more “Daniels” and “Esthers” to lead the people in prayer for this beautiful island of Langkawi.
IV) Key Areas to Pray for Kedah
- Wisdom for Kedah MB and state leadership.
- Good stewardship of state funds.
- Creation of more job opportunities.
- Good economic growth /investors will not shy away.
- Government aid to reach the B40.
- Kedah to flourish as the “Rice Bowl of Malaysia”.
- Pray against rampant logging, rapid deforestation and massive flooding.
- Security along the Thai/Malaysia Borders, especially against human trafficking/smuggling.
- Pray against high truancy rate!
- Pray against high drug addiction!
- Medical and food aids will reach refugees/stateless people.
- The church to be strengthened and equipped, walking in the ministry of reconciliation. Pray that/for:
- the pastors and leaders come together in unity in corporate prayer.
- the raising up of small prayer groups that are equipped for spiritual battles, consistently praying targeted prayers for the church, state and nation.
- they identify various strongholds of darkness, and pray His kingdom come to dismantle all evil schemes of the enemy against the state/ nation.
- the raising up of kingdom-minded spiritual pastors/leaders to lead, guide and empower His sheep for good works.
- the Lord of the harvest to send in labourers to plant churches strategically in the state.