Date: 05-10-25
Preacher: Ps Colin Wong 
Title: When Heaven is Silent

When Heaven is Silent

The biblical reference for this morning’s message is taken from Psalm 88: 1-18 and I like to think of this morning’s message as the 9-layered kueh. To get maximum satisfaction eating it, one has to peel off the kueh layer by layer.

Ps Colin began by asking the congregation how normally people would react when their prayers seem to go unanswered. He provided many scenarios including one meant in jest that one would start blaming oneself, family members, neighbours, the church etc. He said sometimes there are life lessons to be learnt from unanswered prayers too. 

Then he provided 4 spiritual portions that are both related to the church’s annual theme of praying unceasingly and when Heaven is silent. These are shared below.

1. Praying in desperation and isolation
   
   He provided many scenarios of how we should be doing the above when things are not in our favour.

2. The rhythm of persistent prayer
   
   He shared that our prayers must bear the following characteristics. They should be on a daily basis. We must pray in honesty and we direct our prayers to God alone. He often wondered why God isn’t the first person we approach when we run into problems. He highlighted that quite a lot of people who came to attend his church’s evangelistic healing meetings were those who were end-stage patients. While Ps Colin said he would not want to slight anyone for doing this, he questioned why shouldn’t they seek God and medical consultation at the same time.

3. When God seems absent

   1. Unanswered prayer doesn’t mean unheard prayer

   2. God’s silence doesn’t mean God’s absence

   3. Persistent prayer is an act of faith, not feeling

He then gave some examples of those who were totally disillusioned with shattered faith after encountering hurtful experiences that made them think God had vacated them. Then he reminded the congregation how Jesus himself faced an unanswered prayer at the point of death on the cross. Ps Colin then asked what would have happened and he provided a possible answer that had Jesus been saved at that point, He would have lived forever but we would die forever. I especially like his point c) above in terms of what it means to be persistent in our prayers. It is based on an act of faith and not feeling, which means we will do it regardless of how we feel.

4. What Psalms 88 teaches us?

   1. persistent prayer values the relationship more than the answer

   2. persistent prayer prepares us for God’s timing 

   3. persistent prayer points us to Jesus

Ps Colin said that there are times when we do not know what’s really good for us so unanswered prayers might even be a good thing. He then talked about a relationship with God which is what it is all about in a life with Christ. The timing of when God will answer our prayers, is, of course according to God’s perfect timing to do what and when He chooses to do. Sometimes we can get it all wrong when we pray but since our persistent prayer points us to Jesus, He might change us to nullify the impact of a problem on us instead.