AN inaugural Bible Reading Marathon was held from 20th July (Sat) to midnight of 21st July (Sun) in conjunction with the 4th Sarawak Day Celebration for the Sarawak Central Zone at Sibu Gateway. Organised by Prayer United1 Malaysia – Sarawak Central Zone, this Bible Reading Marathon purported to pray and to bless Sarawak through the declaration of the Word of God in a public arena.

This 28-hour-round-the-clock marathon saw more than 250 readers from main denomination churches to independent churches in the Sarawak Central Zone come forth and participate in the event, alongside sessions of Praise & Worship, musical drama on Sarawak history, dance and shofar teamed up from different churches. This Bible Reading Marathon was purely a church event of a non-political nature.

Awakening Sarawak – Rediscovering Our Identity: The theme of the Bible Reading Marathon is based on Psalms 57: 7-9 “7My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast; 8Awake, my glory! Awake, lute and harp! I will awaken the dawn. 9I will praise You, O Lord, among the peoples; I will sing to You among the nations.”

This was a fervent and continuous call to all anak-anak Sarawak, particularly Christians in the Sarawak Central Zone to rise up and to heed the call of their first love and their first identities in the restoration of the original identity of Sarawak, to its original blessing, abundance and prosperity.

And why through a Bible Reading Marathon? “For the Word of God is living and powerful, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” (Hebrews 4:12) The declared Word of God speaks life, awakens the slumbering, and heals the weakened. It restores and it establishes.

On a secondary point, the Bible Reading Marathon promotes the importance and the significant of bible reading, as a way of life in daily living for the Christian community at large. From 16-year-olds to 75-year-olds across various race and tribes of Sarawak, chapters from the Old Testament to the complete New Testament was read and declared by faith in the languages of Bahasa Malaysia, English, Mandarin and Iban.

Then why through Prayer United? There’s no better way to please God when the Christian community in Sarawak Central Zone come together as ONE church to pray, to intercede and to bless Sarawak. As ONE FAMILY OF GOD.

To that end, let’s bring ourselves to the last prayer by Jesus, where He prayed for all believers (the church) prior to the capture at the Garden of Gethsemane (John 17: 20-23): “20I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; 21that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You send Me. 22And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: 23I in them, and You in Me that they may be made perfect in one, that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.”

1 Prayer United is an international prayer movement championing unity among main denomination churches and independent churches as ONE body of Christ. In Malaysia, Prayer United allies with various prayer networks who share a common vision to mobilise and to equip nationwide prayer for the blessing, healing and transformation of the nations.

By Hyacintha Wong