Singapore
Summary
A Malay trading port known as Temasek existed on the island of Singapore by the 14th century. The settlement changed hands several times in the ensuing centuries and was eventually burned in the 17th century and fell into obscurity. The British founded modern Singapore as a trading colony on the site in 1819. It joined the Malaysian Federation in 1963 but was ousted two years later and became independent. Singapore subsequently became one of the world’s most prosperous countries with strong international trading links (its port is one of the world’s busiest in terms of tonnage handled) and with per capita GDP equal to that of the leading nations of Western Europe. [1]
📷: Wikipedia
Statistics
From the The Joshua Project [2]
In the News
📷: Wikipedia
Prayer Guide
Singaporean society is built on dedicated labour, discipline and self-reliance. These engender stability, good governance and a corruption-resistant culture, but also an emphasis on performance and wealth. Materialism has noticeably increased. Much of Singapore’s affluence is now dependent on imported labour from poorer countries; entire sectors of the nation’s economy would collapse without it. Pray for justice and fair treatment for all those from abroad; despite good legal safeguards, exploitation does exist. Pray that churches might become more active in assisting those at risk. Pray also that the admirable strengths of Singapore might not in themselves become idols.
The many Christian support ministries with national or international impact through involvement in:
a) Literature. There are nearly 100 Christian bookstores and at least 10 publishers of books, magazines and tracts.
b) Radio. FEBC and TWR have offices here, and a host of local Christian radio stations, including Internet radio, cater to diverse interests.
c) Internet ministry abounds, with tech-savvy Christians creating evangelistic and discipleship tools. Most churches have well-developed websites for their members. The dark side of Singapore’s connectivity is a widespread Internet vice – addiction to online gaming is rapidly growing, even among Christians. Pray for the fruitful kingdom use of this particularly potent form of media.
[3]