The Best Gift​

As a child, I eagerly awaited birthdays and holidays, excited about the gifts I would receive. Yet, looking back, the greatest gift I ever received wasn’t wrapped in colourful paper — it was the gift of prayer.​

I was a handful back then, always pushing boundaries and testing limits. But my parents never stopped praying for me. They prayed together with my sister and me at bedtime, in the car, when we were ill and on many other occasions. They also prayed alone — I remember Dad camouflaged with the chair in the dark before anyone was awake (and the fright I got when I first noticed him), deep in quiet prayer before starting his day.​

Looking back on who I was and where I am today, I am grateful to have received this precious gift. God assured my parents that they were not alone on this journey of raising me. Their prayers shielded and guided me through life’s challenges. As I grew older, I began to understand the importance of prayer for myself. The more I prayed, the more I saw God’s work in my life. At my baptism in 1998, I shared my personal prayer experience of God protecting my family from a treacherous snowstorm and ensuring our safe passage out of the mountains amidst buried and overturned cars.​

1 Thessalonians 5:17 says, “Pray continually.” Prayer is a relationship—a conversation with a loving Father who cares deeply for us. It aligns our hearts with His will and opens our eyes to His work in our lives and around us. Through prayer, I’ve witnessed God’s faithfulness in answering prayers, sometimes in ways I never expected but always in ways that were best for me.​

As a parent myself now, I often grapple with worries and uncertainties about my children’s future. In a chaotic and unpredictable world, I wonder what challenges they will face and the corresponding decisions they will make. But I draw strength from prayer, and when I recall the many ways He has answered, my faith grows.​

Pregnant at 11 weeks, a sudden rush of blood trickled down while I was in the office. My terrified colleagues were quick to ask me what I needed. I shouted out a list of things, such as calling my husband and my gynaecologist, and I also remembered asking a Christian colleague to pray. My gynaecologist told me over the phone to go to her immediately as it sounded like a miscarriage. Overwhelmed with tears, I surrendered to God in prayer, and He gave me a sudden peace beyond understanding. He whispered, “The baby is okay.” I believed and turned to my husband, repeating those words. He also offered me an assurance found in Isaiah 46:4. Today, Elijah is a healthy 9-year-old boy!​

Philippians 4:6-7 resonates deeply: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” While the worries for my children may linger, I know I can trust in God’s provision and guidance through prayer. Just as my parents prayed for me (and are still doing so), I now lift up my children in daily prayer. I surrender my fears and anxieties, pray for wisdom to parent, for protection over my children’s hearts and minds, and for courage to trust in God’s plan for their lives. Prayer is a gift that connects me to a loving Father whose faithfulness endures to all generations.​

By sister Charlene Goh​