I will be starting a new quarterly interview series in 2026. I have interviewed lay Christians in 2024 and pastors of various churches in Singapore in 2025. This year, I will be interviewing disciples of Christ who serve God outside the church walls. To kickstart this series, I have Jason Chua, the founder of Burning Hearts.
Related Posts:
- Interviews: Lay Christians in 2024
- Interviews: Pastors of Singapore Churches in 2025
- Interviews: Kingdom Workers in 2026
- All interviews
Who is Jason Chua?
Jason Chua (“Jason”) is the founder of Burning Hearts, formerly known as House of Prayer Singapore (HOPS). Burning Hearts now seeks to establish a modern-day “Antioch” community in Singapore — a house of prayer and a training centre that raises labourers and proclaims the gospel to the nations.
Jason founded it in January 2012 when he was 26. It was birthed out of a youth movement in Singapore called Ignite. It was during the Ignite Conference in 2010 that the vision of “night and day worship and prayer” in response to the worth of Jesus was first given. Before this ministry, Jason served as a youth pastor at The City Church for two years and interned at International House of Prayer in Kansas City for six months.
He is married to Constance, and they have three young children, Nathan, Summer, and Malachi, aged 6, 3 and 2 years old. They are currently attending Sunday Services at The City.
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About Burning Hearts
Can you tell us more about Burning Hearts?
Burning Hearts is a house of prayer where, over the past decade, a generation of young adults has been discipled in an environment centred on the beauty of Jesus and the authority of His Word. Through a consistent rhythm of worship, prayer, and fasting, we found ourselves drawn deeply into the Word of God. In turn, our hearts burn with the desire of Jesus like the two disciples on the road to Emmaus.
On the 10th anniversary of Burning Hearts, while in Israel on 7 July 2022, we were seized by the anguish of Jesus (Matthew 23:37–39) and the apostolic burden carried by Paul (Romans 9–11). From that encounter came a clear vision to establish a modern-day “Antioch” community in Singapore.
It is envisioned to be a house of prayer and a training centre that raises labourers in an environment of prayer and worship, engages in eschatological discipleship and proclaims the gospel to the nations through missions. We desire to prepare the way for the salvation of Israel and hasten the return of Jesus, that He may receive His inheritance in Israel and among the nations. This journey with Burning Hearts has set our feet to running back to Jerusalem (Luke 24:27–35) with the gospel.
Is Burning Hearts a church or part of a church?
Burning Hearts has been operating as an independent para church organisation since its inception. We have good relationships with various churches, and some of the leadership are part of our board of advisors to ensure accountability.
We don’t call ourselves a local church because there are certain responsibilities and expectations that a local church carries that we don’t have the means to. And we don’t assume to have the spiritual authority over people who come to Burning Hearts.
What do people experience in the Burning Hearts prayer room?
The prayer culture developed at Burning Hearts revolves around four key values: the beauty of Jesus, praying Scripture, worship-driven prayer, and team ministry. The focus is not on a list of agendas but on ministering to Jesus through prayer and song.
Everyone in the prayer room understands that they are not there primarily for themselves but to minister to the only audience in the room, which is God Himself. We serve one another as we minister together before Him, and this is why we call it team ministry. In some sense, we have created an environment where everyone feels empowered to pray and minister to the Lord.
There are two key platforms for this:
First, Antioch Rhythms is the core rhythm of Burning Hearts, and we refine it annually. It’s a model to invite anyone who wants to build their lives around an intentional rhythm of worship, prayer and discipleship in the Word amidst the pace and life in Singapore. We don’t dictate how people are involved in this, except for the volunteers who are giving their time and talent to serve in the prayer room.
For those who spend extended time in the prayer room, their capacity to linger and wait on the Lord increases. You will also see people anchoring their prayers in Scripture and praying in alignment with what He desires to do.
Second, Wilderness is a full-time 21-day school where students are equipped and trained in a community to establish a culture of prayer and engage in discipleship with the end in mind. This is usually for people who are in transition, feel called to full-time ministry and missions, or are in a season of waiting for their next step.
The Past
Looking back…
How did you come to accept Christ?
I was born into a staunch Buddhist family, and I grew up visiting a house temple every Sunday. My grandfather was the chief mediator who translated people’s prayer requests for the temple medium. I grew up watching mortal men enter into trances and do things that a human should not and cannot do. I was afraid and convinced that these “gods” were real and powerful.
Whenever my friends in school invited me to church, I would intimidate and threaten them with my “gods” and distance myself from Christianity. My grandfather told me that Christianity is a Western religion. When he found out that my brother (his eldest grandson) had converted to Christianity, he was heartbroken. As this Christianity seemed to cause pain to the people I loved, I never wanted to have anything to do with it.
On 18 March 2000, my brother brought a few of his cell group members over to our house. They were friendly and very intentional about engaging me in conversation. Knowing that I enjoyed playing soccer, they invited me to join their weekly soccer game after their Sunday service. Thus, I decided to join them for church service the next day.
Although I was sceptical when I attended, I had an encounter with God during the church service at Cornerstone Community Church. Pastor Yang gave an altar call and said, “If you want a fresh baptism of the Holy Spirit, run to the altar and present yourself before God.” At least a hundred young people rushed to the front, wailing and crying uncontrollably. I was caught off guard and felt a surge of fear, but it was a good kind of fear.
In that moment, I sensed an “Invisible Being” standing directly in front of me, placing His hand on my heart and gripping it. I was familiar with spiritual things, but this startled me. One of my brother’s friends noticed something amiss and asked if I was okay. He soon discerned that I was having an encounter with the Lord and asked me, “Do you want to receive Jesus into your heart?”
My usual response would be a definite “no,” because I would be reminded of my grandfather’s heartache. Yet, my response this time was, “I don’t know.” He replied, “It’s either yes or no,” and I knew I had to say “yes,” because I was feeling an unusual fear, though there was also an unfamiliar sense of love at the same time. Once I said “yes,” that hand instantly loosened its grip, and what I felt in my heart was, “I don’t want that hand to leave.”
Ever since then, I have found myself returning, seeking that same hand that held my heart. 25 years on, I am still in that pursuit: to have His hand holding my heart, and to allow His love to define and refine me.
How were you called to start Burning Hearts?
In my teens, I knew God had called me into full‑time ministry and missions to the nations, but I never envisioned myself building a house of prayer. I was captivated by the idea of becoming an anointed preacher and ministry leader who would impact nations. So I gave my life to striving for that, trying to find my significance in my ability to mobilise and do radical things for God. But over time, the disconnect between what I proclaimed publicly and who I was privately grew wider, causing me to question my faith. Eventually, that inner fracture led to burnout.
It was at the end of myself that the Lord broke into my life with a familiar, almost nostalgic presence, one that brought me back to the moment He first found me. He came with one question that changed the trajectory of my life and set me on the path I walk today: “Jason, if I were to take away all the good things in your life, what would be the one thing that remains?”
I could have offered Him all the “right” answers from the Bible, but deep down I knew He wasn’t looking for them. He was looking for His Word engraved on my heart. Just as I realised how empty my heart had become, I felt the hand of the Lord gripping my heart with this word: “From everlasting to everlasting, from beginning to the end, I gave everything just so that I can have this one thing: your heart.”
After this encounter with the Lord, I laid down every ministry responsibility, flew to Kansas City and spent six months in the prayer room at the International House of Prayer. I went searching for my heart, but I ended up finding His heart after a prolonged period of praying the Scriptures, specifically John 17:24.
Towards the end of my time in Kansas City, in November 2011, God gave me two Bible chapters that would become foundational in building the house of prayer in Singapore. The first was 2 Samuel 7, where the Lord seeks out the “Davids”, a people of one thing, whose agenda is to build God a resting place. The second was Acts 13, where the Lord searches for a priestly community consumed by His Word, and becomes the very word He sends forth to the nations.
With these two Scriptures, I returned to Singapore and began a weekly prayer meeting. Over time, it grew into a praying community that has been expressing these two biblical realities for the past 13 years.
How did Burning Hearts end up at 66 Kampong Bugis?
We have seen the Lord break through for us in big and small ways whenever we choose obedience, even when it seems foolish and illogical. We emptied our bank account to move into 66 Kampong Bugis, even though we didn’t have enough finances to sustain it. It felt illogical, yet we held onto His word — that in our seventh year He would give us a place of rest to establish night‑and‑day prayer and raise people of understanding — and we ran with it. Month after month, over the past six years, even through Covid, the Lord has faithfully provided for us.
We did not fully understand why the Lord asked us to take the space just before COVID-19. We reopened the prayer room shortly after the pandemic, and remained faithful in coming in and out of that small room even though it was often empty. Then, suddenly, in May 2023, a 21‑day global fast for Israel was called, and we responded and became the regional hub to pray for Israel through the Isaiah 62 Fast. Within 40 days, from an empty prayer room, night‑and‑day worship and prayer for Israel filled 66 Kampong Bugis for 21 days without ceasing. Out of that fast, a 21‑day school called Wilderness was birthed in September 2023.
We never expected this to be how the Lord would lead us into establishing night and day prayer. We had a plan, but Covid disrupted it, and we witnessed His sovereign hand guiding us to something far better than what we had in mind. Honestly, this outweighs every challenge we face, because we get to see God do what no human effort ever could. And this encourages us more than anything else.
What are the most memorable lessons you had?
After doing this for the last 13 years, I’ve realised there is a difference between productivity and fruitfulness. Productivity stems from our ability to produce our desired results in the shortest time. Fruitfulness, however, comes from God’s ability to form in us what He desires as we abide in Him over time.
For example, during COVID-19, even when the prayer room was often empty, the Lord continues to bear fruit in us as He met us when we studied the Scripture as a community, led us to places such as Israel and connected us with people we never expected to meet, people who shaped us into who we are today.
We live in a city that glorifies and rewards human ability to achieve much, produce visible results, create impact, and be highly efficient because we mistake it for fruitfulness. The truth is, we can do all these without God. At the end of the day, all these things built through human efforts and human wisdom will come to nothing. The only thing that remains is the fruit cultivated through the slow process of abiding in Jesus. Jesus makes it very clear in John 15: Whoever abides in the Vine will bear much fruit; apart from Him, we can do nothing.
Most of the time, this process of abiding feels mundane, ordinary, slow, and even unproductive. Yet it is in those moments, when we are in touch with our own barrenness, that God does His deepest work of formation. It is in the wilderness that God reveals Himself to Israel, His people. It was in the wilderness that the word of God came to John after 30 years, making him a voice for a brief six months. To be faithful in the mundane and to do the small things that matter to God over decades is what true radical Christianity looks like.
If I could summarise the most memorable lesson or insight after serving in Burning Hearts, it would be this: God’s evaluation of success is not the same as that of this world.
If given a chance to return in time, is there anything you would do differently?
If I were to return to the foundational years of Burning Hearts, I would spend less time chasing after ministry platforms and ministry impact. Instead, I will spend more time building a simple and small community of people who love Jesus, such as by having a more regular time of worshipping and praying, a more dedicated time to study and converse around Scriptures, and having lots of fun and meals together to build genuine affection and friendship with one another.
At a personal level, it is to sit under leaders and surround myself with people who are truly fruitful in their walk with God, carrying the wisdom of God that is not bound by the fear of man. So that they will be honest and real, yet with compassion and grace to tell me the areas I need to work on in my life for me to bear fruit in Christ.
Were there moments you felt like giving up?
The most challenging and discouraging times are often tied to relational dynamics and the lack of financial resources.
Leadership is challenging because I have to learn to embrace and work with a diverse group of personalities. The reality is, we are all broken and weak people. There are seasons when I must manage the relational dynamics within our community as we wrestle through our differences and even our failures. Those moments were emotionally draining and mentally stressful.
At the same time, we know that this is the real work of ministry. It is more than just accomplishing a mission, but the formation process. We learn to persevere in love, grow in humility, forgive, carry one another’s burdens and cover one another’s weaknesses.
What kept me going was understanding what God is looking for — ministry is not just about accomplishing a mission, but becoming mature people fully aligned with the Person of Christ.
Also, when we faced financial limitations as a family, I would contemplate quitting and doing something else to ensure I have enough to upkeep our family. Yet, in those seasons of struggles, we often see God’s provision through unexpected means and different people. That gave us the courage to keep going, knowing that God also knows our needs and He is taking care of us.
Anything to make you say “God works all things good”?
One of the most challenging seasons of my life in ministry was the end of 2023. At the height of everything that unfolded after the global fast for Israel, Mike Bickle was exposed for serious hidden sin. He was the very person whose life and message had shaped hundreds of thousands of people, including myself. The news sent shockwaves around the world, especially among those involved in the prayer movement. Many of my friends were deeply offended and disappointed. Some even walked away from their faith because of the scandal itself and the way Advocate Group and the IHOPKC leadership team handled the issue.
The crisis at IHOPKC had exposed serious gaps in ministry structure that were affecting relational dynamics within the community. It also confronted the idolatry we had unintentionally built in our hearts toward leaders and toward the “movement” itself.
I needed an entire year to grieve the loss of a leader who had so profoundly impacted my life. I also had to mend relationships, pastorally care for many who were hurt, dig deeply into Scripture myself, and deliberately slow down to rebuild the organisational structure so that people could grow in a holistic, healthy environment.
Though 2023–2024 was an intensely painful season, we have seen the Lord rebuild and strengthen the very areas where we were weak. Without that painful process, I do not believe we would be in the healthier and more hopeful place we are in today as a ministry.
The Present
Looking at now…
What is the “job scope” as a founder of Burning Hearts?
I wear many hats. For one, I serve as a Director of the organisation to ensure the governance structure is healthy and sustainable to serve the vision and the mission of Burning Hearts. Also, I lead the staff team to run our day-to-day operations in Burning Hearts.
Above all else, my primary function is to stand before God as priest, keeping the rhythm of worship and prayer by being present in the prayer room, and disciple the community through the engagement of the scriptures.
How can churches partner with Burning Hearts?
We have collaborated with various local churches, but they are usually event-oriented. For example, in the past, we partnered with Payar Lebar Methodist Church and Riverlife Church for Burning Heart conferences. The City has also graciously opened up their space for Burning Hearts and Isaiah 62 fast from 2016 to 2029.
What we hope to see is greater partnership and collaboration between Burning Hearts and local churches to raise labourers who will engage in the Great Commission. Church leaders can send their people to journey with us for a period, where they will immerse themselves in an environment of prayer and worship. They will serve in our weekly prayer watches, be equipped with our discipleship tools, and participate in community discipleship as we engage in the Word and in local outreaches to the poor.
Or to join us for Wilderness, where students are trained with us, and we partner with the local churches to co-send these labourers into the nations.
One of the values we carry is to be a friend of the Bridegroom. This means preparing His Church in wholehearted love for Jesus and His second coming. People from various churches come to Burning Hearts, and for those impacted, we encouraged them this: “Bring that same value and spirit back to your local church, and serve the people there with humility.”
What are the challenges serving in this ministry compared to a ‘normal’ pastor or a full-time church worker?
Sustaining a lifestyle and culture of prayer and worship in Singapore is like swimming against the current of social norms, from the most practical issues of livelihood to the deeply spiritual work of keeping our hearts tender before Jesus. The temptation to quit this ministry is real in a city where the comforts and pleasures of this age constantly contend for our affections and worship.
Moreover, a full-time ministry focused on prayer and worship remains a foreign concept, at least in the early years of my journey. When people think of full-time ministry, they usually picture pastoral ministry within a local church or missionaries sent to the nations and unreached people groups.
Prayer and worship transcend what the eye can see. Its impact cannot be measured in numbers or visible results. We simply cannot quantify it. And because the work of prayer and worship is more intangible than other ministries, the challenge of raising financial support is greater. So until people truly recognise the value of this ministry, raising funds for it will always be difficult.
Yet what gives us courage to persevere is that there are people who do see its value. In the same way King David valued the ministry before the Lord so highly that he appointed 288 prophetic singers, 4,000 musicians, and 4,000 gatekeepers to minister day and night (1 Chronicles 23–25), we have witnessed men and women sow extravagantly into Burning Hearts and into our lives. They do so not because they are primarily impressed by us or by visible outcomes, but because they see the ultimate impact: the pleasure and glory of the Lord Himself.
How do you deal with difficult people or people who don’t like you?
Depends on our relationship and the circumstances. If it is someone I have no relationship with or do not know, I generally do not engage or entertain them.
On the other hand, if I already have a relationship with them, my approach is to choose humility by initiating a one-on-one conversation. I want to hear them out, address any undercurrents, and resolve any personal offence or grudge they may have towards me. If they are unwilling, I’ll involve a neutral third party to serve as an unbiased mediator and help work toward reconciliation.
If the situation extends beyond me and is affecting others, I will be firmer in pursuing a resolution. I will correct falsehoods and clarify the ambiguous. If I am truly in the wrong, I will take responsibility and make things right for my mistakes. If the situation cannot be resolved at our level, I will involve my board of advisors to mediate and work out a process to address and rectify the issues.
At the end of the day, my goal is to reconcile to the best of my ability. If things remain stuck and unresolved, I made a resolve in my heart to never speak badly or tear down that individual before others.
What are the joys of doing what you are doing?
One of the greatest gifts in this journey is the friendships the Lord sovereignly brings into our lives. Even more beautiful is witnessing these friends grow in deeper affections—their love for one another becoming more genuine and selfless, their love for God intensifying, and their hunger for His Word increasing.
In this season, what is God speaking to you about or teaching you?
The Lord is redefining my definition of being His labourer. I used to think of it as someone who is a cross-cultural missionary, a full-time minister, or someone involved in some full-time work tied to a church ministry.
It wasn’t until one morning when I saw a group of mums in the prayer room. They opened their Bibles to pray for the things that we are contending for in Burning Hearts. Then the Lord prompted my heart with this question, “Are these full-time mum labourers? They may not be in the mission field, but their hearts are engaged. They are showing up weekly to intercede, pray the Word, open the Scripture and engage in conversations about the Word with one another. Are they considered My labourers?”
From that day on, the Lord reframed the way I look at labouring. It gives dignity to people who are in a season where they may not be able to “go” but are fully engaged. These mums are as much labourers as those who are in the fields in other nations or full-time ministers. They are labouring through their showing up to pray, to disciple, to model a life for their kids to love God and serve others.
When God seeks labourers, it is more than what you do. It is about how connected your heart is to the things that are on His heart, and then using whatever you have to do His will.
What fruit of the Spirit do you think God is growing in you?
For a long time, I have desired to be one of those whom He can send to other nations to serve in the fields with my family. Yet we also recognise that we have a clear assignment in this season to build in Singapore.
So if there is one thing that the Lord is working on in my heart, it is patience. To be willing to go through the process of formation and wait on the Lord.
What is your bible verse of the season?
I don’t have a bible verse in season, but I do have two anchor scriptures that plumb-line my heart whenever I find myself distracted or lost. The bible verses would be John 17:24 and Psalm 27:4.
Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world.
John 17:24 (NKJV)
One thing I have desired of the Lord,
Psalm 27:4 (NKJV)
That will I seek:
That I may dwell in the house of the Lord
All the days of my life,
To behold the beauty of the Lord,
And to inquire in His temple.
The Future
Look forward…
What’s one piece of advice for people starting their own ministry outside of the church?
Never start a ministry without the guidance and blessing of a few ministry mentors, pastors, and leaders you are accountable to. If you don’t have that yet, take time to pursue those mutual relationships and learn to grow under their leadership and wisdom.
Be willing to embrace the tension that comes with growth. But these relationships will also save you from many heartaches. You will have a sense of safety that comes from knowing that you have people who have your back because they were there with you before any growth.
Where do you think God is leading you next?
As I crossed into my forties, and in this current life stage of raising three young kids, my request to the Lord in this season is to help me remain faithful with what He has given me to steward. From relationships to the word of God, I desire to grow deep roots in everything we carry in this season, and to trust the Lord to bring growth and increase in the community.
I am also building towards a tangible core expression of a biblical community patterned after Acts 13, labouring toward the maturity of the saints. I long to see what God began in Acts 13 through Paul and Barnabas and carried through to its fullness in Romans 9 to 11. It is a vision to see a new breed of labourers who will carry the same burden as Paul, labouring in both prayer and missions toward the gospel, and going back to Jerusalem unto the return of Jesus.
Fun question: What would you be doing if you did not choose this path?
Probably a carpenter.
Editor’s Note
We thank Jason Chua for sharing his journey and insights as he faithfully builds a community that prays and ministers to the Lord. As I edit this interview, I sense his strong mission to gather and prepare for the end times, a call in the wilderness to those who have ears to hear. If this post speaks to you, leave a comment or send us a message to encourage Jason Chua.
If you liked this, you may enjoy reading other interviews too: shema-rhema.com/blog/category/interviews
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