Tuesday, April 26, 2005

Prayer Request 4/26 -- 5/2


Tuesday
College students are worshipping at Beijing’s “Sleeping Buddha Temple” (“wo fu shi” which in Mandarin sounds similar to “office”) to seek divine blessing for employment after universities. Nearly 50 % of college grads (estimated 1 million) will not find jobs immediately and join the mass of unemployed millions. The first week of May is the national long holiday, nearly all the universities will have student retreats. Let us pray for their safety and preparing young believers whose devotion for the Lord will not wane after graduation .

Wednesday
China refuses to apologize for weeks long of anti-Japan riots. Tens of thousands demanded boycott of Japanese products in many cities. Prime ministers from Japan and China will meet in Indonesia to discuss the recent deterioration of relationship. We take this time to pray for all the churches and believers in Japan. Japan ranks as one of the least evangelized nation in the world. Let us pray for raising up of Chinese nationals willing to go to Japan as missionaries .

Thursday
Marriage introduction service is a huge business. In Nanjing, there are thousands of such businesses fighting to tap the city’s 400,000 divorcees and nearly 1 million marriageable young people. But, only 170 are legally registered. Young people now look for mates in bars, coffee houses, Internet café and clubs. For Christians, finding a believing mate is often difficult, because female out numbers males.
Let us remember all those who seek to God’s will in selecting their future mate and especially those who remain single to serve the Lord .


Friday
Government used 30 million Yuan (3.6 million USD) from the lottery proceeds to fund 84 homes for homeless children in 2004. These homes provide temporary shelter. There is an estimated 150,000 such children, ranging from 10-15 years old, coming from impoverished villages and are universally illiterate. Let us pray for some believers who will be moved to reach out to this forgotten population with the love of God.

Saturday
A survey of those who were born in the “1980’s” revealed that 97.2 % “plan to marry” and the average age of “planning to have a child” is 29.7 years old. About half said, that having a child adds “enjoyment to family life”. Believers with small children, often find no accommodation or program for the children in church. One hardly sees small children in church meeting. Let us pray for this usual phenomenon and the lack of children care.

Sunday
Young people with drug addiction have suddenly become a major social problem. Five ways youth are tempted to start drug use, “one try will not cause addiction”, “free sample”, “improve health”, “status symbol” and even “weight loss”. Police recorded 850,000 cases in 2000, 80% was young offender. Let us pray for what churches can do to combat this social ill. We too remember several Christian drug rehabilitation programs in Hong Kong and Taiwan.

Monday
Nearly 4 of 15 millions Beijing residents are from other places. A survey shows that 2/3 said their “lives improved” and 1/2 consider the capital as “open and tolerant” despite of low wages and less-than-satisfactory housing. Only 26% consider Beijing as “cocky and inhospitable”. Beijing churches have experience growth in recent years. But, churches remain mostly confined to well educated. Let us pray for more churches opening their doors to minggongs and those who immigrated to the cities.

星期二
北京的臥佛寺因音似英文的公務員 “Office”而廣受高校生的膜拜,希望沾點福氣能在大學畢業後順利找到工作。約有近50%的畢業生(據估有一百萬人)畢業後將因無法立即找到事做而成待業青年,加入新失業群的行列中。五月第一個星期是全國長假,幾乎所有大學都有學生退修營會,讓我們為青年信徒禱告,求主保守他們的安全也裝備青年信徒向主委身,畢業後不致流失,靈命繼續進深。

星期三
許多城市仍有上萬的群眾示威遊行,抵制日貨,中國政府拒絕為反日遊行向日本道歉,兩國總理將會晤於印尼處理日漸惡化的兩國關係。讓我們特別為日本的所有教會和信徒禱告,日本人不易接受基督信仰,被列為福音硬土之一。求主的真理與恩典能澆透人心,也感動更多中國人回應神國度的呼召,願意到日本宣教。

星期四
在中國,開婚姻介紹所是個熱門行業。南京市有170多家各式婚介所搶食市埸上40萬離異人口和1百萬未婚適齡青年的大餅,其中僅有不到10家擁有合法的執照,其餘皆為「黑市」,服務品質堪憂。現在年輕人流行到酒吧、茶吧、網吧和俱樂部找對象。在教會中姊妹的人數遠超過弟兄,要想覓得主內佳婿很不易。讓我們記念所有願意在擇偶上尋求神旨意的肢體。

星期五
民政部於2004年籌集福利彩票公益金3千萬元,資助了84個流浪兒童救護機構。這些庇護所成為街頭流浪兒童暫時安身的避風港,據估全國有15萬這類的流浪兒,他們普遍是文盲,年齡都在10至15歲之間,來自經濟落後的農村地區。 讓我們禱告神能特別施恩憐憫,興起更多有負擔的肢體,願意秉承神的大愛照管這批迷路的羊群。

星期六
一份針對「80年代人」的調查指出:97.2%的人打算結婚,要孩子的平均年齡是29.7歲。一半的人生育孩子的目的是「增添家庭的生活情趣」,傳統的「養兒防老」觀念遠遠落在第6位。國內有幼小孩童的信徒在教會中往往找不到相關的兒童看顧和主日學活動,聚會幾乎看不到幼小孩子。讓我們為此普遍的缺乏仰望神,求主親自開啟育苗固本的聖工。

星期日
青少年吸毒問題已成世界級的危機。毒販引誘無知青少年的五大毒招分別是「吸一兩次不會上癮」、「免費嘗試」、「吸毒治病」、「吸毒是有錢人的標幟」、甚至「吸毒可以減肥」。2000年登記有案的吸毒人數有85萬之眾,83.6%是青少年,有的還不到10歲。求神感動眾教會有愛心和策略參與「反毒爭戰」,成為防堵社會破口的勇士。讓我們也為香港、臺灣許多戒毒更生事工禱告。

星期一
北京1千500萬人當中,將近400萬是外來人口。据民調顯示,有2/3外來戶表示生活改善了;縱使工資低、住屋條件差,仍有1/2認為首都是個「開放和寬容」的城市。僅有26%覺得北京人「神氣活現、不友善」。近年來北京的教會成長很多,但絕大多數會眾是受過良好教育的菁英群,讓我們為這些蒙福的肢體禱告,願主感動更多教會能敞開神家的大門,為主接待也是祂所鍾愛的民工群和外來戶。

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