Prayer Request 5/17- 5/23

Tuesday
Police in Beijing are requiring all drug addicts in the city to register before June 10th or they will be forced to quit in a re-education camp. There is an estimated 26,000 drug addicts in the capital with only 4000 over the age of 35. The vast majority are teenagers. Drug abuse is not limited to cities but is also found in the villages. Many youth now consider the use of drugs as a status symbol. Let us pray for the churches and believers to do their part in this situation

Wednesday
In a recent survey of a large number of youths in Shanghai taken by the Party, they found that 40% of them approve of “extra marital affairs” and 40% also agree that “divorce is acceptable”. Only 20% are opposed to divorce. In many ways Shanghai leads China in its moral standards and the attitude of the youth in China is a good barometer of the thinking of China in the future. We need to diligently pray for the future of Chinese families and the urgent need for evangelism among young people there.

Thursday
Sixty unqualified universities received yellow cards from the Ministry of Education, which required them to restrict enrollment and increase spending on construction. There are 13.33 million college students in China—six times that of 1991. Eight million will take the college entrance exam this year—a million more than last year. There are usually several Bible study groups on each college campus. Invariably this is the first time a young person gets to know about Christianity. Let us remember this incredible outreach in prayer .

Friday
People in China smoke the most (16 cigarettes per person daily vs. 13). Eighty per cent of smokers there have no more than a high school education. The main reasons for smoking are for leisure, looking cool or for relaxing. China is the largest tobacco market in the world. While the government opposes tobacco advertisements, more women and youth now smoke. Again, we pray for all believers who struggle with this bondage .

Saturday
“How do the Party and Islam mix?” A government survey shows that 95% of the Hui minority party members in Gansu are involved in Islamic religious activities. The Communist Party allows certain practices which are “minority customs”. Those who participate in daily religious observances and “refuse to be educated” are expelled. Many Party members are secret believers in Jesus. They fear the exposure, that they will not receive promotions as well as a loss of retirement benefits. We take time to remember all of them and pray for their continuing trust and obedience to the Word .

Sunday
All children in China study the same textbooks, unified since 1951 and aimed to purge all feudal and Fascist ideologies from their minds. The content uniformly glorifies sacrifice for the greater good of the country and patriotism with ample examples of heroes and heroines. It is nearly impossible for a Chinese youth to have any contact with the Bible or the message of Jesus. Let us pray for the efforts of those who are doing child evangelism as well as those who are diligently working to train Sunday school teachers .

Monday
Although the coal miner has the most dangerous job of all, coal mining is at a feverish pitch in China with nearly 5 million people engaged in this job. Last year 6000 people died through accidental death with an equal number dying from chronic exposure in the mines. Due to the demand for production, safety remains merely lip-service. Many rural churches have believers who are families of miners. The lives of miners are harsh, full of spiritual darkness, and with little hope for improvement. Let us pray for people who will minister to the miners and their families. .


星期二
北京的公安部門要求全市所有吸毒者在六月十日前前往登記，否則強制集中勒戒。26,000吸毒者中僅有4,000人年紀超過35歲，大多為青少年。許多年輕人誤以吸食毒品為時尚標誌，濫用毒品情形在農村裡也相當普遍。求神感動眾教會和信徒願意為社會儆醒守望，用行動尋回迷失的羊群。

星期三
近日上海市委一項調查顯示：當代青年的婚戀觀漸趨開放。有40%受訪者對婚外戀持默認寬容的態度；對離婚這個敏感的話題，有41．8％的青年認爲「合則聚，不合則分，沒什麽」，僅有24.3 %的人反對離婚。上海青年觀念引領全國風騷，為解讀中國未來思想發展的晴雨表。我們恆切地為中國家庭的未來禱告。也為這些年輕下一代靈性的迫切需要仰望神的憐憫。

星期四
國內1,838所高校中有60所收到不合格的黃單警告，要求限制招生名額和增加擴建經費。目前全國有1,333萬大學生，是1991年的六倍。今年將有800萬人參加高考，比去年增加了100萬人。許多大學校園裡都有查經班等學生事工活動，無疑是年輕人第一次聽聞福音的機會。 讓我們用禱告托住這善工，求主親自記念祝福。

星期五
每天抽16支香煙的中國人是全世界抽煙最兇的民族(世界平均13支)。80 %煙民的教育程度在高中以下，大多數是男性，不過女性與青年抽煙人口正逐漸增加中。抽煙主要是爲了休閒、形象很酷以及放鬆情緒。中國是世界最大的煙草銷售市場，讓我們再次為所有陷入煙癮的信徒來禱告，求主賜下更新的靈，幫助他們掙脫捆綁，重享新生命。

星期六
「共產黨和斯伊蘭教如何共處？」甘肅政府的調查顯示有95%的回族黨員也參與伊斯蘭教的宗教活動。黨在「尊重少數民族的傳統」的原則下，容許這種情形存在。但參加宗教活動的黨員如拒絕接受「再教育」將被開除黨籍。許多黨員也相信耶穌，卻不敢公開信仰。他們擔心不利升遷，甚至失去退休的福利。讓我們常常為他們禱告，求主堅固他們的信心，靠主分別為聖、謹守真道。

星期日
自1951年迄今，所有中小學生都學習全國統一的教材。編纂依照國家和黨強化統一思想的指示：「肅清青少年所有封建和法西斯主義思想體系、發展爲人民服務思想」內容多是歌頌為社會犧牲奉獻和高度愛國的楷模。在此環境下，年輕人幾乎接觸不到有關聖經或耶穌的資訊。讓我們為負責兒童福音事工的肢體禱告，求主記念他們的擺上，也保守帶領主日學師資陪訓的進展。

星期一
中國煤炭業持續發燒，盈利暴增加上需量大，改善工安僅流於口號。全國500萬礦工中，去年因煤礦事故死亡的人就高達6,027人，再加上肺病等職業病亡故者，礦工真可謂最危險的職業。農村教會許多信徒都來自礦工家庭，在物資艱苦、靈性黑暗的環境中，對前途僅懷極小的希望。讓我們為這群工人與家庭禱告，求主憐憫保守他們，也興起牧者供應靈命上的需要。