Prayer Request 6/28--7/4

Tuesday
Those government officials who take advantage of the time before their mandatory retirement at 60 years of age to embezzle funds are called “The Corrupted 59”. Many think this is the best opportunity they will have to fatten their purses before they lose power and influence. The inability to keep one’s integrity in old age is a problem both in secular and church circles. Let us pray for tens of thousands of church workers who have risen to leadership and are handling large amounts of money .

Wednesday
Chinese companies have made several high-profile bids for American companies such as Maytag (appliance maker) and Unocal (an energy company). Unlike the Japanese and Korean companies that are flushed with cash, Chinese companies are buying foreign brands instead of developing their own brands. Chinese church leaders who have not had a denominational influence for half a century, prefer to have their own worship styles and even indigenous theologies. Let us pray for the vision of mission and adherence to Biblical principles for all Chinese churches .

Thursday
The two trains on which smuggled babies are taken to Beijing are K168 and K22. The baby-selling trade continues to thrive because of “Buy a baby for 200 yuan in poor Guangxi and sell it for 10,000 yuan in Beijing.” Poor parents sell their babies to make ends meet. In Guangxi, the few churches are usually weak. Many people have ever heard about how God gave His Son for us. Let us pray for special evangelistic efforts to being the gospel to these impoverished regions.

Friday
The first non-profit hospital in China is facing a financial crisis. Many of the patients think it is a free service and abuse the system, even refusing to pay any fee in the Shanghai Charity Hospital. Abuse of charity is an age-old Chinese problem. Many believers are accustomed to gifts and outside subsidies. Let us pray for more Chinese believers who will be generous and charitable with what God has entrusted to them .

Saturday
There were 1.5 million documented cases of induced abortions in 2002, according to officials. Nearly one quarter of them was performed on teenagers. In May, the first teen pregnancy center opened in Henan, and provided services to 30 teenagers. With teenagers experiencing sex and a lack of sex education, teen pregnancy is no longer uncommon, despite the availability of over-the-counter abortion pills. Let us pray for this alarming trend and what churches can offer .

Sunday
Government cracked down a Gonzi scam involving 500,000 people from 30 provinces. News labels it as an “Financial cult”. The scheme featured both charitable causes purportedly to help the poor villagers and promised huge return for promoting nutritional supplements. There are so many get-rich schemes in China now a day. Let us pray for the guarding of hearts of believers, from greed and temptations .

Monday
Despite the national policy of mandatory cremation, many continue the burial practice, by simply paying a “penalty” of 3000 yuans. Many also chose to pay for a much larger fine to have a “secret” second or third child, despite of one-child policy. Paying fines to circumvent the law is the way of life in China. Let us pray for believers who must deal with these ethical decisions on a daily basis .

星期二
「59歲現象」指臨近60歲的有權勢政商人物在退休之前利用權力狠撈一把的現象，被媒體喻為新世紀腐敗之最。「有權不用過期作廢」的觀念引誘人心，貪污瀆職「晚節不保」的情形不僅年輕化，也遍及各階層各行業。讓我們為眾教會的領袖同工們守望禱告，求主保守他們手潔心清，堅持抗拒瑪門的試探，在經管錢財時活出生命的見証來榮耀神。

星期三
近來中國財團頻出高價收購美國的大公司如美泰家電(Maytag)，加州聯合石油(Unocal Corp)等，作風令人矚目。有別於日、韓財團的經營策略，中國人不自創品牌，反而通過收來打入市場。半世紀以來國內環境的關係，教會的領袖們能幸免涉入教派之爭，且發展出本土特色的宗教體系。讓我們為所有中國教會的異象和堅守聖經原則來禱告。

星期四
非法販賣嬰孩的交易持續火紅，在廣西可花200人民幣買個嬰孩，到北京可以10,000元高價賣出。168和 22號列車成了兩條從廣西走私嬰孩到北京的專送列車，許多家貧的父母在此與他們的親骨肉揮淚永別。廣西少數的教會多為屬靈的嬰兒，許多人甚至未聽過神賜愛子的基本福音。讓我們為該地的事工同心代禱，求主大大憐憫施恩在這片貧瘠的區域。

星期五
上海慈愛醫院是國內首家私人經營的慈善醫院，許多民眾以「貧困」之名要求減免費用，開業四個月來一直虧損。中國現行法規，限制民營醫院不能接受善款的捐助，致使醫院不堪重負。濫用慈善資源一直是許多國人的老毛病，許多信徒習慣了接受饋贈和外來補貼，再給的操練便顯得極度缺乏。讓我們求主幫助神兒女能服膺主「施比受有福」的教導，不負神要我們作光作鹽的使命。

星期六
據官方統計2002年國內人工流産總數爲149.3萬例，由於缺乏正確性教育，青少年人工流産約占四分之一。現在青少年性成熟期提前，婚前行爲導至懷孕劇增，並有低齡化趨勢。河南首家青少年意外妊娠援助中心，五月新開張以來，已接診３０多個女孩。讓我們為此社會警訊代禱，也求主預備教會有能力援助青少年來防堵危害他們身心靈的時代破口。

星期日
傳銷被喻為「經濟邪教」，政府近日破獲廣西瑪雅詐騙集團，再次引起社會高度關注。打著「扶貧支農」招牌和誘人紅利來傳銷瑪雅生物霖（靈）營養液，該案有50多萬人被捲入，席捲全國30個省市區。現今國內充斥著各式誘人的致富捷徑，讓我們求主保守信徒的心能以主為滿足，遠離名利的試探，享受聖潔敬虔的得勝生活。

星期一
縱使國家嚴禁土葬政策不變，在有些地方交3,000元人民幣就可以土葬，成了不成文的“變通對策”。關於「一胎化」的生育政策，許多人也採取繳付巨額罰款來秘密養育第二或第三胎的對策。用金錢來徊避法規已成中國式生活的一部份，讓我們為國內眾信徒禱告，在每日面對各種不合神教導的試探時，能分別為聖、堅心仰望神，一一勝過。