Prayer Request 10/11--10/17

Tuesday
“Quotations from Chairman Mao Zedong”, better know as The Little Red Book in the West, has became a popular book in Taiwan. It was once studied daily and memorized by everyone in China during 1960. Availability of Bible is no longer an issue. However, the reading ability and the nearly-century old translation (Union Version) present great difficulty for many believers. Let us pray for the reading, understanding and applying the Word of God, especially among the rural and less-educated .

Wednesday
What kind of entertainment interest the Beijing youth (12-24)? Internet 40%, sports 20%, television 10. Of those surveyed, 30% spent 10-20 hours weekly online, 40% spent less than 10 hours weekly. Internet has certainly become the media of choice for the young people. There are practically no online Christian content and resources targeting the Chinese youth. Let us remember the effort of churches to reach the college and younger groups .

Thursday
Communist Youth League claims a membership of 70 millions. The theme for this year is “Dedicating the youthfulness to the nation” It is said that 7 millions retired Party members are actively involved in recruiting the youth to the Party.Communist Party recognizes its future lies in the youth. Chinese churches have not yet awakened to this. Let us pray for all the youth in the church, for their spiritual growth. And, also for those whose parents are believers, but do not attend church .

Friday
Within 20 years, foreign fast foods have successfully change the diet of urban youth, munching French fries and sipping cola is so common now. 43% of primary school kids said they like “foreign fast food”, according to a new survey. Chinese churches have not changes its programs or worship format to attract the newer generation. There are a lot more youth in churches in Wenzhou and cities in Fujian. Let us remember the youth ministries here .

Saturday
In the next five years (2006-2010) China will add twenty-seven million people above the age of sixty--from 147 to 173 million. Since sixty-three percent of Chinese men smoke, lung cancer will be one of the leading causes of death in these people. Church congregations are rapidly aging and this trend will definitely continue. Let us pray for vitality, special care, and ministry, such as audio Bibles and larger print books for the older saints.

Sunday
Government has tried unsuccessfully to clamp down the outright abuses at various levels of education. Recent uproar focused on the widespread unauthorized fee collected for English competency testing among the colleges. Parents cannot really question the legitimacy of all kinds of educational fees. For the spiritual education, church has little resource to improve its Sunday School. Let us pray for an investment on curriculum and teacher training .

Monday
China Communist Youth League developed an online game "Anti-Japan War Online". The game will younger players, to learn from history. They will get a patriotic feeling when fighting Japanese invaders to safeguard their motherland. Government wants to revive the anti-Japanese sentiment among the generation who knew little of the WWII. Young Christians today know little of the painful past of the Chinese past either. Let us pray for a new generation who will love the Lord, more than the past .

星期二
曾是六零年代中國人人必讀的「毛主席語錄」，現在也開始在台灣風行。隨著中文聖經在中國的普及，在欣喜之餘同時也反應出，因著閱讀能力與翻譯語法的使用，許多信徒特別是在農村地區和教育程度有限的肢體在閱讀和合本聖經會有困難。願賜智慧與啟示的靈，使中國信徒能夠更加明白、了解神的道，讓神的道成為腳前的燈與路上的光。

星期三
網絡儼然成為中國青少年最主要的娛樂內容。調查顯示，有將近四成年輕人以此為樂；體育活動約佔二成，電視則佔一成。近三成青少年每週平均上網時數在10-20小時內，四成多在10小時內。網路也是青少年最常接觸的大眾媒體，然而目前卻沒有針對性的基督教資源與信息網站。讓我們在禱告中紀念中國廣大青年信徒，與中國教會在大學校園與青少年事工的擺上。

星期四
7,000萬名共青團團員，日前在中國各地以多種形式展開了「青春獻祖國」主題日活動，從事關心下一代共青工作的黨員，更是高達700多萬人。當中國共產黨已經體認到，青年人就是未來的希望時，中國教會卻還沒有意識到這一點，讓我們為教會青年人的靈命成長禱告，也紀念雙親都是信徒，卻沒有走進教會的青少年。

星期五
二十年間，西方的速食已經徹底地改變中國城市青少年的飲食習慣。根據最新的調查，43%的小學生表示他們喜歡外國的速食，吃薯條、喝可樂，已經是再普遍不過的現象了。在溫州與福建各城市中，有許多的青少年走進教會，但是教會在聚會內容與敬拜方式上，並沒有革新來吸引他們。讓我們在禱告中紀念中國的青少年事工。

星期六
未來的五年內，中國六十歲以上的人口將會增加二千七百萬人，總數由一億四千七百萬增加至一億七千三百萬。國內男性抽煙的比率高達百分之六十三，肺癌將成為這一族群中最主要的死亡原因。教會同樣也將面臨會眾高齡化的問題，讓我們記念他們的各種需要，不論是特殊照護、關懷探訪、聖經影音光碟或便於閱讀的書籍等等，都求主親自預備。

星期日
政府審計部門雖努力改善教育部的財務工作，但國內數所大學考試委員會仍未經批准徑向各地主考單位收取英語能力考試或人文社科項目評審費，家長對各項名目的收費是否合法也無從問起。 在靈命教育上，國內教會受限於資源不足很難改善主日學的教導。讓我們為大力投資於充實教材教法和師資培訓的需要而禱告，求主為國度的拓展豐富預備和供應。

星期一
共青團研發了一項網路線上遊戲『抗日戰爭Online』 (Anti-Japan War Online)，盼望透過遊戲，在保衛領土不受日本入侵的同時，青年玩家能夠產生愛國心，並能從歷史中記取教訓。這世代的年輕人，對第二次世界大戰的認識並不深，同樣的對於過去傳揚福音所遭遇的困難，中國年輕信徒也不了解。盼望這一群新世代的青年人，在安逸中也能盡心盡性盡力愛主我們的神。