Prayer Request 11/8--11/14

Tuesday
"Virtual Cohabitation" has become very popular with the white-collared working class and college students in China. This allows them to share a home complete with a pet and a marriage certificate. Is this generation heading the way of the people at the time of the Cultural Revolution touting the "One cup of water" philosophy (guilt-free intimacy) which was popular then? We need to pray much for this generation of Chinese .

Wednesday
11 provinces will begin to allow rural labors to be residents in their city (hukou system). This will give nearly eighty-seven million migrant workers legal residence in the city. Such a move will resolve legal issues regarding housing, labor, insurance, medical care, and education for children. It will also hasten the exodus of the rural population and potentially further weaken rural house churches. Let us pray for rural believers in cities to find a place of fellowships and worship .

Thursday
The pressure forced on them to study by the schools is the main cause of unhappiness for Chinese students. Half of the fourth graders worry about entrance exams for middle school. By sixth grade the number has increased to sixty-four percent. Christian parents tend to limit their children's activities in the churches fearing they will not have enough time to study. Let us pray for faith and trust in God for all the parents whose children will be taking entrance exams next year .

Friday
The leading cause of deaths among college students is suicide. Nearly 700 students attempt suicide daily. Inability of coping with setbacks and academic disappointments of the “One-child generation” and poor parenting skill (70% of families) are the reasons. Campus ministries cannot possibly reach every student, but let us pray that even some students will hear the good news of Jesus in the time of despair .

Saturday
Nearly half of urban, middle-income married Chinese men have extra-marital affairs. Among the divorced (both male and female) nearly two-thirds have committed adultery. A recent scientific survey confirmed this long-recognized trend. Let us pray for a guarding of the heart among the believers. Traveling alone is the biggest temptation and trap for itinerant church workers .

Sunday
All over China, internet police cracked down on the wide-spread "naked video conversation" and online porn which targets youth. People are encouraged to report to www.cyberpolice.cn Online porn and gambling as well as Christian content are closely monitored by Public Security. Let us pray for wisdom and discernment for the hundreds of thousands of employees of the cyber police division.

Monday
More than a third of China's 573,000 orphans do not receive any financial help or even basic medical care and education. Eighty-six percent of orphans live in rural areas. The "luckiest" ones are the tens of thousands who are adopted out overseas. Jesus said that what we do for the smallest of these we do for Him. Let us remember those Christians who strive to be foster parents and all the orphanages administered by Christian agencies .


星期二
「網絡同居」在中國受到白領階層與大學生的歡迎，虛擬網路城市裡，只要情投意合就可以在虛擬世界裡登記結婚、裝修房子、飼養寵物，甚至生兒育女。這一代，正是中國社會的中間分子，比起成長於「一杯水主義」(意指男女之間發生親密行為如共用同一杯子喝水般)時期的上一代人更前衛，他們開放的性觀念，切切影響著整個中國社會未來的走向。讓我們特別在禱告中記念這個年齡層。

星期三
中國十一個省份將開放外來打工的農民工擁有當地居民的身分。這一改變將使八千七百萬的農民工獲得合法的市民身分，也解決了關於購屋、勞工雇用、保險、醫療照護、甚至子女教育等問題。這一政策也將加速農村人口的外移，衝擊農村教會日趨薄弱，讓我們在禱告中紀念所有的進入城市工作的農村信徒，願他們找尋到合適的教會與團契生活。

星期四
青少年調查顯示：中國學童不快樂的最主要原因，是來自龐大的升學壓力。五成的小學四年級生已經開始擔心往後的中學入學考試；在六年級學生當中，比率上升至百分之六十四。中國父母常會不自覺的限制孩子在教會的活動時間，擔心孩子因而沒時間唸書。讓我們為明年有孩子參加升學考試的父母禱告，求主堅立他們的信心， 並能夠完全的信靠神。

星期五
自殺高居中國大學生死亡原因排行榜的首位，每日約有700名大學生企圖自殺。由於這一代青年都是家中獨生子女，缺乏勇氣面對困難與學業上挫折，加上父母過於保護，有80%的教育方式近不合格，是造成的主要原因。讓我們在禱告中紀念這些有需要的大學生，或許校園學生事工未能接觸到每一位大學生，但求主在他們灰心失望時，就有福音的好消息及時臨到他們，看見生命中的盼望。

星期六
「婚外情」已成為中國社會中的嚴重問題。中國性醫學專家的調查報告中指出：在知識層次高、收入中上等、居住在大城市的已婚男性中，將近一半有過婚外情；在離婚人口中，無論男女，曾發生婚外情的比例更高達三分之二。讓我們在禱告中紀念所有的信徒，特別是為必須獨自商務旅行或出外從事福音工作者禱告，不叫他們遇見試探，保守他們的心甚過保守一切。

星期日
中國政府全面打擊利用聊天室、論壇、即時通信軟體、電子郵件等方式的「裸聊」與線上情色活動，鼓勵人民勇於在網路警察網站上舉報，一經証實將以傳播淫穢物品罪懲處。無論是氾濫的色情、賭博網站或者是正派的基督教網站，同樣地都被相關單位密切監控中。讓我們為數十萬網路警察來禱告。

星期一
中國的57萬3千名孤兒中，超過三分之一是沒有獲得任何政府的財政補助，甚至連最基本的醫療照顧與教育都沒有。百分之八十六以上的孤兒住在農村地區，而所謂最幸運的一群則是被國外人士領養的孩童。耶穌說我們做在最小的弟兄姊妹身上，就是做在祂身上了，讓我們紀念領養、監護小孩的基督徒父母，和由基督教機構所支持的育幼院事工。