Prayer Request 1/17--1/23

Tuesday
The largest human migration on earth begins as millions of Chinese return home for the 2 weeks of New Year’s celebration. Travel by trains is most economical and reliable, but waiting for tickets means waiting in lines for days. Nearly all the training and church work stop during the Spring Festival. Let us pray for good rest for all church workers and powerful witness of believers to their unbelieving family members .

Wednesday
China reaffirmed her one-child policy, dispelling any rumors saying people would be allowed to a have second child. Many parents, especially the non-believing ones, refuse to let their only child serve the Lord for fear of poverty and losing their financial support in their retirement. Let us pray for those contemplating God’s call who have yet to tell their parents .

Thursday
CCTV has featured a 20-episode prime time series "Little Chinese Students" which gives real life stories of Chinese teenagers sent to Canada for high school. It is fashionable for wealthy families to send children abroad to avoid failing the college entrance examinations at home. Let us pray for believers who wrestle with this decision and the many overseas churches that struggle to help with the myriads of problems of these parentless teenagers .

Friday
“Battle for the face of China” The leading cosmetics companies of the world are vying for the biggest market where ninety million women spend ten percent of their income on face creams and lipstick. Amway and Avon expect the Chinese government to lift their 1998 edicts prohibiting door-to-door sales soon. Let us pray for the day when door-to-door evangelism and community-based women’s Bible study groups will be legal again.

Saturday
In 2005, Inner Mongolia has had the highest increase in the collection of tax revenue of any place in China. The economy there is booming and it has also become the province where the largest amount of electricity has been generated and exported in all of China. Money and good-paying jobs are hurting the church and its ministries there. Churches have split. A large number of workers have left and are no longer serving in churches. Let us pray urgently for the churches in Inner Mongolia .

Sunday
Mostly because of traffic congestion, Beijing has dropped from the third to the fifteenth most livable city in China. Other large cities like Tianjing, Guangzhou, Zhengzhou, and Nanjing also have dropped in their ranking. Traffic-related issues have seriously affected attendance and ministry involvement in many Beijing churches. Let us remember all the urban churches that face similar problems where believers must travel across districts and even city to attend services.

Monday
The second generation of migrant workers looks very much like their urban counterparts but are still not integrated into the city. Among the 150 million who come from rural areas and seek menial jobs in the cities after junior high school, 120 million are considered second-generation migrant workers. Urban churches have few strategies or resources to reach young migrant workers. Let us remember his massive forgotten harvest field.

星期二
隨著春節接近，異鄉遊子回家團圓將帶動十幾億人次的人口大流動。鐵路運輸為中國最經濟實惠並可靠的交通方式，各地火車站將出現綿延數里的人龍，車票呈現供不應求的局面。春節期間，幾乎所有的培訓與教會工作都暫停。讓我們為同工們能獲得充分的休息，並在未信主家人親友中作美好的見證禱告。

星期三
中國政府再次確定「一胎化」政策，一掃將開放生育第二胎的不實傳言。許多父母特別是非信徒父母，因對貧窮的疑慮與退休後失去經濟依靠的恐懼，不願獨生子女全職服事神，讓我們為正在思考回應神的呼召，尚未告知父母的肢體禱告，求神堅固他們的信心，除去一切的攔阻。

星期四
中央電視台在黃金時段播出二十集的電視劇「小留學生」，劇中呈現就讀高中的加國小留學生的真實寫照。為避免在國內高考名落孫山，將小孩送出國讀書已成為富裕家庭的普遍做法。讓我們為面臨同樣掙扎的信徒禱告，也紀念海外華人教會積極幫助沒有父母陪伴的小留學生的愛心擺上，願孩子們在留學經歷中，能夠認識耶穌基督。

星期五
「中國女人臉龐的美麗戰爭！」全中國九千萬名女性，平均花費百分之十的薪水購買面霜脣膏等化妝品。世界級各大龍頭化妝品公司，正競逐此全球最大的化妝品消費市場。安利與雅芳等化妝品直銷公司也引頸期盼，政府能儘速鬆綁98年頒布的不得逐門兜售商品的禁令。在屬靈禾場的爭戰上，求神也修直傳福音的道路，逐戶探訪佈道與社區婦女查經班等事工均能再度恢復。

星期六
內蒙古為2005年全國國稅收入增長最多的省份，緣於經濟快速、持續穩定的發展，內蒙也成為全國電力生產與輸出量最大的省份。經濟繁榮帶來的財富與高薪工作，卻重挫當地教會與宣教事工，使服事同工嚴重流失。讓我們迫切為內蒙教會與福音機構同工的短缺禱告，求主充份預備、供應。

星期日
「2005宜居城市排行榜」顯示，北京市因為交通擁塞，由2004年的第3位跌至第15位。同樣下跌窘境的還有天津、廣州、鄭州、南京等十幾個城市。交通問題也嚴重影響信徒參與教會的意願，許多信徒必須花費大量時間、精力舟車往返聚會。讓我們紀念所有深受交通問題所苦的大城市教會。

星期一
將近1億5千萬人口在初中畢業後，由農村進入城市找尋低收入的工作，其中1億2萬為第二代民工。他們即使在外表、衣著上均與城市年輕人相似，卻仍無法被大城市的人所接納。面對這片廣大的屬靈禾場，城市教會尚無全面的策略或資源來接觸新一代的民工。讓我們在禱告中紀念這群被遺忘的莊稼，求神差派灌溉、收取莊稼的工人。