Prayer Request 1/24--1/30

Tuesday
For the second year, special direct New Year flights from Taiwan to China resumed to accommodate Taiwanese businessmen working there. This year, Xiamen is added to Shanghai, Beijing, and Guangzhou where these charter flights were offered before. In these four cities large Taiwanese communities can be found. Let us remember the house churches and evangelistic efforts in the Taiwanese-owned factories and ministries supported by the churches in Taiwan .

Wednesday
Chinese tradition equates beauty with white and fine skin. Drinking powder made of ground pearls supposedly gives a good complexion. When they purchase face cream, Chinese ask for an even whiter shade than their neighboring Japanese women. Let us remember all the believers who struggle with their self-image and ask God to show them how they can find strength in His Word and be used by the Master in their churches.

Thursday
Seventy-eight percent of the residents of cities feel that buying a house is the most important financial investment one can make. More than forty percent dream of owning a car but because of a lack of financial confidence, only 8.5 percent plan to purchase a home or 2.4 percent a car this year. House churches in the cities usually rent or meet at the home of a believer. Let us pray for all congregations who will be raising funds this coming year to purchase their own church building .

Friday
The Chinese government encourages college students even before they graduate to join the military with a reduction in tuition, a guarantee of free education after they leave the service, and also benefits for their families. Few students who are preparing for service in churches have such a guarantee of benefits. There are hundreds of young Chinese studying theology in North America, Europe, and Asia. We pray for each of them for a deeper relationship with God, and a passion to return home to serve .

Saturday
The Women’s Prison in Beijing will allow conjugal visits for the first time during the Chinese New Year. However, only inmates with good behavior are eligible for this privilege and then they must consent not to become pregnant. Let us remember all those believers and workers who are not able to be reunited with their loved one for His Name sake. May the Lord comfort and strengthen their faith in Him through their sufferings .

Sunday
Chinese consumers have the attitude that if a Japanese-made TV fails, it is the fault of the power lines. However, if a Korean-made TV fails, they say it is that the TV was poorly-made. Things are changing because Hyundai will be supplying all the new taxis for the Beijing Olympics. Korean churches have given generously and sacrificially for Chinese churches and have supplied many seminaries throughout China. Let us pray that Chinese churches will increase their mission efforts and giving .

Monday
The first wave of migrant workers (those who came to seek work in cities in the late ‘80’s) have gone back to their hometowns and retired. The second generation who are younger than twenty-five have arrived. Most of them do not send money home but spend all they make. Such patterns threaten all of the rural churches of China. Young believers are not sending money back home nor do they support their home churches. Let us keep this in our prayers .

星期二
為了方便台商返台過年，兩岸春節包機直航邁入第二年，延續去年的上海、北京、廣東航線之外，今年新增了廈門航線。在這四大城市中有許多台商家眷居住，讓我們為這些城市中的教會禱告，也紀念在工廠中的福音工作，也求主親自保守、祝福台灣教會所支持的各項宣教事工。

星期三
中國人認為一白遮三醜，人們認為珍珠粉能帶來好氣色，是相當受歡迎的養顏美容聖品。購買化粧保養品時，中國女性會選擇比日人常購之美白效果更好的產品。讓我們為掙扎於自我形象不足的信徒禱告，求神的醫治與釋放，幫助他們在神的話語中建立自信、自尊，並能在各樣事工中被神大大使用。

星期四
中國目前正蘊育出一個全球增長速度最快、規模最大的新消費階層。國內78%的城市居民都認為擁有房產可保障財務安全，是明智的投資方式。超過40%認同「最大的夢想就是買車」。但由於對未來財務缺乏信心，僅8.5%的人計畫一年內購屋，2.4%計畫買車。城市信徒經常面臨聚會場所不足的困難，讓我們一起仰望神預備置堂的地點與款項的需要。

星期五
中國政府鼓勵在校大學生入伍，將可減免部分學費，服役期間，其家屬享受軍屬待遇，退役復學者，也將享有不同等級的學費補助。在北美、歐亞等地，至少有數百名學生正修讀神學課程，接受信仰裝備。他們雖無優渥的物質保證，卻有為主獻身的心志。讓我們以禱告托住他們，與神建立更親密的關係，順服主耶穌的帶領。

星期六
農曆春節期間，北京女子監獄將開放服刑人員與配偶同居會見，唯有各方面表現良好的服刑人才有資格申請，且須簽訂協定保證於同居期間內避免懷孕。讓我們在禱告中紀念為了神國的緣故，今年春節無法與家人團聚的信徒與服事同工，求神親自安慰與堅定他們在苦難及試煉中對神的信心。

星期日
日本電器產品在國人心中的地位相當崇高，消費者普遍認為「如果日本製的電視壞了，一定是電線的問題；如果是韓國製電視壞了，那就是電視本身的問題。」不過這種情勢將有所改觀：為了迎接北京奧運，新式計程車將全面採用韓國製的「現代」汽車。韓國教會一向慷慨供應中國人福音的需要，並支持國內近十多所神學院。盼望神也興起更多中國教會，願意在本土宣教事工上更多委身與擺上。

星期一
第一波民工，是指80年代末期到城市找尋工作機會的農民，目前多已退休返回鄉下養老。另一批年紀小於二十五歲進入城市的農村人口，是為第二代民工。多數的第二代民工往往將工資花掉而不寄回老家，家中年長者生活費無著落，農村教會的事工也缺少經濟支持，這對教會發展造成深遠的影響，讓我們迫切為第二代民工的靈命禱告。