Prayer Request 2/14--2/20

Tuesday
The first and only Internet Addiction Center in Beijing which treats teen patients by depriving them of access to the Internet or a phone for twenty days, has plans to expand from forty to three hundred beds. Playing games is the most common on-line activity for young people. There is NO evangelistic content in Chinese suitable for teen surfers. We keep Chinese teens and the need for online material for teen in our prayer.

Wednesday
Twenty percent of rural residents in China plan to purchase a mobile phone in 2006 as compared with only ten percent of the people in the cities. In smaller cities twelve percent plan to buy washing machine as compared with five percent in larger cities.A wave of consumerism is sweeping the country and shifting to smaller cities and villages. The majority of churches in China are in smaller cities. Let us pray for workers and stewardship of all of the believers in these churches.

Thursday
There are only two kinds of Chinese--those who can and those who cannot afford medical care. Eighty percent of the medical facilities in China are in cities and nearly all of those are concentrated in large hospitals. Many of those who serve in rural churches are poor and have almost no opportunity for medical care. Let us remember this need for health care for all the church workers and millions of believers who can ill-afford the cost of medical cares.

Friday
Hollywood blockbuster "Brokeback Mountain", directed by Ang Lee was censored for a homosexual relationship featured in it. Ford Foundation released a landmark report on 400 gay couples in China. China has not allowed any movies depicting homosexuality. Churches as a rule do not speak about sex. Let us pray for all believers who seek to maintain sexual purity as well as healing from broken marriage.

Saturday
A recent survey of high school students in China chose Mao as their number one hero. In Hong Kong the same age group picked Sun Yet-Sen while their American counterparts chose Jesus. Chinese believers would most likely refer to those pastors who kept their faith during the Cultural Revolution as their "heroes of faith". Let us pray for emergence of leaders with a sacrificial spirit who can serve as models of faith for a new generation of believers.

Sunday
It has become common to read every week about Chinese boats fishing in the territorial water of other countries and being arrested. Many farmers have signed up for this profession which is often dangerous and risk their imprisonment for engaging in illegal fishing. Matsu (a god who is known as the Queen of Peace) has historically been the protector of mariners. Fishing communities and fishermen have historically been very resistant to Christianity. Let us pray for those who seek most for protection from perils.

Monday
Chinese youth embrace the American culture but find that they can more easily identify with the culture of Korea. "Three Friends" and "The Marrying Type" are preferred to the American "Friends" and "Sex and the City".Modern Korean culture is acting as a filter for Western culture for the Chinese. Are Korean missionaries also replacing Western missionaries and even the Chinese themselves? Let us pray for all the Koreans who are studying Chinese and planning to serve in China this coming year.

星期二
北京軍醫院成立中國第一家「網絡成癮治療中心」，經由二十天以上杜絕網路或電話的隔離來治療年輕的網癖病患。網絡線上遊戲是年輕人上網最常進行的消遣活動，但網路遊戲中沒有任何福音內容來接觸年輕人。讓我們對年輕人空虛的靈魂及合適青少年網路福音媒介的負擔放在禱告中，求主讓更多青少年能回轉歸向他。

星期三
中國20%的鄉村民眾表示打算近期購買行動電話，大城市的人卻只有10%有此想法。小城市人有12%表示要購買洗衣機，大城市卻只有5%。由於大城市的消費市場已趨近飽和，消費熱潮正從大城市轉向小型城鎮及農村。中國教會大部分均坐落在城鎮中，讓我們為所有小城鎮教會同工和會友能成為神家中好管家和敬虔兒女來禱告。

星期四
全中國其實只有兩種人：一種付得起醫療費，另一種付不起。全國80%的醫療衛生資源匯聚在城市，而城市80%的醫衛資源又集中在大醫院。占總人口80%的農民只分配到20%醫療資源。在鄉村教會服事的同工經濟條件較差，幾乎不具任何醫衛安全保障的條件。讓我們紀念所有教會同工的健康醫療的需要，和上百萬無法負擔醫療費用的信徒禱告，求主親自保守、供應。

星期五
李安執導的電影斷背山，大幅探討同性戀議題，福特基金會出版第一本指標性的中國同性戀報告，當中採訪了400對同性戀配偶。中國現在還不准許放映同性戀電影，教會講道時，對於性的議題也絕口不提。讓我們為著所有信徒禱告，願意在神面前立約維持聖潔，及在破碎婚姻中也能得到醫治。

星期六
中學生心目中的10大英雄排行榜，誰會掄魁？中國地區第一人為毛澤東；香港地區則是孫中山；美國青少年首推耶穌。許多文革時期因持守信仰而受苦的牧者、同工，則是中國信徒心中景仰的信心偉人，讓我們為所有屬靈領袖來禱告，求神建造他們能以犧牲奉獻的精神，成為新一代信徒追隨的好榜樣。

星期日
中國漁船在他國經濟海域非法捕撈時有所聞，使得來自農村的漁船勞工處境相當困難，若因此被逮捕將拘禁入獄。沿海漁民歷來虔信海神媽祖，也使得漁村與漁民很難接觸真正的福音，讓我們為這群惶惶尋求生命保護的漁民禱告，願主得著他們，靈魂體都蒙恩得救，永享屬天的平安與福樂。

星期一
中國年輕人熱愛美國的文化，但是更容易在韓國流行文化中找到認同。韓劇《三個朋友》和《The Marrying Type》，被視為韓國版《六人行》及《慾望城市》。現今的韓國文化成為西方文化登陸中國時的過濾鏡。在福音的禾場上，韓國宣教士是否也會取代西方宣教士與中國牧者呢？讓我們在禱告中紀念正在學中文、願意繼續為中國人擺上的韓國宣教士。