Prayer Request 4/11-4/17

Tuesday
Beijing has been debating imposing some form of taxation to slow down the influx of people buying property in the city. Many out-of-town people purchase property there for investment and private use but the city considers this property as very desirable and culturally sophisticated. The new trend is to have house churches of twenty to thirty people meeting. Rather than the older farmers, these are young professional families who drive to church. Let us pray for all who lead and teach in these churches .

Wednesday
Overseas Chinese especially from Hong Kong, Macau, and Southeast Asia flocked to their ancestral homes for the April 5th Grave Sweeping Day and the airport in Fuzhou recorded a 25% increase of "huaquio" (overseas Chinese) as an estimated one million people returned for this holiday. Among the Chinese in Southeast Asia, Buddhism, Taoism, and ancestral worship are very much a part of their lives even though they may live in Catholic (Philippines) or Muslim (Malaysia and Indonesia) countries. Let us remember millions of them who have not heard the gospel or had anyone share it with them .

Thursday
"Super Female Voice", a version of American Idols will soon begin in China with hundreds of contestants from five regions. The popularity and craze generated by this contest has sparked a new musical phenomenon in the past two years.
Churches in China have their own praise and worship music. Many are amazed how Chinese believers are able to memorize so many praise songs. Let us lift up all who are involved in musical writing and producing and training for church music ministries .


Friday
China is banning new cigarette factories including joint ventures with foreign companies purportedly to reduce smoking. Instead they will focus on developing ten main cigarette brands and improving production technology. China is the world's largest cigarette producer and consumer as well. Let us pray for believers who know the health hazards of tobacco but must convince a spouse who is a smoker .

Saturday
Taiwan rejected China's goodwill gift offer of a pair of panda--Tuan Tuan and Yuan Yuan whose names together mean reunion. Officials in Taiwan said the animals would not get the proper care there as required by animal protection laws. Recently the chasm between House churches and the Three-self churches has narrowed significantly. Many believers now attend services offered by both groups. Let us pray for those who seek spiritual growth and fellowship wherever God's people meet .

Sunday
A current pop song entitled "The Two Women of My Life" about mothers and wives goes like this: "You are both special, so stop fighting over the question of whom I love more. I am hurt when you argue. To love both of you is my responsibility." Even Christian families are not without mother and daughter-in-law problems. Let us pray for submission and true love especially in families where the mothers are not yet believers .

Monday
Parents are paying 2000 yuan yearly (250 USD) which is often as much as college tuition for enrollment in kindergarten for their children. As a result parents enroll their children into elementary school earlier and bypass kindergarten but then create crowded classrooms in the school. Some house churches even with their limited facilities are trying to provide Sunday school for smaller children. Let us pray for all the churches that offer Sunday school that the Lord through them will raise up a generation of young believers who know and love Him from a young age .

星期二
北京正針對向外地人徵收商品房屋稅進行討論。近年許多外地人到北京購置房地產作為投資，房價因此被抬高。徵稅建議一方面可減少炒作，也能體現對城市公共建設的付出。北京聚會的新趨勢是廿至三十人在家中聚會，與會者以年輕的學者專家居多。讓我們為年輕的知識份子在教會中的教導與影響力禱告。

星期三
海外華人特別是港澳東南亞一帶的，在四月五日清明節都回鄉祭祖。福州機場比平時增加25%的華僑旅客，保守估計將逾一百萬人次。東南亞地區的華僑，雖然生長在天主教或回教國家中，但絕大部分仍信奉佛道兩教，是傳福音時易被忽略的一群。讓我們為從未聽過福音的數百萬華僑禱告。

星期四
由湖南電視台舉辦的第三屆「超級女聲」比賽即將展開。賽區為長沙、杭州、成都、瀋陽、廣州等五大城市，預期會吸引數千名女子參賽。近兩年來超女的火紅也為國內樂壇注入新的氣象。中國教會有自己獨特的敬拜讚美方式，許多信徒往往目不識丁卻能牢記無數讚美詩歌。讓我們以禱告紀念包括寫作、製作與訓練的教會音樂事工。

星期五
中國禁止新的香煙工廠設廠，包括中外合資廠商在內。理由是要降低民眾抽煙比率，然而其主要目的是發展十項主要的中國香菸品牌，以提升製造技術、達國際的水平。中國目前不但是全球香菸最大生產者，也是最大的香煙消費國，讓我們特別為著關心配偶健康、盼望配偶能戒煙的信徒禱告。

星期六
台灣婉拒了中國贈送「團團」、「圓圓」兩隻貓熊之美意，理由是申請飼養的動物園設備不符、無法提供良善的照顧、達不到動物保育法之規範，因而緩議。不同立場的教會之間的鴻溝近來也消弭了很多，信徒開始彼此交流，參與兩邊的聚會。讓我們為正在尋求屬靈的增長與團契生活的信徒禱告。

星期日
流行歌曲「兩個對我恩重如山的女人」勾勒出所有人都希冀的婆媳關係：「兩個對我恩重如山的人，你們不要再爭我對誰的感情最深，你們越是追問，我越是心急如焚，兩個帶給我生命無時無刻不精彩的女人，疼你們一生是我的責任」基督徒家庭也會有婆媳相處的難題，讓我們紀念母親或婆婆還未信主的家庭，信徒能學習順服以表達真正的愛。

星期一
供一名兒童上幼兒園，每年收費將近兩千多人民幣，等同負擔一名大學生的花費。家長們被迫提早將孩子推進小學，造成小學生人數暴增、教學緊張的局面。許多教會的軟硬體設備均相當有限，無法成立主日學來教導孩童。讓我們禱告教會能看重兒童主日學的功能，及時為主培育敬虔的後裔興起新一代合神心意的基督徒。