Prayer Request 5/9--5/14

Tuesday
Five Chinese were selected as Time Magazine's 100 most influential persons of the year 2006. They are Wen jiabao (Chinese premier), Lee (director), Huang (richest businessman), Cheng (human rights activist) and Ma (environmental scientist). The younger generation of believers lacks contemporary role models. We pray for rising up of Christians who could inspire them in serving God, church and the community. We pray for raising up of Christians who would inspire them to serve God, church and the community .

Wednesday
The relationship between the Vatican and Beijing suffered over the ordination of the Bishop of Kunming. China insists that it has its right to appoint any religious personnel.To be recognized as an approved church workers means completion from state-approved seminaries or one year worth of training classes. We take this time to pray for the spiritual growth, personal walk with the Lord of all who have such officially-recognized status .

Thursday
The Cultural Revolution began 40 years ago with Mao's "May 16th Directive" and led to 10 years of great persecution to churches and believers. However, there is a new "leftist" sentiment emerging with Mao's popularity at an all time high. Let us remember all the believers who suffered through the tumultuous decade. May the Lord continue to use their experience to embolden the younger generation in strengthening of faith through testing.

Friday
The Cultural Revolution should have been a lesson against the worship or idolizing of any human being. One word of Mao caused the suffering of countless millions. Yet there are many laborers, farmers, and soldiers who have missed the benefits of the recent economic reform. Laborers in the cities and the people in the military are probably the largest block of unreached people in China with no efforts toward reaching them. We remember these two groups who are resentful and feeling hopeless.

Saturday
Although Party officials enjoyed better lives while everyone suffered miserably during the Cultural Revolution. Today people despise and hate Party officials because of their rampant corruption.Unfortunately, such distrust of leadership has spilled over to churches. Salary differences among various types of churches have caused mistrust and verbal attacks. We pray for this alarming trend which has further deepened the lack of unity of China churches.

Sunday
The line between gift giving and bribery is often blurred in giving wedding gifts to the children of Party officials. At the same time as the Party says it is trying to crack down on such abuses, their members send out an excessive number of invitations and host super-lavish banquets. Attending a wedding banquet is a joyful occasion for Chinese believers. Let us pray for many who purposely use such occasions to share their faith with their friends and families .

Monday
Nearly 16% of people in China are illiterate or semi-illiterate. Visitors to rural churches are touched by the deep love for God all the illiterate believers have and they are also impressed by the hymns they have memorized. Illiteracy poses a serious problem for deeper Biblical teaching. Falling into heresy and occults are a common problem for illiterate believers. Let us pray especially for the faithfulness and spiritual protection of all believers who cannot read the Word of God for themselves .

星期二
中國總理溫家寶、企業家黃光裕、人權衛士陳光誠、科學家馬俊和奧斯卡導演李安等五名華人入選美國《時代雜誌》全球一百名最具影響力人士。目前基督教界也很需要更多屬靈的典範供年輕一代信徒效法。讓我們禱告神能興起更多基督徒在教會事奉中、社區服務裡做光做鹽，用美好的生命見證來鼓舞新一代信徒榮神益人。

星期三
中國與教廷梵蒂岡在盛傳建交之際，又在昆明主教的任命上起了爭端，中國政府堅持保有封聖之權，能認命任何宗教的神職人員。能夠被中國政府承認為合法的宗教人員、傳道人，必需是從政府批准的神學院畢業或參加一年以上的培訓課程。讓我們為他們能持守真道並與主同行來禱告。

星期四
本週是毛澤東所發動無產階級文化大革命「516通知」四十週年祭.。教會與信徒曾在十年間受到許多逼迫。最近隨著新左派思潮的興起，許多民眾又開始緬懷信奉老左派的毛澤東。讓我們特別紀念歷經文革時代動亂的信徒，求主繼續使用他們被火淬煉過的信心，回頭堅固年輕的弟兄姊妹，使他們能剛強面對各樣的試探。

星期五
毛主席有句名言：「一句頂一萬句」，文化大革命的歷史，理當成為國人反對任何形式的獨裁專制與個人崇拜的慘痛經驗。近年來的經濟改革開放，成千上萬的工人、農人、解放軍卻沒有從中獲益，他們是中國最大一群的未得之民。他們靈魂上的饑渴往往被忽視，極少有針對他們的福音工作，讓我們以禱告紀念他們身心靈的需要。

星期六
在文革期間，即使身為黨的高幹，也只是比一般民眾吃好一點，住好一點，有小汽車配給代步，但現今高幹的腐敗與貪污嚴重，造成中國民眾普遍仇官的心態，對領導階層失去信心。對領袖的不信任不幸也發生在教會中，傳道人薪資往往因教會型態不同而有別，卻也招致許多人的猜忌攻擊。讓我們特別為這項影響中國教會合一的警訊禱告。

星期日
送禮與賄賂的界線在中國往往相當模糊，尤其在涉及黨員幹部子女婚禮時，紅包與賄賂只有一線之隔。中共黨中央也開始整治黨員幹部婚喪嫁娶大肆鋪張、濫發請柬之風，列為反腐工作的重點，婚禮是國內信徒很歡喜參與的盛會，讓我們為許多主內弟兄姊妹能把握婚禮的寶貴機會向親友傳福音、做見證來禱告。

星期一
中國十五歲以上人口中，有一億八千萬人是文盲或半文盲，佔總人口數的16%。在農村教會的許多信徒雖然目不識丁，對神的渴慕卻十分迫切，可以將所有的詩歌背起來。然而不識字也妨礙信徒對聖經真理更深一層理解，無法分辨異端邪說的迷惑。尤其是河南安徽等省份的農民，求神特別保守、堅固他們的靈命與信仰，能有純正潔淨的靈糧餵養。