Prayer Request 6/27 --7/3

Tuesday
"Chuppies" (Chinese yuppies) are China's young well-off generation, with money to spend. They are China's new "Supershoppers" who describe themselves as "being open-minded, being ready to learn, and loving new things." There are already 100 million middle-class Chinese, and by 2010, that number will double. Churches are slow or uncomfortable in reaching the affluent young generation. We pray for those churches changing their worship styles to attract this age group .

Wednesday
There are 400 million cell phone users in China and on an average they get new phones every three to six months. Chinese consumers have 900 choices of cell phone types while in the United States there are only eighty. In churches in China, worship and preaching styles have been largely unchanged for many years and outreach is restricted. So what do these churches have to offer a generation that changes phones so frequently? We remember churches courageous enough to take the gospel to the streets by handing out tracts.

Thursday
The Chinese, especially those in Hong Kong and Guangdong, crave lucky numbers. License plates or phone numbers having numbers 6 or 8 command high prices. Someone paid 272,000 yuan(US$34,000) for a plate number AW6666. In a world bent on anything that will bring in good fortune, many churches have begun preaching that believing in God brings prosperity and success and have enjoyed great increases in attendance. Let us about this alarming trend and widespread false teaching .

Friday
From gift money (which should be an even number) to avoiding four (which is similar in sound to the word for death) unflinching faith in "lucky" numbers can be found everywhere in China. Every year Hong Kong and Guangdong get millions of dollars from auctioning license plate with lucky numbers. Ten years of the Cultural Revolution once denounced, condemned, and banned such practices but they have come back. May the Lord grant all believers liberty from the bondage of such deeply ingrained practices .

Saturday
Jackie Chan was listed in the top ten of Hollywood philanthropic celebrities. He is credited with providing scholarships for youth in Hong Kong and China. He also helped in tsunami relief and has frequently encouraged others to give to social work. Christ taught that our good deeds will be rewarded by God. We pray for blessing for many believers who have given generously to support mission work and families of church workers .

Sunday
The topics for the essay portion of college examinations for Beijing and Shangai respectively this year are "The Distinction of Beijing" and "Holding Your Hand". Unusual topics like these represent a huge shift in the Chinese educational mindset. What are the distinctions found in churches in China today? No denominations but still unconnected with the community? Let us not stop praying for both the registered and unregistered churches .

Monday
Many young people flock to cities to work because there is not enough arable land to make a good living. Villages are becoming a "386199 army" using numbers for the month and day (women--March 8 is Women's Day, children--June 1 is Children's Day, and seniors--September 9th is the day honoring them). While the future of China's rural churches seems bleak, let us pray for God's mighty work in showing His wonderful will there and that those who work there will not to be discouraged .

星期二
年輕、富裕、能揮霍的一代被封為「查皮士（雅皮）」，是目前中國的超級消費者。他們自稱“思想開放，喜歡也有能力學習新事物。” 目前中國的中產階級近億，到2010年數目將會加倍。面對這群查皮士，教會還在調整聚會形式來吸引這群體。讓我們為願意改變的教會來代禱，求主賜智慧給他們。

星期三
中國手機使用者將近４億，平均每３到６個月就會更換手機。在美國市場有八十種手機款式供消費者挑選，但在中國則多達有九百多種手機款式可選擇。面對這隨意更換手機的一代，教會又能提供給他們什麽呢？在國內傳福音需面對種種限制，且教會聚會和講道方式仍寧願沿舊的狀況下，求主挑戰弟兄姊妹，有膽識、有創意與熱忱在街頭傳福音、派單張，將不變的真理傳給萬變的現代人。

星期四
中國人講究吉祥數字，尤其在香港和廣東，凡有6或8的汽車牌照或電話號碼都被高價搶購。人們都希求好運、能多賺錢，就有人花了人民幣27.2萬（3萬4千美金）來買AW6666車牌。教會也紛紛流行起「成功神學」，傳講信耶穌會帶來更美好的生活、賺更多的錢、人生從此就一帆風順，此類聚會的人數也不斷增加。祈求神的憐憫與光照，讓誤信這就是福音的人能有機會回歸十字架的真理，並求神親自來阻擋這種偏差的教導。

星期五
中國人送禮一定要成雙，而且避免有“4”（諧音同“死”）。在生活中到處可見人們企求吉祥數字。每年在香港和廣東公開拍賣吉祥汽車牌照時，可以賺得上幾百萬。這究竟是中國文化習俗還是迷信？十年的文化大革命革除許多古舊流俗，也攻擊迷信，但這些迷信在二三十年內又死灰復燃。求神讓祂的兒女們能夠掙脫這些根深蒂固惡習、迷信的捆綁，享受主應許的自由生命與平安之道。

星期六
香港紅星成龍獲選好萊塢十大慈善明星。他一向爲慈善事業不遺餘力，除了成立“成龍慈善基金會”為香港青少年提供獎學金，捐助南亞海嘯難民，還經常極力鼓吹人們支援參予社會慈善和關懷工作。基督也教導我們當盡力去行善。讓我們以禱告記念以奉獻支持宣教事工和其家庭的肢體，求神傾倒天上的寶庫祝福他們和家庭。

星期日
今年北京和上海的高考作文試題分別為“北京的符號”和“握住你的手”，這突破性的題目顯示出中國教育思維的巨大變遷。今日華人教會的符號是什麽？我們是否超越了宗派界限，卻仍然沒能解開與社區隔離的枷鎖？讓我們持續為所有註冊或未冊的教會禱告，把神的愛和關懷帶進社區給每個需要的人。

星期一
由於農耕地有限，農村裏年輕有能力的人大多湧到城裏去討生活，留下所謂的“386199部隊”（婦女、兒童、老人節）。農村教會的前景堪憂。我們祈求全能的神在農村裏彰顯奇妙大工，使留在農村忠心服事主的人得到激勵和幫助，也求主親手扶持，保守祂的僕人在各事上都充足，得以繼續供應村民屬靈之所需。