prayer Request 7/11 -- 7/17

Tuesday
Chinese Bible have been available mostly in the Three-self churches, but that is about to change. Hopefully by the end of this year, Bible will be available in secular bookstore nationwide because the newly printed Chinese Bible will have an ISBN number.With the Bible soon become openly available. Let us pray that many more will be drawn to the Word of God and the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. We also remember all who have made sacrifice in the past making Bible available .

Wednesday
Many people who are from the very poor ethnic minority in Guizhou feel it is necessary to sell their blood to add to their finances. If they sell blood twice a month (85 yuan each time), they double their income and the plasma collected goes to make various medicines to fight Hepatitis B. Selling one's blood carries a social stigma similar to that of being a prostitute. We take this time to remember all the poor, despised, and homeless people whom Jesus loves .

Thursday
There were about 260,000 foreigners holding stable jobs in China in 2005. To qualify for a Chinese green card, to stay without a visa, one must have made “outstanding contributions” or be “of special importance to China.” Obtaining a visa to stay is a headache for nearly all missionaries in China. Many have to exit and reenter China 1-2 times a year. We pray for all foreigners involved in church work and those who have been rejected and must leave China .

Friday
The popularity of the "10 yuan" store is much greater than that of the old "1 yuan", "6 yuan", or "8 yuan" stores in nearly every city. People feel they have more choices this way. Low cost and a high volume gives the owner a good profit. In churches, the larger churches always offer stronger preaching and more programs which make it difficult for smaller churches to compete with them. We pray for divine encouragement for churches that are losing members and their discouraged leaders .

Saturday
According to a survey done in Hebai of 1021 companies, 42% of them did not pay their workers the minimum wage and 76% of the workers did not receive the overtime pay which the law mandated. Serving the Lord as a church worker is never for the money one gets yet low compensation has deterred many who wanted to serve God. It has also contributed to the lack of workers. We pray for those who continue to serve and live by faith. We pray, too for strength and passion for those who serve in a church and also work a full-time job .

Sunday
Three hundred recent master's degree graduates in law from the respectable Wuhan University could not find jobs and only five of them landed a position as a civil servant. A college degree is no guarantee one will get a job these days in China. We take this time to pray for all those who have received Bible training in the past but are not for some reason serving in a church now. There is a great need for workers in churches but the attrition rate is very high .

Monday
A mere 56 people work in various departments for Olympic planning this summer after having completed the Beijing Olympic Volunteer Training Program in June.Volunteering to work without compensation is still a very foreign concept for most Chinese. In most churches the work is generally done by elderly or retired people. There is still a great lack of young people involved in volunteering. Let us pray for this selfish tendency in all of us and for more giving among the young believers in churches in China .


星期二
多年來只有在三自教會可以買到中文聖經的事實就快成爲歷史了。最快在今年底，印上國際標準書號(ISBN)的聖經將公開在中國各地的一般書局出售。感謝神！中國境內聖經將能夠隨處可得。求神使更多人被祂的話語吸引而得著耶穌基督的救恩。同時也在禱告中記念過去爲了使聖經普及而付出極大代價的同工。

星期三
貴州少數民族中，許多人因爲窮困而被迫賣血來維持生計。一個月賣兩次血就能使他們收入比平日增加一倍。而那些血或血漿可制成各種抗B型肝炎的藥物和抗體。在中國社會裡，賣血是件不光彩的事，常和賣身賣淫一樣被人輕視。讓我們為這些貧窮，被看低，和無家可歸的人禱告，因為他們也是主耶穌所鍾愛的，求神憐憫眷顧這些社會邊緣的人。

星期四
2005年在約有超過26萬的外籍人士在中國有長期穩定的工作。要獲得無須簽證的永久居留權，必須對國家有非常重大的貢獻。大多數宣教士為了在國內居留，都需要每年多次離境再重新入境。不僅耗費大量金錢、時間，也增添許多不便。讓我們爲這些因服事需要辦理簽證的外籍人士禱告，也記念許多被拒簽必須離開的，求主為他們開路。

星期五
中國幾乎每個城市中都有「10元店」。由於規模大數量多，可以減低商品成本，給消費者更多價廉物美的選擇，因此也遠比往昔的1元店、6元店和8元店更受歡迎。同樣的，大型教會的設施、信息和各型節目林立，是小型教會所不能及的，因此常常將小規模教會的信徒吸走。讓我們為那些流失會友的小教會及牧者禱告，求神親自安慰和鼓勵，能持守崗位，繼續忠心服事。

星期六
調查顯示，河北1021家公司中有42%未遵照法定最低工資標準，76%的員工未獲法定的加班費。教會同工服事主雖決非爲了金錢，然而超低薪金也讓許多有志服事神的人退卻，此乃目前工人短缺的一大因素。求神不斷加給他選召的工人們信心和能力，來面對事奉和生活上各樣的難處。也記念賜福許多帶職事奉的信徒，以堅定的信心和熱情回應神的呼召，與神同工。

星期日
最近有300名武漢大學法律碩士班畢業生找不到工作，僅有5人覓得普通公務員之職。看來在中國擁有文憑不再是工作保障。 反觀教會卻是工人短缺，一些受過神學訓練的人因種種原因不在教會服事，也有些人服事不能持久。讓我們為這些現象禱告，求神興起更多能負主軛的工人，並給教會領袖有栽培和訓練新血輪的智慧和恩賜。

星期一
北京奧林匹克组委每年都有招募志願者，今年有500個電話諮詢，630人報名，最後鄰選56位接受訓練，他們將參與3個月的全職或兼職服務。志願義工的概念在中國還很新，而且風氣不盛。在許多教會裏面，也只有年長或退休的人才參與服事。年輕人卻很少參與服事，而且也不常持久。求主打碎我們每個人自我的本性，願意爲主背起榮耀的十字架，以實際行動操練愛主愛人的信心。