Prayer Request 8/8 -- 8/14

Tuesday
China celebrates the 70th year anniversary of the famed “Long March”. The gruesome 25,000 kilometer retreat of the defeated People Liberation Army led by Mao which began with 20,6000 men strong and ended with only 57000. As a revolution is paved with the blood of the martyrs, so is the 200 years history of China churches. We take this time to thank the Lord for generations of faithful who gave their lives bravely for the Lord, refusing to disavow Him or compromise themselves .

Wednesday
In rural China the trend is to leave one's children for grandparents to raise. Yet according to a study, only 60% of the elderly have a grade school education, 20% have finished junior high and 20% are illiterate. Nearly 40% of these children have poor or failing grades. It is a struggle to balance work and raising children. Let us pray for all believers who face the problems that they will remember to teach their children to love the Lord above all else .

Thursday
In modern China image is everything. For an amount equal to three month's salary image consultants offer clients advice on the color and style of clothes, make up, posture, body language, speech, and mannerisms. It is no longer an easy task to describe what a typical modern Chinese believer looks like. Let us pray for the tens of thousands of believers who are high-ranking officials, serving in the military or Public Security who must keep the image of a party member.

Friday
Two weeks before the 2008 Olympics opens an estimated 17,000 athletes will move into the Olympic Villages with free accommodations. So far 112 hotels have promised to offer a 70% discount for the families of athletes. With the event only one summer away, plans are in places to share the Gospel with athletes around the world in Beijing. Let us pray for all the preparation underway to witness to all the visitors and athletes next summer .

Saturday
In China 82% of the people own their own homes. In Zhejiang people have the biggest homes, with an average of 34.8 square meters--ahead of even Shanghai and Beijing. In contrast, the average home in Singapore is 25 meters square. Praise the Lord, the churches in Zhejiang are also bigger and have a larger attendance per church than in other places. Let us remember the financial support of the churches there as well as those in the poorer neighboring provinces .

Sunday
The new railroad to Tibet opened on July 1st. One can take the train from Beijing to Lhasa in two days. This once nearly inaccessible region where Buddhism is practiced has generated an unprecedented interest in tourists. Evangelism in Tibet is especially difficult as many Westerners want to preserve Tibet's Buddhist culture. We pray as more Chinese believers are able to visit Tibet there will be a burden and missionary vision for this region by the churches in China .

Monday
The city of Guangzhou consumes nearly 40% of the foreign hard liquor sold in China. Drinking imported liquor and wine have become a status symbol and pastime among young professionals. Foreign wines are used as gifts as well as the main drink in the trendy night clubs. Many churches in China are also eager to take in whatever foreign church growth methods they can discover. Let us remember all the churches who have tried hard to seek numeric growth but must emphasize the training of co-workers who can shoulder the work of the church .

星期二
中國慶祝「長征」勝利70周年紀念。當年毛澤東帶領的20多萬軍解放軍與國民黨軍隊交鋒節節失利，轉戰2萬5千里後僅剩5萬7千人。革命是用烈士的血所鋪成的。同樣的，中國200年的基督教歷史，也是一代代忠誠的信徒?主無畏擺上性命，拒絕妥協、不否認主，一步一腳印地締造下來的。讓我們記念這些先驅們的奉獻，求主讓這一代信徒也能效法他們的榜樣，願意把自己當成活祭獻給主用。

星期三
中國農村的孩童大多因父母外出工作而托養於祖父母。研究顯示，農村老人中只有兩成完成初中教育，六成受過小學教育，另外兩成是文盲；而40%的小孩學業成績不佳，甚至不及格。 現代父母常為平衡工作和教養子女的責任而掙紮。求主賜給信徒父母們有能力和智慧養育下一代，教導孩子愛主勝於一切。

星期四
現代中國人非常注重形象，有些人甚至願意每月花3,000人民幣，向形象顧問塑造師尋求指導個人外貌服飾妝扮，甚至姿態，言語，和禮儀。在中國現在也很難區分何為典型的基督徒。有上萬的基督徒是政府官員，在軍隊或公安局裏居高職，爲了職位，他們必須繼續保持黨員的形象，不讓人察覺他們的信仰，目前黨內的基督徒人數雖難確定，但讓我們為他們的信心禱告，求神保守他們的安全，讓他們有機會在單位裏發揮影響力。

星期五
2008年北京奧林匹克運動會開幕前兩周，預計1萬7千名運動員會搬進奧運村。112家旅館答應給運動員家屬70%優惠。隨著奧運的逼近，北京很多人開始計劃向來自世界各地的選手傳福音。讓我們禱告求神親自參與他們的計劃，明年夏天使他們能順利向前來的旅客和運動健兒們為主做美好的見證。

星期六
現今中國有82%居民擁有自己的房子。浙江人民的住宅面積平均有34.8方米，屬全國最大，勝過上海和北京。相對的新加坡的住房平均只有25方米。感謝神，浙江人不止房子大，該省的教會也大，聚會人數也比別處多。讓我們在禱告中記念當地教會的財務需求，也為鄰近貧窮省分的信徒和教會的需要向主代求。

星期日
通往西藏的青藏高原鐵路在7月1日開始通行，從北京到拉薩只需要2天。近來引起各地遊人對這曾是難以接近的喇嘛教地區，空前的興趣。火車通行開拓了福音的路。當地的人並不排斥傳教士，但卻遭以保護文化信仰為由，被當地人向公安揭發，使福音工作進行非常困難，求主憐憫，挪去這福音的障礙。

星期一
廣州人所消費的烈酒，佔了中國洋酒總量的近40%。近年來喝進口酒和紅酒已成年輕專業人士們身份和品位的象徵，到酒廊消磨時間也蔚為一種時尚。 這種崇尚外來文化的現象也常見於中國教會。許多教會不辨良莠，熟衷引進外國教會任何可刺激成長的妙方。求主引導教會領袖們在追求人數增長的同時，更要重視紮實的門徒訓練，以培養能擔大任的同工。