Prayer Request 1/9 -- 1/15

Tuesday
For those who have returned to China looking for a lucky break in their career, most are still struggling to get their business venture off the ground. Children’s education is one factor they must consider: attend the local school in Chinese, home-school in English or attend an expensive international school? Many “hai gui” mothers have their support groups and use them for Bible study and leading other women to Christ. Let us remember the large numbers of such cell groups in all the large cities .

Wednesday
For tens of thousand “hai gui” (returning Chinese professionals), they live alone in big cities in China, while their families are not able to relocate to China. This separation of family is also very common for businessmen from Taiwan, Singapore and North America. Sexual temptation is very great for this group of men, especially those in business. We pray for all believers who must live and work alone in China for extended period, for their guarding of heart and close walk with the Lord.

Thursday
The Honghe (Red River) runs through the southern Yunnan province of China. The Honghe brand of wine is quite famous and that brand of cigarettes, also well-known as the cheapest kind (5 yuan or 60 cents), is enjoyed by many older people and laborers. The Honghe region is also where nearly 1.2 million of the Hani minority people live. There is still no Bible in their language and there is only fewer than a hundred believers. Let us pray for this unreached people group in the Honghe region .

Friday
The question of whether Genghis Khan was Chinese is still debated by many historians. In the thirteenth century the Mongols established the Yuan Dynasty which lasted for about 200 years in China. Today, the Han, Manchurians, Mongols, Hui, and Tibetan are the five major ethnic groups that make up the people known as Chinese. Outer Mongolia where the work of the gospel is vibrant and churches are thriving today, became independent in the early twentieth century. Let us pray for church work and the training of believers in both Inner Mongolia (China) and Outer Mongolia .

Saturday
“My old acquaintance left on a yellow crane; little is left at the Yellow-crane Pavilion. The yellow crane will return no more…” This is a famous sad Chinese poem because it is commonly recited in obituary and eulogy. Believers are received into God’s presence. We take this time to pray for all believers who have lost their loved one this year. May the Lord comfort those whose loved ones have not known Jesus before their death .

Sunday
Shanghai where ten million people reside within the outer ring road is the most densely populated city in China. In one neighborhood, 51,000 people live within one square kilometer (0.4 square miles) making it 2.5 times denser than New York City. Shanghai is also the heart of the official churches of China with several large churches strategically located in the business district. We know that prosperity is the greatest enemy of spiritual revival so let us pray for all of the churches in this city of 30 million people .

Monday
One of the bad comments people from Henan must endure is "Watch out for fire, thieves, and people from Henan." Millions of people have left their homes there to work in other places and have become known as the "Gypsies" of China. Henan is the cradle of Chinese civilization and Chinese Christianity as well but churches are weak due to poor education, poverty, attacks of cults, and division. Let us pray for a spirit of unity among the different church groups and believers in Henan .

星期二
許多回到中國尋求事業上突破的海歸，除了要面對創業的難題，還需傷腦筋孩子的教育：究竟要讓孩子接受國內制式的教育，還是在家用英文學習，抑或上昂貴的國際學校？很多基督徒海歸藉著家庭小組聚會，彼此扶持，查經，也幫助其他夫婦和婦女並帶領他們信主。讓我們記念散佈在中國各大城市的海歸家庭，求主賜下夠用的恩典讓他們調適順利，並使用他們成爲福音的使者。

星期三
有上萬的海歸是離開海外的家人，隻身回到中國的大城市裏工作。特別是從臺灣，新加坡，和北美回國發展的專業人士。由於種種因素家人未能一道回國而必須獨居，他們面對的性試探特別大。讓我們為長時間單身在國內工作的基督徒禱告。求主常常保守他們的心懷意念，無論在工作、服事或生活上，都能緊密地與神同行。

星期四
在中國，紅河牌的酒頗有名氣；還有紅河牌的香煙，因爲便宜(5元人民幣or 美金60 cents)，很受老年人和基層的工人的歡迎。雲南省南部也有條有名的河叫紅河。在紅河一帶，世居人口接近120萬的少數民族——哈尼族。他們當中信主的不到一百人，而且至今仍然沒有自己語言的聖經。讓我們為紅河兩岸許許多多未得之民來禱告，求主憐憫、施恩這片土地和人民。

星期五
關於成吉思汗是不是中國人目前存在不同的説法。13世紀時，蒙古人征服南宋，統一中國，建立了將近200年的元朝。到今天，蒙古族仍是中國的漢、滿、蒙、回、藏五大民族之一。外蒙古於20世紀初獨立，近年來當地的教會和福音事工發展得非常蓬勃。讓我們為蒙古地區，包括外蒙和中國內蒙的教會事工和信徒培訓工作禱告，求主親自帶領和祝福。

星期六
崔灝有首著名的詩「黃鶴樓」內容感傷，特別是「昔人已乘黃鶴去，黃鶴一去不復返。」這兩句，常在喪禮上引用。但我們知道信徒離開世界時，是被接到主那裏去。讓我們記念在過去一年裏，失去家人的信徒。特別是那些家人在有生之年沒有機會認識神的信徒，求主安慰扶持他們，賜給他們力量。更爲其他存留卻還未信主的家人禱告，把握時機努力向他們傳福音。

星期日
據調查，中國人口密度最高的上海市，外環線以內已達1000萬人。而在最密集的黃浦區，每平方公里的人口密度更高達5.1萬人，相當於美國紐約市的2.5倍。上海也是中國官方教會的行政中心，有好些大教會都坐落於著名的商業區。物質的富足往往是屬靈復興的敵人，讓我們為在這三千多萬人口的繁華都市中的所有教會和信徒禱告，求神讓他們在一切的豐裕中仍保有一顆飢渴慕義的心。

星期一
很多人用「防火、防盜、防河南人」來諷刺河南人。數百萬河南人外出闖蕩都是圖生活過好一點，但到了外地，河南人就像是中國的「吉普賽人」，成了人們敵視和防範的對象。河南是中國文化的發源地，也是中國基督教發展最早的地方。但教會人數雖多卻貧窮。而且教育水平低，加上異端的攻擊及教會分裂，使得當地的教會都很虛弱。求神賜給河南信徒們合一的靈，並賜屬靈的智慧能辨別真理。