Prayer Request 8/14--8/20

Tuesday
This is a summer of unprecedented public soul-searching over the slave labor in brick factories. Another scandal, involving the sale of handicapped children, forced to work as beggars, has stirred the conscience of the society. As a whole, being a handicap is commonly associated with beggars and “baggage” for the society. Handicapped people are almost “invisible” and lost in the crowd and most churches are inaccessible to the physically handicapped. Let us remember all ministries reaching and serving the handicapped. We pray for compassion of Christ.

Wednesday
“Naked examinee” is the new term for the majority of 9.5 million Chinese students taking the college entrance examination without any “bonus points.” Ethnic minorities and “students of Triple Excellence” are entitled to an extra 5% boost in their score. Many students complain of such “favoritism” in the highly competitive examination system. We remember those believers who have not done well in this exam. May their faith not suffer and they continue to trust God with their future.

Thursday
The following students are entitled to bonus points in the highly competitive college entrance examination: ethnic minorities, children of martyrs, overseas returnees, Triple Excellence students, talented athletes and winners of the student science invention contest. All believers pray for their children to do well in the college entrance examination. We pray for these families as they wait for the results, which many believe “determine the future of their children.”

Friday
It will be the third year in a row that Beijing has increased retirement benefits for the nation’s 40 million government retirees, who include teachers. In many cases, a retired teacher gets more in benefits than new teachers starting out. The improved retirement benefits cover only a fraction of the country’s elderly. Let us remember the faithful serving of all the older church pastors and church workers who have no retirement benefits at all.

Saturday
Some rural church leaders are taking the initiatives in visiting their church members who work in the cities. They can usually reach them by cell phones or help them with issues with employers. Finding a place to worship regularly is still a problem for many. Let us remember all those believers who work in the cities but are no longer worshipping regularly. May the Lord rekindle their love for Him and help them rediscover the joy of meeting regularly again.

Sunday
The issue is no longer religious freedom in China but favoritism toward the indigenous religions: Buddhism and Taoism. Such religions are considered Chinese, not foreign, and the building of temples tends to attract overseas tourism and investment money. One is amazed by how temples of all kinds pop up on the horizon. Let us remember especially those churches that are in the process of seeking building permits and expansion. We pray for their redoubled effort in outreach and winning favor of local officials.

Monday
In Singapore, world-class medical care costs only about a third or half the amount it costs in the United States and many Chinese in Southeast Asia and Indonesia stream there for medical needs. Multitudes of believers and church workers in China face exorbitant medical costs that they cannot pay. We need to pray for those believers with chronic illnesses or cancer who face huge medical bills.

星期二
今夏輿論大眾公開探討磚窯勞工受虐問題，在中國社會是史無前例的。另一個有關當局必須處理的，就是拐賣殘障兒童，使之行乞。國內社會普遍把殘障和乞丐一併視爲社會的包袱。人們對體障人士似乎視而不見，多數教會也無配備輔助體障者所需的設施。讓我們為殘障人事工禱告。求神給我們有基督的憐憫之心，齊來關懷服事這些受社會忽略的人群。

星期三
「裸考」這個新詞特指在中國950萬的高考生中不獲任何加分的人。而少數民族、市三好學生幹部等考生可獲得5%的加分，當然「裸考」者仍佔大多數。但在升學競爭激烈的情況下，許多學生對這類加分制度的公平性和審核標準頗有微詞。我們為參加考試的信徒禱告，求神讓他們無論成績如何，都能有堅定不移的信心，依靠神來面對未來。

星期四
在國內能夠在高考成績中獲得加分的學生包括少數民族，僑歸，革命烈士的子女，三好學生，國家二級運動員，以及發明競賽中獲獎的學生。多數人都認爲高考成績會決定孩子未來的前途，基督徒父母也都在為他們孩子的高考禱告，讓我們為等待放榜成績的所有家庭禱告。

星期五
北京連續第三年增加公務員的退休福利，惠及的退休官員約4千萬，也包括教師在內。很多時候，退休教師的福利遠勝新任教的老師。在增加退休福利條例下受惠的老人僅占全國的少數，我們要為國內許許多多終其一生忠心服事卻毫無退休福利的老傳道和教會同工們禱告，求主保守、記念他們，也信實供應他們的各項需要。

星期六
有些農村教會同工主動到大城市探訪在當地工作的弟兄姐妹，經常打電話與他們聯絡，並且幫他們解決生活上和工作上的各種問題，輔助城市民工的教會成長。目前城市內的許多民工教會仍然很難找到長期聚會的場所。讓我們為民工教會的各項需要及所有能固定上教會的流失信徒禱告。求主幫助他們重拾最初對主的愛心和信心，使他們重新得著敬拜的甘甜和喜樂。

星期日
政府近來扶持中國民間信仰佛教和道教的動機和原則與放鬆宗教自由無關。究其原因包括借助本土傳統宗教信仰促進觀光旅遊和經濟發展、投資，也微含以「土教」壓「洋教」的目的。近來許多寺廟紛紛平地而起令人驚訝，而與此同時，許多教會卻正等待建堂或擴堂准証。我們為中國教會急需加倍力氣傳揚福音及切切仰望神施恩使教會能贏得地方官員的信賴來代禱。

星期一
新加坡醫療行情遠比美國便宜，一般是1/3或一半的費用，但卻擁有同樣的國際水準。獅城已成為東南亞、印尼地區華人就醫首選的目的地。目前國內醫療費用的『高貴』趨勢，已經成為中國社會一大問題，信徒、傳道人就怕生病、動手術。我們再次為所有信徒的醫療費用來禱告，尤其是那些患有長年疾病，以及癌症等等需要巨額醫療費用的人，求主憐恤、幫助。