Prayer Request 12/25 -- 12/31

Tuesday
Being a "human rights lawyer" means a saint-like status in China. Human rights lawyers have defended many high-profile cases, based on the rights and religious freedoms offered by China's Constitution. Such tactics have endeared them to the people but not to the local officials. By nature Chinese do not like to stir up trouble and are quite likely to overlook injustice. We pray for a sense of justice, compassion such as what Jesus had, and a willingness to defend the persecuted in the hearts of all believers.

Wednesday
Television came to China in 1958 and currently about 95% of households there have TV. Chinese audiences are particularly fond of dramas so each year there are nearly 500 series or 10,000 episodes shown over 363 stations. Many believers are literally addicted to TV drama and spend all evening every day watching it. Let us pray for the many believers who are unable to break their habit of watching TV even to the extent of disrupting family lives and neglecting their children and church attendance.

Thursday
China’s Defense University recently celebrated its 80th anniversary. Since the Sino-Japanese war, this elite school has produced high-ranking, well-educated leadership for the People Liberation Army. Government-approved seminaries and Bible schools provide all the pastors in the Three-Self churches. Let us pray for all the teachers and ask the Lord to give them not only wisdom in imparting Bible knowledge but also passion for churches and close personal walks with Christ.

Friday
One expert has said that “the gap of wealth in China is at an unacceptable level.” While absolute poverty may still exist, relative poverty is the overwhelming social concern. Rising costs of living, education costs and medical expenses are outpacing incomes.Many believers feel despondent and wonder why God has not blessed them with more material goods. We pray for all those who have financial burdens and struggle to believe that God is faithful. May we all find Him to be sufficient in all ways.

Saturday
Confucianism is enjoying resurgence in China as more and more people seek ways to adapt to a culture in which corruption is rampant and materialism has become a driving value. For many Chinese a system of ethical teaching that stresses the importance of avoiding conflict and respect for hierarchy makes perfect sense. Many Chinese feel that Christianity is a Western religion and Confucianism appeals to their nationalistic pride. Let us pray for intellectual believers who will live out their faith and be a powerful testimony to the rest of the nation that Christ is indeed the answer to China's ills and problems.

Sunday
According to some people the rift between the Three-Self and house churches is narrowing. Some pastors have left the Three-Self Churches and are now serving house churches. In other cities believers in the house churches attend selective programs offered by the Three-Self churches. Let us pray for these “cross-over” believers. May the glory of God be magnified and their spiritual gifts used to edify more believers wherever they are.

Monday
It has been a boom year in the Chinese stock and real estate market. It seems that everyone believes that the government will not pop the present bubble of euphoria before the 2008 Olympic Games. Churches in China have endured persecution and survived attacks by occult forces but they are doing poorly combating the present torrent of materialism. May the Lord's mercy protect all of us against materialism and the Chinese churches from becoming merely lukewarm groups of people.

星期二
中國的維權律師猶如聖人。他們根據憲法所予的權益和宗教自由，打勝了多起著名官司。此舉雖得不到地方官員的認同，卻令他們贏得百姓的愛戴。中國人向來明哲保身，怕惹麻煩，對於社會上諸多不公不義的現象常常視若無睹。我們為信徒能夠胸懷基督的憐憫和公義之心、願為受屈者打抱不平來禱告。

星期三
1958年誕生了中國第一家電視臺，至今95%的家庭擁有電視。觀衆特愛看電視劇，因此，全國363座電視臺每年播放將近500部、總數超過1萬集的電視劇。很多弟兄姐妹看電視成癮，每天晚上都守在電視機旁，欲罷不能。有的甚至為看電視影響家庭生活，忽略了孩子，也不上教會。讓我們為他們能操練節制來禱告，求神使他們能夠有智慧安排生活優先次序。

星期四
國防大學80周年校慶。自抗日戰爭迄今，國防大學為人民解放軍注入了高教育水平的指揮員和中堅分子。三自教會所有的牧師傳道都來自受政府批准的聖經學院。讓我們為聖經學院所有的教師禱告，求主不但賜他們傳授聖經知識的智慧，也對主的教會充滿熱忱、並且個人樂於與基督親密同行。

星期五
有專家警告：「中國的貧富懸殊已經大到多數人無法接受的地步」。現在「絕對貧窮」的情況雖有改善，但「相對貧困」的社會現象更受到關注。老百姓的收入難追節節上升的生活費、教育費和醫療費。一些信徒在經濟的重壓下無法感受神在物質生活上的信實供應，求神讓祂的兒女們無論在任何境遇，都能以信心的眼睛看到祂預備的豐足。

星期六
社會上貪腐行爲猖獗、物質主義操控了價值觀，人們開始尋找因應之道，因而近來儒學在中國復興起來。這個強調以和為貴，尊重等級權次的道德制度對多數中國人而言是最佳選擇。許多中國人認爲基督教是西方宗教，儒學才能夠滿足他們的民族自尊。我們祈禱信主的知識分子能夠把信心活出來，成為強而有力的見證，讓國人看到基督纔是解決中國通病的唯一藥引。

星期日
據觀察目前的三自教會和家庭教會之間的嫌隙正逐漸縮減。有些離開三自的牧者服事於家庭教會，某些城市裡家庭教會的信徒也選擇性地參加三自教會舉辦的節目。讓我們為這些「跨教會」的牧者及信徒禱告，求神引導他們無論置身何在，都使神的名被彰顯，又用他們的恩賜造就更多信徒。

星期一
過去一年，中國房地產及股市大漲。每個人似乎都瘋迷炒地產、股票，百姓們都相信政府在2008奧運之前不會讓經濟下降。過去經歷過風雨、異端和逼迫仍堅立不倒的中國教會，目前卻面臨更大的挑戰和衝擊，那就是追求富足和物質享受的誘惑。求主憐憫保守每個信徒都能勝過這一關，不讓教會陷入不冷不熱的景況。