Prayer Request 9/9-9/15

Tuesday
The Henan Sports Bureau for the Henan Province was not garnished with a gold metal in the Olympics this time. When the Olympics were in Athens, Henan, China's most populous province, got three gold medals. Henan has the most Christians and churches of all the provinces in China. However, in the last decade the Church has been weakened by the loss of young people leaving to work in cities as well as divisions and attacks by cults. Let us pray for divine protection and a revival in the Henan churches. May they again be a model to all churches in China.

Wednesday
Many Chinese are asking, "What was the reward for our hosting the Olympics in Beijing?" The obvious ones are a surging national pride and a cultural self-confidence. A recent survey revealed a record number of youth in Hong Kong who are taking great pride in "being Chinese". Overseas Chinese youth have a growing interest in China and are showing identification with the people there, We pray that God will stir the hearts of many foreign-born Chinese to learn the language and share the gospel in China.

Thursday
"The Together-eating Tribe" or literally "People who eat together and split the cost" is an official term for three to five young people who find each other randomly online and then go out to eat and divide the cost of their meals (about 100 yuan or US $15. each time). Chinese young people meet each other in a much different way today than they did in the past and it is considered highly acceptable for them to meet complete strangers online and then share more than a meal. Let us pray for all the young Christians who are striving to live a life for Christ and desire to honor God in all they do.

Friday
The hot American TV show, "Sex and the City," is even hotter in China, but it is demurely named "City of Desire." One conservative estimate puts the number of extramarital affairs among Chinese couples at 16%. Chinese couples seem to devote their time, energy, and money on their only child and often neglect their own marriage. Let us pray for all Christian couples, for solid teaching on safeguarding their marriage, so that they will not be influenced by secular values and practices that defile their marriage. We, too, pray that more churches will emphasize and provide marriage seminars and training for their flocks.

Saturday
A respected magazine reported that 83% of women from six large cities, including Beijing and Shanghai, identified themselves as being single. Among those with college degrees and higher, nearly 90% consider being single as inevitable. A few years back, the Chinese word for "bachelor" was strictly a masculine term. Chinese women are expected to get married and bear children. There are many single sisters among the urban churches, many are under pressure from their families to marry anyone available, whether they are Christians or not. We remember them in our prayers and their desire to serve the Lord.

Sunday
Twenty years ago, Kaohsiung, Taiwan, was in the top five ports for clothing export, but the city now suffers a high unemployment rate. Many expect a similar fate for the Guangdong province, which is heavily dependent on cheap labor and low-end manufacturing. Facilitating this economic transition is part of the Central government long term plan. The Guangdong province is the gateway to inland for many ministries. Let us pray for many Christians who go to China for work but face closure of factories. We too remember those ministries reaching out to factory workers and churches designed to attract laborers.

Monday
It is easy to divide up properties when couples file for divorce. Among 90% of divorced couples, visitation arrangements of the only child invariably is the most contentious issue, especially when grandparents on both sides try to court favor with the only grandchild and are even more emotionally involved. Divorce is the leading family issue in China. Many are so pessimistic about it and couples speak of it as an imminent possibility. We pray for all the believers who are divorced, for their spiritual growth, and for those Christian grandparents who will demonstrate the love of God to their grandchildren growing up in divorced homes.

星期二
河南乃是中國人口第一大省，2004 雅典奧運會，河南選手抱走了3枚金牌；北京奧運會，河南選手的金牌數卻顆粒無收。河南體育局宣稱他們承擔失敗的責任。河南省的基督信徒和教會最多，但在過去十年中，因為年輕人去了城市打工，加上教會遭遇許多分裂和邪教的打擊，那曾有的興旺已被削弱。讓我們切切祈求神保護河南眾教會能再次復興，成為中國其他教會的榜樣。

星期三
不少國人思索："京奧給中國留下了甚麼？" 其中很明顯的，奧運會給中國人民帶來了一種民族與文化自信和自豪。一項調查顯示，北京奧運使香港青年對"身為「中國人」感到驕傲的百分比創下新高。許多海外華裔青年，對於中國，以及身為華人也越來越感到光榮。我們求主感動愛主的年輕一代，讓他們不但願意學習中文也有心回到中國宣教。

星期四
合吃族，“合起來吃，分擔開支”，指的是三五個透過網路找到的人，因爲愛好美食，相聚一起追捧美食，分擔費用。一餐一般每人不超過人民幣100元（15美金）。現在的中國年輕人聚會的方式有別于過去。他們對素未謀面的網路陌生人的接受度高，分享的程度也深，不僅止于用餐而已。讓我們為在新新社會裏求存的年輕信徒禱告，保守他們凡事都能榮神益人。

星期五
美國當紅電視劇“性與城市”在中國被含蓄地翻譯為“慾望都市”，其風靡程度並不遜於美國。保守估計，中國夫妻當中，16%有婚外情。近年來，他們往往花錢、花心思在孩子身上，卻沒有好好經營自己的婚姻。信徒中的婚姻也難逃若入這樣的光景。我們禱告讓已婚弟兄姊妹能夠獲得真理的指導和扶持，以免跟隨世俗的觀念而玷污聖潔的婚姻，也求主使教會能夠加強在婚姻和家庭方面的教導。

星期六
全球頂級財經雜誌報導：在北京和上海等六大城市中，認同獨身主義的女性達83％，在高學歷女性群體中，更達到90％。幾年之前，詞典裏形容單身未婚者的詞彙只有“單身漢”，因爲在中國的價值體系裏，是不存在單身女人的。中國城市教會有許多單身姐妹，大都面對家人催婚的壓力，甚至不計較對象是否基督徒。讓我們以禱告記念她們的需要以及在主裏的服事。

星期日
廿年前，台灣的高雄巿曾是世界五大出口時裝的港口，但現今她的失業率居高不下。廣東省也面臨相同的命運，廣東的轉變是北京的宏調計劃的一部份，政府要在廣東省進行高質量的投資，並減低廉價勞工的比率。廣東省也是許多福音機構作為開發內地事工的跳板，我們特別為當中許多面臨失業的基督徒禱告，也為民工的福音事工的發展向主求恩典和能カ。

星期一
離婚的夫妻財產一般都可以分得清清楚楚，但惟獨孩子除外，因探視孩子引發的糾紛往往使離異怨偶舊恨添「新仇」。近年來，探視孩子的問題已成為離異夫妻矛盾的焦點，90 ％以上的離異夫妻都涉及這個問題。目前，離婚是全國最嚴重的家庭問題，甚至有人在結婚前已預備好隨時離婚。我們為所有離婚的信徒的靈命禱告，也為基督徒祖父母們能讓離婚家庭中的孫子們從他們身上嘗到主愛來禱告。