Prayer Request 6/9 - 6/15

Tuesday
More than half of the provinces in China report a decrease in the number of students taking the college entrance examination this year. One big reason for this is that many college graduates have not been able to find jobs and this was made even worse with the recent financial crisis. Most Chinese parents still believe one must have a college degree in order to be successful. We pray specifically for all the Christian families whose children are not getting a college education. May the Lord give them assurance that God has a good plan and they can glorify and serve Him in whatever course they pursue in life?

Wednesday
Although more than ten million people took it, the number of students taking the college entrance examination dropped this year for the first time in its history. One reason for the decline is that these examinees were born after 1990 which is the end of the third peak (1985-1990) of population in China. Let us remember all the Christian families whose children are taking the examination this year. Children are an inheritance from God and we pray that these parents, no matter the results of the examination, can trust God knowing that He has a wonderful plan for their children.

Thursday
Finding work is difficult for young people, especially those who are freshly out of school and those without a skill. One in 4 college graduates from 2008 have not found job and most of them are living with their parents. Among the unemployed, 85% are between 18 and 49 years old. Being unemployed usually means returning home to live with parents. Without gainful employment, these young people are experiencing a great psychological toll. Let us pray for all who are without work, especially believers who are experiencing stress, family turmoil, making ends meet and even doubts about the goodness of God.

Friday
This is the eightieth anniversary of the death of Dr. Sun Yat-sen, the founding father of the Republic of China. His palace-like burial grounds have become a "must see" for people who visit Nanjing. There are also memorials (some of them to foreigners) nearby that pay tribute to all the martyrs of the Republic and the Sino-Japanese wars. It is very easy to forget that the church is founded "on the blood of the martyrs". We thank the Lord for the thousands who stood for their faith and looked to God for final deliverance. Let us pray even more fervently for the church in China because "prosperity kills churches", and makes us complacent and lose our focus on God.

Saturday
More women file for divorce than men in Shanghai. One reason is it is easier for women to find work and stay financially independent. Another reason is women in Shanghai have a higher standard for quality of life and for what kind of husband they want to marry. There are many divorced sisters in China's churches. Although it is no longer an issue of shame, they lack support both spiritually and friendship-wise in church. We pray for their special needs, in overcoming loneliness, forgiveness, financial stress. We pray that they will have wisdom to raise their children to know the Lord.

Sunday
Teaching children’s' Sunday School in China is a very different experience. Teachers must be very resourceful and flexible. Often, children of a wide range of ages must share the same classroom and the teacher has very limited training and curriculum. We thank God for the great push to train more Sunday School teachers, but more are needed. The drop out rate for Sunday School children is high. We pray for more churches not to just know the importance of training the young ones but also to have the determination to recruit the best people to teach the young ones, especially the older ones who get bored with the traditional church services.

Monday
China's government is pushing hard to instill ethical values among millions of teenagers with an online pledge. The pledge is "to honor parents at home, respect teachers in school, and be a loving, ethical and sacrificial person in the community."　We know building ethics takes time and requires much more than an online pledge. We pray that young people in China's churches will have godly models whom will inspire them to love God sacrificially and demonstrate humility that is genuine and in a way that connects with the youth culture.


星期二
「高考降溫」，中國今年有超過一半的省份高考人數減少。投考人數下降的主要原因是大學生就業難，去年金融危機爆發後，目前就業更為嚴峻。 不過，絕大多數家長仍相信孩子能進大學才會有前途。 讓我們特別為信徒家庭中那些沒機會升大學的年輕人代禱，願主堅固他們，相信主有祂美好的計劃，無論他們進到那一行業，際遇如何，都能一生服侍、榮耀祂。

星期三
雖然報考全國高考考生將超過1000萬人，但有史以來今年報考人數首呈下跌。下降原因之一是應屆考生大多數是「 90後」。換言之，他們大都出生在中國第三個生育高峰（ 1985-1990）之後。 我們為今年有高考考生的基督徒家庭禱告。兒女是耶和華所賜的產業，不論考試成績如何，求主幫助父母能相信祂要在各人身上成就奇妙的計劃。

星期四
對中國青年人來說，現在找份工作是件很困難的事，特別是剛離開校園的和沒有一技之長的年輕人。去年的大學畢業生中，有四分之一至今仍未找到工作。他們大多數和父母同住，失業通常意味著回家加入「啃老一族」。失業的這些人百分之八十五年齡介於18歲至49歲之間，常因沒有收入承受著巨大的心理壓力。讓我們為所有失業的人禱告，特別是對上帝的良善疑惑，處在壓力、家庭風波，尚未見到柳暗花明的基督徒代求。

星期五
今年6月1日是國父孫中山先生奉安80周年。宮殿般的中山陵已成南京遊客必到之地，兩側有紀念堂紀念塔，還有革命戰士以及為抗日而捐軀的各國烈士的公墓。我們很容易忘了中國教會是用「福音烈士的鮮血」建立起來的。我們感謝神，有千千萬萬的信徒在信仰上堅立，並且以神為他們至終的救贖。而今，有云「富裕是教會的殺手」，讓我們更加迫切為中國教會禱告，願所有信徒都保守己心，定睛於主，不讓花花世界搖動了愛主的心志。

星期六
上海有一現象很突出，就是主動提出離婚的女性比男性多。原因之一是上海的女性就業環境比較好，能夠經濟獨立。再者是上海女性的生活素質較高，對結婚對象的要求相對的也更高一些。中國教會裏有許多失婚的姊妹，雖然離婚在今天的社會裏，不再被視為羞恥的事，但她們在教會裏仍比較得不到屬靈和友誼上的扶持。我們來為她們特別的需要禱告。求神賜她們力量，克服孤單無助感及抗衡經濟壓力，幫助她們饒恕和心靈被醫治，並賜她們智慧在主裏教養好兒女。

星期日
在中國，教兒童主日學有別于在學校授課。主日學教師既要有能力找教材，還要有彈性、能變通。通常不同齡的孩子們同一個主日學班上，教師一般缺乏足夠的訓練，要因應合宜尤其困難。感謝神已在多處推動了主日學師資的訓練工作，但這些培訓工作供不應求，主日學學生的流失率仍非常高。求神使更多教會不僅看到教導栽培幼小信徒很重要，也願意在教師身上下工夫，給孩子們最好的老師，以幫助他們不會因對崇拜方式感到沉悶而離開教會。

星期一
「我承諾：做一個有道德的人」中國政府開展全國百萬青少年網上簽名活動。承諾內容包括：「在家庭，孝敬父母；在學校，尊敬師長；在社會，奉獻愛心，做一個有道德的人。」我們知道，道德建設所需的時間之長和意志之堅，遠遠超過做出承諾時所能預期的。我們禱告，求神在中國教會興起能夠吸引年輕人效法的榜樣，使他們受聖靈激動，願意全心跟從主，恭敬謙卑的將自己擺上、獻出，榮神益人。