Prayer Request 9/1 - 9/7

Tuesday
In a delicately orchestrated political maneuver, Dali Lama will visit Taiwan, to pray and bless the recent typhoon's victims. In Taiwan, it is very common for political leaders to pay visit to prominent temples or secure "blessing" of Buddhist leaders. Such gestures are political necessities, and failure to do so means alienating the Buddhist-majority constituency. There are at least three thousand churches in Taiwan, but believers are less than 3-4 % of the island population. The impact of the Christian churches on the island and society is difficult to measure. Let us pray for Taiwan believers and for their effort to make an impact on their neighbors, showing the love of God.

Wednesday
From 1968 to 1980 Mao sent 17 million students to the countryside to be reformed and only a small fraction of this "Lost Generation" was able to get a college education later. Without higher education, many of them are now in their late fifties and are unemployed and bitter about their lost opportunities. People in this age group were disappointed with communism but still not able to accept Jesus because Christianity was a foreign religion that they once denounced. Let us pray specifically for the salvation of this age group of Chinese.

Thursday
For Chinese Muslims, going to Mecca can be difficult and financially expensive since the government-sponsored trip has very limited space and costs 4100 Euro which is beyond what common people can afford. The government doesn't allow any private Hajj trips because they fear the people will have contact with extremist groups. There are more than twenty million Muslims in China and Christian work among them is considered to be very difficult or nearly impossible. It is much easier to share the good news of Jesus with younger Muslim students who are away from home. Let us remember them in our prayers.

Friday
In the Chinese world, relationship (guanxi) is the key to getting anything done and it also requires a lot of dining and drinking. All official business and even private meals include drinking as a mater of "face" which means one is properly respected and an integral part of the interpersonal relationship. A recent article about ten secrets of building guanxi includes three that involve drinking. Let us pray for Christians as they face the dilemma of whether to drink or not in social settings. May the Lord give them wisdom to treat their bodies as the temple of the Holy Spirit but still gain the favor of men.

Saturday
According to a French professor, "Chinese do not really separate business and private affairs. It is why having a meal and drinking a lot is a big deal". Westerners share a meal as friends, but not Chinese. For them, having a meal is a must, a tool in getting business done and building a relationship as part of the process. Having good food together and fellowship is also part of Chinese church life but many times we can sit down and eat and still bear grudges and refuse to forgive our brothers and sisters. We pray for a spirit of unity and harmony for all Chinese churches, not just merely having a good time.

Sunday
Female consumers in China are changing their pattern of purchasing things and becoming more bold and impulsive. They have an equal say with men in buying a house or a television and a great majority of Chinese men will get the approval of their spouses when they buy expensive items. Couples often fight over family finances so let us pray especially for Christian couples as they decide how much to give to God. Many believers have unbelieving spouses who "forbid" them to give to the church. Let us pray for those who must struggle with the way they use money since their spouses do not share their faith and commitment.

Monday
Women under 35 years old are doing most of the buying in China. Chinese women decide on not only their own household purchases but also on how their parents who live near them spend their money. While women in China today earn nearly as much money as their counterparts, in the 1950's they earned only twenty percent of the household income. Women make up seventy-five percent of the membership of the churches in China and they also are the ones who give the offerings. Let us pray for them since many of them not only serve in their churches but also contribute financially to the ministry. May the Lord bless these cheerful givers.


星期二
在「兩面為難」的政治困局下，達賴喇嘛將訪問台灣，為最近颱風受災者祈福。台灣政治人物經常進出香火鼎盛的寺廟，或祈求佛教領袖的支援，在佛教占大多數的選民地區，擺上這種宗教友好的姿態在政治上有絕對的需要。 台灣現時至少有3千家教會，但信徒却不到百分之3至4，難以真正衡量基督教在台灣社會及政治上的影響力。讓我們再次為台灣的信徒代禱，求神使用他們，在社區有美好廣泛的影響力，處處彰顯神的大愛。

星期三
1968年至1980年間，毛澤東將大約1700萬學生（知識青年）送到農村去，接受貧下中農的再教育，提前結束了求學生涯。雖然有部分知青後來考上了大學，但畢竟屬于極少數。學歷的劣勢使這批當年知青成為最先下崗的一群。這批人雖對共產黨感到無奈，但也因曾批判基督教為洋鬼子宗教，至今仍拒絕接受耶穌。讓我們為中國這年齡群的人獻上禱告，願他們能不再錯失救恩，得著永生。

星期四
北京開始限制國內穆斯林前往聖城麥加朝聖的人數，要由國家統一組織，民政官員陪同。朝聖者還要支付4100歐元的天價旅費。由官方舉辦之朝聖團團費遠超自由行。維吾爾人認為，政府限制他們自由前往麥加朝聖，是提防他們與國外的「恐怖分子」聯繫。中國回民總人數超過二千萬，向此族群推動穆宣或其他基督教事工難度極高，而向遠離家鄉的回族學生分享基督反較容易，讓我們為這些回民能蒙恩得救來禱告。

星期五
中國是個注重「關係」的社會，辦事要成功，就得先搞好關係，一旦求人做事，請客喝酒在所難免。中國的官宴、私宴、喝酒請客，乃關係到面子、禮數，是建立人際關係不可或缺的一環。一篇外國文章提出在中國建立「關係」的10個秘訣中，與喝酒有關的就有3項。讓我們為基督徒在職場交際時，面對應否喝酒這個難題來禱告，求主賜下聰明智慧，讓信徒持守聖潔的同時，在人前也能得人賞識。

星期六
一名法國教授指出，「酒桌社交」在中國地位如此特殊，是因為中國人不像西方人那般把公、私分得一清二楚。西方人在辦事過程中相互欣賞，會如朋友般相約吃飯；在中國，請客吃飯是辦事的前提及必要的工具，而私交則是辦事的基礎。在教會生活裏，弟兄姊妹也會邊吃飯邊團契。可是，很多時候雖然同桌用飯，彼此却心懷怨恨、拒絕寬恕對方。讓我們爲所有中國教會禱告，祈求神保守信徒們彼此合一、和諧共處。

星期日
中國女性消費習慣變得較輕率和衝動。女性在房產、電視機等家庭大宗消費的决策中， 已擁有平等的發言權。絕大多數中國男性表示，涉及房子戶型或超過一定價格的採購須要得到妻子的批准。很多夫妻常為家庭的財務安排吵鬧，讓我們為基督徒夫婦在對神奉獻的事上特別禱告。由于很多信徒的未信主配偶往往會「禁止」另一方奉獻給教會，讓我們為此禱告神，記念他們在奉獻上經歷的種種挑戰。

星期一
中國現今消費生力軍是不到35歲的女性。中國女性不僅在自己家裏擁有决定權，而且當她們與父母同住或住在同一個小區時，也替父母做購物决定。如今中國女性的收入占家庭總收入約一半，而在上世紀50年代僅占20%。中國教會的成員，女性幾乎佔75%，她們也是奉獻的主要來源；她們不僅肩擔教會許多的事工，也以金錢大力支持推動聖工。讓我們求主保守祝福她們甘心樂意的擺上。