Prayer Request 9/15 - 9/21

Tuesday
China will soon celebrate the 60th anniversary of the founding of the Republic. The year 1949 means much to the Chinese people. For millions, it meant families broken up and separated for decades to come. No one would imagine how far China would come as a nation and how much China churches would grow over the past six decades. We praise God for His miraculous work and pray for even more blessing for Chinese churches everywhere. May the Lord be gracious to His churches, and may His people be even bolder and more willing to serve. May China churches stand up to be counted in His Kingdom.

Wednesday
The majority of China's rural churches have great difficulty attracting younger, professional newcomers because their church facilities are dilapidated and most of the members are old and mostly women. The kind of preaching usually does not appeal to those with higher education and working families. Many churches struggle with how to attract the younger generation and end up with no consensus or viable plans. People often become disheartened and even divided. Let us pray for unity, vision for church growth and moving of the Spirit among the leaders.

Thursday
In 2008 the number of Chinese able to access the internet reached 200 million and nearly ninety percent of them are under thirty-five years of age with about forty percent in the 18-24 year old bracket. The government has attempted to clean up online pornography but without much success. Parents have a nearly universal problem because most of them complain that their child is spending too much time playing online games. Let us pray for believers who are concerned about the internet and online addiction to pornography of their children.

Friday
A survey shows that three-fourths of students have viewed Internet pornography and that nearly all college students have done so. The Chinese government is rather stringent in clamping down on pornography but the effort seems to be futile. The Chinese taboo of discussing sex is one reason young people flock to the net to learn anything about sex. Let us pray for Christian parents to have the wisdom to discuss this subject with their children. We also pray that all Christian teens will have the desire to keep themselves pure and flee from sexual temptations.

Saturday
The average Chinese loves to curse. There are two things that make this even worse. Chinese often exaggerate by being overly-inclusive as if all Chinese are equally bad. Second, this vulgarity often includes sexual innuendos with endless references to the genitals. Of course believers do not curse like this but it is hard for many new converts to change after their conversion. We pray for the power of the Holy Spirit to transform them and us in mind as well as in words and deeds.

Sunday
For a long time China has been a poor country. There was even a time not too long ago when China promoted the ideal of "The more impoverished, the more glorious". Another saying was, "The more impoverished, the more revolutionary one is". Times have changed and today it is literally, "Show me the money" or "Money talks". The Bible says that God has chosen the poor to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom. Let us pray that more Chinese believers will be like the apostle Peter who could proudly stand up and claim, "Silver and gold have I none, but in the name of Jesus..."

Monday
In the days of the Cultural Revolution the buzz phrase was, "Be the grass of socialism, never be a seedling of capitalism". The meaning was that one was to embrace socialism blindly no matter the cost with a total disregard for the well-being of the people and forget about capitalism even it was good or useful. Believers can be extreme in upholding their own interpretation of the Bible to the total exclusion of orthodox and historical church traditions. Let us pray for humility of believers and pastors alike, that they will be able to respect each other, be less self-righteous, and show more of the love of Jesus Christ.


星期二
中國即將慶祝建國60周年。1949年對許多人而言，是幾十年家人的分離失散。當年沒有人能想像今天中國竟然成為世界大國，中國教會也有如此驚人的增長。我們讚美上帝奇妙的作為，也為普世華人教會來祈求。願主施恩給祂的教會，賜膽量給祂的兒女更依靠主站立穩固，更願意參與服事。也求主興起中國教會，大大使用他們拓展祂的國度。

星期三
中國大多數農村教會很難吸引年輕人和專業人士加入，因為這些教會的設施普遍破舊不堪，成員多是老年及婦女，所傳講的信息通常不合那些教育水平較高者和職業家庭的胃口。許多教會為了年輕一代成員而投注多方努力卻徒勞無功，使得人心動搖，意見分歧，甚至教會分裂。求主幫助這些教會的領袖們同感一靈，有聖靈充滿的能力，致力於教會合一和成長。

星期四
2008 年中國網民總數已經突破2億。網民中35歲以下用戶佔八至九成，其中近四成的用戶為18-24歲的青少年。政府一直致力掃除網上色情，但成果不大。現在 家長們的普遍問題就是，孩子耗費太多時間玩線上游戲。讓我們為家長們禱告，尤其為有孩子沉迷網路游戲或色情的基督徒父母們禱告，求主教導他們有智慧地用正確的管道幫助孩子脫離電腦網路的捆綁。

星期五
調查顯示，近四分之三的學生曾通過網路接觸色情，而大學生幾乎都接觸過。盡管中國政府嚴厲管制和清除網路色情，效果卻微乎其微。而中國人對「性」話題的禁忌，更導致年輕人往媒體網路尋求性知識。求主讓基督徒父母有智慧與孩子們談論這方面話題，也幫助所有青少年信徒們都能決心持守聖潔，遠離性的試探與誘惑。

星期六
中國人愛罵人，且具有兩大特色：一是廣泛性--誇大，罵一個中國人，便將所有中國人連帶的罵在一起，好像自己不是中國人。二是經常使用與性有關的字眼，把生殖器掛在嘴邊當口頭禪。 雖然信徒不會如此，也不該如此，但很多初信者很難在信主後一下子改過來。我們向神祈求聖靈的能力，潔淨並改變各人的心思、意念、言語和行爲，長成榮美的新樣式。

星期日
在近代史上，中國有很長一段時間都處於非常貧窮的狀況。曾有一段時間，中國社會大力倡導「越窮越光榮」，「越窮越革命」。時移世易，現今已是一個一切『向「錢」看』的社會了。 聖經説：「神豈不是揀選了世上的貧窮人，叫他們在信上富足，並承受祂所應許給那些愛祂之人的國嗎？」 我們禱告神讓更多中國信徒能像使徒彼得一樣，昂首自信地站起來對世人說：「金銀我都沒有，只把我所有的給你：我奉拿撒勒人耶穌基督的名，…」

星期一
文革期間的名口號：「寧要社會主義的草，不要資本主義的苗」，意思是無論代價多大、對人民福祉有多壞，人們必須盲目接受社會主義；資本主義再好、再美妙也不要。信徒常想要維護自己對聖經的詮釋，有時甚至極端到要把教會歷世歷代的傳統完全摒棄。求神賜信徒和牧師一顆謙卑的心，避免黨伐異己，自以爲義，能夠互相尊重，竭力追求和睦，活出耶穌基督的愛。