Prayer Request 10/06 - 10/12

Tuesday
In Shanghai, the cost of raising a child to adulthood, including the college tuition, is about 900,000 yuans, the cost of a middle-class apartment. Every parent has great expectations for his/her only child and the cost of raising the only child is equal to a house. Christian parents have the same worries too. They worry about their children drifting away from God. Vast majority of Chinese churches have little to attract or offer the teenagers. Let us pray that Christian parents will have the wisdom and resolve to teach, communicate and remind their children to love the Lord.

Wednesday
Since the great revival in China in the 1970's, although no one knows exactly the number of Chinese Christians, Chinese have composed the largest Christian groups in the world. Officially there are eighteen million believers in the Christian Three-Self Patriotic Movement and five million in the Catholic Patriotic churches. We know that God knows everyone who belongs to Him so we want to pray for God's sheep and His faithful workers on the field. Many say, "Prosperity is the greatest enemy of the church" so we pray again for the refining fire and a spirit of revival to come to churches in China.

Thursday
The housing market is again sizzling in China. On the average, the price of a starter home in an average Chinese city will cost about as much as one wage-earner would get in twenty-two years. It is expected that parents will help their child buy a house and the only way a young married couple can own their own home is with the help of their parents. Helping their child buy a house and saving money for retirement are two things constantly on the mind of parents in China. Let us pray especially for believers who have children of a marriageable age. While it is difficult to be free of worry about money, let us pray for peace and assurance from God that He will take care of us and our children as we trust Him with all of our hearts.

Friday
In the cities, many of the new believers are young professionals. Although they have only came to know Jesus less than 5 years but they are very active in evangelism and want to make an impact for Jesus. In contrast to the older believers, they are eager to apply their skills and leverage their influence for Kingdom's sake. We praise the Lord for musicians, artists, managers of companies, teachers and lawyers who profess their Christian faith publicly. We pray that their zeal will be matched by their desire to walk closely with God, as well as humility to work with their church members.

Saturday
The Communist party is said to have implemented new rules forbidding party officials implicated in scandals or those who have been reprimanded to be eligible for reappointment or promotion. This is meant as a serious warning to put a stop to "bad apples". Last year there were eight thousand party officials reprimanded or indicted. "Bad" church workers often relocate or else start a new church which causes division and weakening of the existing church. We pray for all the congregations now undergoing divisions or suffering splits because of the moral failure of their leaders. May the Lord graciously restore their faith in the church and give them unity in Christ.

Sunday
Many Chinese have come to hear about Jesus for the first time after they left China to study or work abroad. These new converts have the genuine faith but many have reservation about receiving the baptism as a public profession of their faith. Many feel being a Christian will derail their career advancement, bypassed for promotion and jeopardize their membership standing in the Communist Party which is absolutely essential for public sector works. We uplift these brothers and sisters, in sharing their heavy emotional load with our prayers. May the Lord give us faith in trusting Him to lead us, and courage to profess His Name in our daily walk.

Monday
Golf is nicknamed the "green opium" in China and widely considered as a recreation of the capitalists. It is the fastest growing sport, with nearly 300 plus courses mostly in the southern part of China. Back in the 1980's there were only 20 courses. Not long ago, church buildings in China are antiquated and badly in need of replacement. Today, there are many modern, huge and architecturally distinctive church buildings. Let us remember especially these open churches with nice facilities that they will be used for great good and become great blessings to their communities.


星期二
在上海撫養一個孩子到成年，生活費和學費需要90萬元人民幣。每位父母都把所有的希望寄託在獨生子女身上，培養一個孩子成才所花的費用就相當於購買一套住房。 信徒家長不但有同樣的顧慮，更要為自己的孩子是否會遠離神而憂心。絕大多數的中國教會對青少年吸引力不大。我們要為信徒家長能有智慧和決心教導提醒子女，並在愛主的事上有美好溝通來祈求。

星期三
從上世紀70年代開始，中國教會開始了大規模的復興，成長為世界上最大的基督徒群體。雖然基督徒的實際數字無從得知，官方估計基督教三自愛國運動信徒逾1千8百萬，天主教愛國會信徒則有5百萬。 我們知道神認識每一個屬祂的人。我們要爲神的羊群和在工場上忠心的同工禱告。人曰：物質豐盛是教會最大的敵人。我們唯願煉淨的火焰和復興的靈再臨到中國教會。

星期四
中國房地產市場又再次熾熱起來。一般來說，一套在中等城市的基本住房價錢相等於一個普通工人工作二十年的薪資。事實上，年輕夫婦要買房，就是期望父母的幫助。國內父母常爲兩事憂心：一是要幫助子女買房子，一是爲退休好好儲蓄。我們特別爲有適婚年齡子女的信徒禱告。或許我們不得不爲錢煩惱，但可以仰望神，當全心信靠祂，祂會賜平安與確據，照顧我們和我們的兒女。

星期五
城市裏許多初信徒是學有專精的專業青年。他們信主通常不到五年，卻積極傳福音，要為耶穌成就大事。也渴望為神的國度，以一己之所長，提升並闊大其效率和影響。我們為這些公開承認自己是基督徒的音樂家、藝術家、公司經理、教師、律師等年輕信徒來感謝和讚美主。求主幫助他們對事奉的熱心與追求和神親密同行的渴慕相稱，同時也能謙卑與人同工。

星期六
共產黨制定了新規條，將禁止提拔對重大事故負有責任的黨政官員。這些應該對所有官員產生警示作用。去年有8萬多名官員因錯誤行為而被追究責任。「敗壞」的教會工人也經常會轉到其他教會或設立新聚會點，造成分裂並削弱現時教會的能力。我們為因領導者人格破產而導致內部分裂的教會祈求，願主重新恢復信徒對教會的信心並保守他們在基督里的合一。

星期日
很多中國人到海外留學或工作之後，才初聞耶穌基督、接受救恩。他們的信仰真實，但對接受公開洗禮卻仍有所保留，恐怕有了基督徒身份，會阻礙他們將來在國內的事業發展和升遷機會，也會危及在國家共產黨的黨員地位，繼而失去成為公務員的資格。我們要在禱告中分擔他們情緒和理性上的重擔，求主給他們力量，更加信靠祂的帶領，並且有勇氣在人前承認祂的名，高舉祂的名。

星期一
高爾夫球在中國被冠以「綠色鴉片」名號，普遍人認為它是資本主義上流社會的消遣項目。高球在中國是發展最迅速的體育運動。20世紀80年代，中國只有二十來個高爾夫球場，目前，高球場的數目增至300多個，大部份設於南方。不久以前，中國的教堂建築都是古舊失修。現今，現代化，龐大且具建築特色的教堂在各地比比皆是。讓我們特別記念這些設施齊全、對外開放的教會，求主使它們不但能成為美好事工的場地，更能成為鄰近社區的一大祝福。