Tuesday, December 29, 2009

Prayer Request 12/29 - 1/4

Tuesday
In a rather surprising admission, the government newspaper published an estimate of 50 million in attendance among house churches. "They're saying the [official] Three-Self Church is not the only game in town. In fact, there are more people outside of it than in it. To make that admission in print is remarkable," said one observer. We praise the Lord for His own miraculous work in China. Still, there are billions of lost Chinese who will not depart this world without the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. We pray that both open and house churches will redouble their effort in evangelism, reaching outside of churches, into their communities with great fervor.

Wednesday
Many of the government-owned corporations in China are hiring only males this fall. Numerous female college students are complaining of job discrimination based on sex. Many young women have few prospects of landing a job despite their good qualifications. We remember all the young female Christians who are looking for work and ask the Lord to give them peace and trust in Him and favor with their prospective employers. We pray, too for the many collegians who have accepted Jesus on campus but have been lost to follow-up once they graduated and returned home. 

Thursday
Sixty percent of Chinese males who are more than fifteen years old smoke. There are fifteen million teenagers in China who smoke and the age for smokers is getting younger. Sixty percent of the smokers in China do not know that it is unhealthy or can cause cancer. Children grow up in homes where there is smoking and begin themselves in junior high school. It is impossible to forbid the children to smoke if the father does it all of the time. Let us pray for the modeling of good behavior such as being kind to others and generous in giving by all Christian parents.

Friday
A survey done in four major cities of China (Beijing, Shanghai, Tianjin, and Xian) shows that 90% of female college students feel they are discriminated against because they are girls. It was Mao's stunning legacy that under his rule Chinese women achieved a near-equal status with men. Today's bosses, however, think of female employees only as marriage partners for male workers. Women make up a majority of the attenders, members, and workers in the churches of China. Female clergy are allowed to perform all the duties that male clergy are and are even in prominent leadership places but in many of the house churches leadership is restricted to men. Let us pray for all the sisters who serve in churches whether they are laity or clergy.

Saturday
Since the founding of the Republic of China sixty years ago, higher education there has reached a remarkable milestone with 2.9 million students having advanced training from university. However, experts in education say that China is lagging behind in producing truly outstanding academically-oriented students. In the past many young men and women in China have had Bible training and served in churches. We praise the Lord for all those who serve and pray for more workers who can be equipped. We pray, too, for the raising up of a new crop of pastors who can effectively speak to those who have advanced education.

Sunday
Many Chinese children are addicted to internet games because of a lack of other ways to use their time and also the freedom that is accorded to the use of recreational time. There really is no better substitute for using free time than playing games for the vast majority of Chinese families. Playing internet games is a very cheap way to occupy the free time that children have. Many believing parents purposely let their children play computer games at home so they can freely go to church. It is a heartache for believers when they hear their children say, "It is boring to go to church." Let us pray for all those whose child is losing interest spiritually and refusing to go to church.

Monday
"Courtesy sex" is the new social term and justification for casual sex between a man and a woman who happen to be in the same house at the same time. It is called courtesy because one should not reject the advance of another for fear of hurting the pride of the other. Such an idea seriously challenges the traditional practice of Chinese chastity of women and family ethics. Today, casual sex or the one-nigh stand is widely accepted as a norm. We pray for all believers,young and old for the safeguarding of their hearts. May the Holy Spirit always convict us and keep us from temptation.


星期二
官方報紙很不尋常地公開中國約有五千萬人參加家庭教會;實際上,在三自教會以外的基督徒人數更多。官方的三自教會並非基督徒的唯一去處。我們讚美主在中國行的神蹟奇事,但仍有十數億中國人因不認識耶穌基督及其救恩而失喪永生。我們禱告神感動所有在中國的公開教會和家庭教會,都能加倍努力傳福音,走出教會,以極大的熱情來關懷所在的社區。

星期三
許多國有企業和公司今年秋天幾乎只招收男性。大學女生們抱怨勞動市場「對女性的歧視日益嚴重」。許多中國女性發覺,盡管她們上了大學且成績優異,謀職仍就不易。我們在禱告中記念求職的主內姐妹,能平靜安穩,全心信靠主,在徵聘者眼前蒙恩,獲得賞識。也不忘為在校園信主,離校返家後,在信仰上得不到跟進的大專學子們禱告。

星期四
中國15歲以上男性中,60%有抽煙習慣。目前約有1,500萬名青少年是煙民,煙民年輕化現象明顯。60%的煙民不知道抽煙對身體有害,也能致癌。孩子們在抽煙的家庭長大,到了中學時期也開始抽煙。父母親的榜樣對孩子尤其重要,若父親成天吞雲吐霧,禁止孩子抽煙就成了難事。求主?助信徒父母們有好行為、好見証,為孩子樹立善良樂施的好榜樣。

星期五
一項調查顯示:北京、上海、天津和西安,有90%的女大學生求職時感受到性別歧視。婦女獲更多平等機會原是毛澤東最傲人的成就之一,然現今老板越來越視女職工只是男職工的「結婚對象」。中國教會的成員及教會同工,多數皆為女性。女傳道擔當男傳道的所有職務,甚至任重要的領導職位。但許多家庭教會仍只限男性當領袖。求主記念、祝福所有教會裡,無論是會友或傳道的姐妹們忠心的服事。

星期六
新中國成立60周年,教育發展已有令人矚目的成就。中國受高等教育人數有2,907萬,規模已達世界水平,但在傑出人才的培養上仍有嚴重不足。我們感謝主,中國這些年來已有許多年輕男女接受過聖經神學訓練,並在教會服事。求主讓更多服事同工能接受裝備,也求主興起大批新一代的優秀牧者,能有效地向高教育水平的菁英們傳講神的話。

星期日
中國家庭的孩子們娛樂空間及樣式太少,即網絡遊戲的「同質替代物」太少,加上相對而言網遊門檻不高、消費低且容易上手,以至許多孩子都沉溺其中。許多基督徒父母甚至刻意讓孩子在家玩網遊,好方便自己上教堂聚會,免得應付孩子埋怨「上教堂好悶!」。我們要為失去屬靈胃口的孩子們禱告,願主自己吸引他們。也賜下智慧給父母們重視培育敬虔的後裔。

星期一
「禮貌性上床」是一個新的社會名詞,指孤男寡女同處一室,因考慮對方尊嚴而出於禮貌性地上床做愛。稱之為「禮貌性」是因一方出於害怕傷害另一方尊嚴而不拒絕另一方的性要求。這種理論正嚴重挑戰中國傳統的女性貞操觀,也易導致家庭倫理的混亂。今天「禮貌性上床」或「一夜情」漸成為正常現象而被社會廣泛接受。願聖靈常提醒、保守所有基督徒們的心,使我們遠離試探,全然聖潔。

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