Prayer Request 1/12 - 1/18

Tuesday
The hit television series Dwelling Narrowness was recently banned. The series focused on the skyrocketing property prices and the pressure on the middle class to put up mortgages. It also highlighted the anxiety of Chinese authorities over the widespread public discontent about the steep prices put on homes. We can all pray for young Christian couples who work to make their house payments as they learn to set priorities in life and put God first, and to invite Christ to be the Master of their home. Many young believers have unbelieving parents and we pray for their desire to witness to them and still honor them.

Wednesday
A well-known euphemism for the common practice of married men keeping mistresses (colorful flags), is "The Red Flag does not fall at home, yet colorful flags flutter outside". Such an arrangement is almost considered acceptable in China today and those who are faithful to their spouses are ridiculed as impotent and oppressed. We pray for the alarming and rapid decay of morality in China. May the Lord guard our own hearts and protect our families starting with a true hunger for His Word and His holiness. We also remember and pray for deliverance of all those who have fallen away from the faith and are now living in sin.

Thursday
In China, trying to find a suitable living arrangement for orphans is still a thorny social issue because the society is known for tight family relationship. There are government-run orphanages but their overall quality are inconsistent or inadequate at best. Most orphanages receive financial support from abroad. There are also smaller scale orphanages, often a few orphans adopted and cared for by local churches. We are called to show compassion to the poor and orphaned. We pray that more churches will reach out to their communities and serve those who are weak and even despised.

Friday
The majority of Chinese parents who push their child to attend college do not have college degree. They know without a college education, their child will “go no where” in today’s society. Parents feel lost and even hopeless when their child does not make it to college. We pray for parents who are anguish and disappointed by their child’s academic performance. We pray for faith in God and their willingness to trust God have the best for their child.

Saturday
Chinese parents literally believe once their only child get into college, it is like getting into heaven. Conversely, not getting into college is a miserably failure and shame. Such attitude encourages parents to give their college-bound child all the money they need, even if they have to go into debt. For Christian kids, going to college implies a disconnect from their home church and many are lost to follow-up and stop going to church/fellowship completely. Let us pray for the continuing faith and attending churches of all the young people who grew up in Christian homes.

Sunday
A young Chinese urban family (those who are 25 years old) saves almost 30% of their disposable income, as do those that who are headed by 60-year old. Young families and old people are the most thrifty, one saving for their children' education and the other for medical expenses. In China the cost of everything keeps increasing and people feel uncertain about having enough money for living expenses in the future. Let us pray for faith in God for all of us, for without such trust in God we find it difficult to give to God's work or even to send people as missionaries.

Monday
China is the nation with the most smokers, nearly 350 million people, about 1/3 of the world's smokers. Interestingly, 56% of male Chinese physicians smoke, too, and the majority of them do not know how to effectively kick the smoking habit. It is predicted that Chinese hospitals will become smoke-free in 2011. Many believers struggle to stop smoking but are not able to. They have trouble not only with smoking but also with gambling, cussing, and abusive language. Let us pray for the powerful transformation of life by the Holy Spirit in all who seek to live a new life for Christ


星期二
在中國熱播的電視劇《蝸居》被禁了。這齣電視劇關注到國內房價暴漲及中產階層承受物業按揭的壓力，突顯出政府擔憂房價不斷攀升帶給民眾廣泛的不滿。 我們要為所有年輕基督徒夫婦禱告，他們一方面要工作償還按揭貸款，另一方面亦要學習管理好生活的優先次序，凡事以神為先，讓基督成為一家之主。很多年輕信徒的父母都是未信者。願他們敬愛父母，行事為人有美好的見證。

星期三
現今中國流行一句話：「家裡紅旗不倒，外面彩旗飄飄。」意思是，家裡有原配，外面有情人，兩不耽誤，情感的旗幟處處飄揚。這種風潮下，沒有艷遇的人，反倒被視為「受壓抑」、「沒本事」的人。讓我們為中國這種道德急劇敗壞的現象切切禱告。願神保守每個家庭成員的心，都能夠渴慕神的話，持守聖潔。也為那些違背信仰，沉淪在罪中的人代求，願神拯救他們遠離罪的捆綁。

星期四
在中國要安頓好孤兒仍是一個重大的社會課題。政府開辦的孤兒院，質量往往良莠不齊，而較優質的孤兒院大多數是得到國外的財政支持。至於一些規模較小的，則只有靠本地教會去承擔。我們應該學習關顧窮人和孤兒，求神感動教會能幫助社區中那些弱勢和被忽略的人們。

星期五
中國大多數父母盼望孩子能考上大學並取得學位。他們認為沒有大學學歷，孩子就無條件在社會生存。因此當子女考不上大學，家長們會感到失落，甚至絕望。我們為那些因孩子的學業不盡理想而痛苦失望的父母祈禱，求神賜下信心，也轉變他們心態，珍視每個孩子都是神所賜最佳的禮物。

星期六
中國家長們都期盼自己的兒女能考進大學。如果成功考上，感覺就像進入天堂般美好；反之則是一個失敗者。家長們往往用盡方法務求讓孩子考上高校， 甚至不惜債台高築。我們要特別記念信徒的子女，有不少孩子考上大學後就減少參與教會活動，甚至停止到教會敬拜或團契。讓我們為他們能有追求的心志來守望。

星期日
中國城市的年輕人家庭（夫婦年齡約25歲者），其儲蓄額大約是他們收入的三成，與步入六旬者相同。年輕的家庭和老年人是最節儉的一群，前者為了兒女未來的教育費，後者則為了醫藥費的支出。中國生活指數不斷提高，人人為未來的經濟和生活能力而誠惶誠恐。讓我們禱告，求神賜我們對祂有堅定的信心，因為不憑著信，我們便很難委身作神的工，更難差出宣教士傳揚主的佳音。

星期一
中國有近3.5億吸煙人口，是全世界煙民最多的國家，約佔全球煙民總數的1 / 3。其中男性醫生的吸煙比率竟高達 56％，且大多不知該如何戒煙， 實在令人吃驚。據消息顯示，中國的醫院到2011年便會全面禁煙。 許多信徒亦曾試圖努力戒煙卻不成功，在賭博、罵人及粗言穢語等陋習上也是如此。我們祈求聖靈繼續動工，幫助立志在基督裡過新生活的人，能有堅強和恆久的鬥志，勝過私慾等舊習性。