Prayer Request 2/16 - 2/22

Tuesday
China Central Television's Spring Festival Gala has regularly attracted seven hundred million to a billion viewers since the early 1980's. Anyone who is featured in this event receives instant fame and recognition. Chinese people believe that whoever is famous or appears often on the media must be good. Chinese Christians have the same problem. They believe those pastors who preach well or speak to large audiences are used greatly by God. Let us pray for spiritual discernment, serious learning of the truth, and true spiritual growth for all believers.

Wednesday
There is an estimate of 16 millions Chinese who is legally blind. China is not handicap-friendly as a whole, especially to those who are blind. Blind have literally no employment opportunity except as massuess. There are ministries targeting specifically the blinds, providing Bible study courses and even seminary training in audio format. Let us lift up all the blind believers, both their spiritual and physical need to God. May the Lord bless those serving the blind and those who are physically handicapped.

Thursday
Many are surprised to know that one pastor can oversee so many congregations in China. Many leaders rely on authoritarian centralized leadership instead of doing it with godliness. Although on the surface the church seems to run smoothly under such "dictatorial rule" it really discourages people working together to see God's leading. Let us pray for those who are helping churches learn to adopt a better way of governing. More importantly, we need the Lord to raise up many, many leaders who are faithful and humble. We lift up all leaders, especially the older generation, that they will be willing to let go and allow younger ones be blessed by learning to lead.

Friday
People ask, "Are the churches in China poor?" Absolutely not! The churches there have great potential as far as resources go but they need to be more willing to share among themselves. Whether they are open or house churches, coastal or inland, there are many churches whose annual giving exceeds a million yuan and many other churches easily boast of offerings above half a million yuan. We simply pray that the churches in China will be willing to share their resources with the stronger helping the weaker, the urban churches helping the rural ones and all having a generous heart and being more Kingdom-minded. O Lord, help us put our prayers and desires into action!

Saturday
Many rural young couples in China face an uphill battle to preserve their marriages due to several reasons. Often the marriages are arranged and lack deep understanding between the couple. Many times the two young people are separated because the men goes to work in the cities and being together for only a few short weeks each year provides little opportunity to build good relationships. Let us pray for all the believing couples who live separately because of work or other reasons. Satan snares them and wants to destroy God's people. We pray for the protection of all Christian families, especially those who are struggling with a history of infidelity, a poor marital relationship, and the inability to forgive.

Sunday
The term "left-over women" means the same as "3S Women" or women who were born in the 70's and are still single because they can't find appropriate companions. They are often tall, well-educated, and have a high income, all of which make it difficult for them to find a husband. Most Chinese parents want their daughter to attain a high education but they are also fearful that they then will not be able to find mates who are as well educated as they are. Let us pray along with the parents who are worrying about their children' mates. We know we parents must teach our children to wait for the Lord to provide a believer-spouse for them.

Monday
Among Chinese in their twenties, it is becoming very common for them to have "Flash wedding" - fall in love, court (by phone or Internet) and marry in even as sort a time as a week. Young Chinese do not shy away from a "trial marriage" before tying the knot. Although it is still taboo according to Confucian culture , sex before marriage is now accepted as the norm. We should pray fervently for the younger generation of Chinese and that the Lord will give the churches wisdom in how to understand and relate to the youth. Churches need to provide a viable and powerful message of God's love and acceptance of sinners and not just simply condemn the lack of sexual morality about the young people.


星期二
自八十年代初期起，中央電視台的春節聯歡晚會一向吸引7億至10億觀眾。任何能在節目中出現的演員就得到及時的知名度和認可。中國人的思維邏輯，認為有名氣的就是好的，只要場面大，反響熱烈，就認為這些人很了不起；在教會界被神重用的，道也一定講得好。求主幫助所有信徒，不一窩蜂的慕名，而是在真理上更加深學習，使靈命活潑而增進。

星期三
據統計，中國目前大約有1,600萬盲人，這些人生活在肉体和靈性的雙重黑暗中，非常痛苦。有些教會設立了專門針對盲人的聖經學習班和神學課程，協助失明弟兄姐妹閱讀和理解聖經，還專門配備了盲人聖經朗誦機，也開設失明者的禱告小組和家庭小組。求主保守賜福這些事工的開展，並能蔚為風氣，使救恩澤及更多有特殊需要的肢體。

星期四
一般中國傳道人帶領的會眾之多令人乍舌。教會許多領導者牧會靠權力、由上而下之類手段，而非讓神來帶領。縱然教會表面上「光滑俊美」，實際上關閉了同工尋求神帶領的大門。結果信徒只仰賴人而不倚靠神。我們為幫助教會制訂更好管理模式的信徒來禱告，求神大大興起更多忠心、謙卑的領袖。也為教會的領袖代禱，特別求主使老一輩的能放下成見，祝福培育下一代，讓年輕一代有效接棒。

星期五
「中國教會貧窮嗎？」中國教會在資源溝通與共用上可以拓展的空間和潛力都很大。從沿海到內地，各處的教會，公開或家庭教會，每年奉獻額超過百萬人民幣的，每個省、市都有數個至十數個；每年奉獻額五十萬人民幣以上的則更多！ 求主幫助中國教會有更寬廣的神國度觀，以實際行動操練肢體相顧和聖徒相通，富裕地區的願意扶助貧困地區的教會；城市教會願意無條件負擔起帶動農村教會的責任。

星期六
中國農村年輕夫婦正面臨一場維護婚姻的艱鉅戰，通常這些婚姻都是經「媒妁之言」搓和，夫婦缺乏深刻的理解。加上男方出外打工，夫婦不得不分開，每年一起生活的時間僅數星期，很難建立良好的關係。讓我們為這些分居兩地的肢體禱告。求上帝保護他們的家庭，抵擋撒旦欺騙、拆毀神的子民的技倆，特別為掙扎於夫妻不忠，婚姻關係惡化而無法彼此寬恕的家庭開路。

星期日
術語「剩女」又稱「3S技術女人」，就是Single（單身），Seventies（大多數生於上世紀七十年代），Stuck（被卡住了），她們往往是高學歷，高收入和高個子的一群，這些使她們難以找到合適的丈夫。多數中國父母希望女兒接受高等教育，但也擔心以後無法找到與她們一樣受過良好教育的配偶。讓我們與這些憂心的父母一起禱告。也願家長教育子女耐心等候主提供一位虔敬愛主的基督徒為其配偶。

星期一
中國20多歲的年輕人中，「閃婚」(沒有經過充分交往、了解，就閃電式結婚)成了非常普遍的現象。比如網友在聊天室認識，電話交往一個星期便走入婚姻。年輕人也不避諱在正式結婚之前先「試婚」。雖傳統儒家文化仍視婚前性行為禁忌，但也因已成普遍現象而為社會所接受。 我們為年輕一代禱告，求主賜教會足夠的智慧關懷這些年輕人。向他們傳達上帝的愛和接納罪人的強力信息，而不僅是簡單地譴責年輕一代缺乏性道德。