Prayer Request 4/13 - 4/19

Tuesday
Tina Leung, a controversial actress in Hong Kong in the 1960's, has died, Although she attended a Christian high school, she gave birth to a girl out of wedlock, became a spy for Communist China and became a successful business woman. She wrote a book about how she became a friend with her only child who had received a sex-change operation. It is never easy to be a single mother and it is even harder in China. There are also those parents whose child is confused about his/her sexual identity. Let us pray for wisdom, patience, and the unconditional love of God for those parents who are believers. May the Lord comfort and strengthen them.
Wednesday
Chinese officials repeatedly called it a "miracle"， as many miners were rescued from the flooded coal mine after being trapped for nine days. Although the safety of Chinese mines has improved dramatically, some two thousand miners perished last year. "This is probably one of the most amazing rescues in the history of mining anywhere," said a safety expert. In a humanistic society, one can only use the term "miracle" without any reference to God. The nation could only wish for a good outcome, instead of praying for divine intervention. As believers, we pray for eternal salvation of Jesus Christ to millions who will be forever lost in spiritual darkness.
Thursday
The traditional Chinese view is that men and women should not be single. Chinese homosexuals feel this same pressure to marry to appease their parents. There is an estimated twenty million gay men in China who are "forced" to marry heterosexual women and make their wives the victims of this social expectation. Let us pray for the homosexuals to come to know the salvation of Jesus Christ as well as others. We pray, too, for every Christian who feels he has to "get married" in order to meet the demands of his parents.
Friday
Recently the term "ant people" has been used to describe low-income college graduates who live together as a group. They are small but resilient like ants, and determined to stay and live in the large cities. Many people suggest that they should go back to the smaller towns they came from rather than trying to fit into big city life. We pray for those young people who came from rural Christian families but are studying or working in cities. Many of them no longer attend church. May the Lord answer their prayers and help them to return to Christ.
Saturday
More than half of the "ant people" come from villages and twenty percent of them come from county-level cities. They are the typical "poor second generation" who have neither the connections nor the means to live in a big city since their parents earn less than 50,000 yuan a year and borrowed money to put them through college. Many young people from poor families are under enormous pressure to be successful and help their parents financially when they complete their education. We remember those young believers who struggle with parental expectations to be successful but are hanging on with faith that God has a great purpose in their lives.
Sunday
Recently some media are reporting the difference between "Shanghai style poverty" (an outsider making a monthly income of 5,000 RMB in Shanghai who must pay rent, daily expenses, and send money back to poor relatives back in the village). and "Beijing style affluence" (someone born in Beijing making only 1000 RMB monthly but who lives with parents and enjoys a carefree life style.) Let us pray for all believers who are working away from home in the big cities, for their physical and spiritual well-being. It is discouraging to be working hard but still know that one cannot catch up with the ever-rising cost of living in the big city. We pray that we all will have a heart of thanksgiving and faith in God that He will take care of us.
Monday
The earthquake of Sichuan in 2008 marked a milestone for China's churches in terms of relief involvement and donation efforts. Churches in the coastal provinces, particularly Wenzhou, have shown their compassion and opened their pockets generously, helping the needy churches and also victims in general. We are blessed to see more Chinese believers willing to give and not merely receive. When pastors preach on the topics of offering, tithing, or money, it is usually considered "not spiritual." Let us pray that believers can really have faith in God, trust their church leadership, practice Christian generosity, and most importantly be thankful to their rich and gracious Lord.

星期二
有「奇女子」之稱的香港六、七十年代影星狄娜最近病逝。狄娜畢業於教會中學，年輕時拍攝風月電影，其後結婚、閙緋聞、離婚、破產、為共產黨收集情報、開展航天事業等，是個出色的商界女強人，一生充滿傳奇，。她在自傳《從母到友》中剖析，如何解決和接受女兒變性事實，母「子」倆的感情並沒因而變淡。單身母親原不易為，尤其身處華人社會，更是困難。若子女對自己性別困惑，更需面對極大的壓力。求神賜智慧、耐心和無條件的愛給信徒家長，親自安慰和加添力量。
星期三
官員表示對最近中國的煤礦事故表示，被困礦工堅持了八天八夜，礦難救援與決策工作創造了奇蹟。雖然近年煤礦安全已大幅改善，但去年仍有兩千多礦工因礦難喪生。在人本主義的社會裡，不容易將「奇蹟」看為「神蹟」，百姓只會期望「人定勝天」，努力奮鬥必能有美好成果，而不是來自上帝的幫助和拯救。讓我們為億萬同胞禱告，願他們早日認識耶穌基督的救恩，得著真正的拯救，不在黑暗中失喪。
星期四
「男大當婚，女大當嫁」是中國人千百年來的傳統觀念，同性戀者也不能自免於外。據估計，中國有二千萬的同性戀者在家長及社會的壓力下與異性結婚，除了傷害同性戀者本身外，還有他們的配偶。讓我們特別為同性戀者能認識主耶穌基督來代禱。也有不少肢體在家人催婚的壓力下仍持守等候神的旨意，讓我們在禱告中記念他們，在面對父母的壓力時，求主賜下信心，堅信神為祂的兒女，有最美好的安排。
星期五
近來「蟻族」一詞在大陸大熱，指的是「大學畢業生低收入聚居群體」，他們如螞蟻般弱小，但卻堅強，收入不高，卻受過高等教育，渴望融入大城市。許多人建議大學畢業生不要留在大城市當「蟻族」，應該去二三線城市或是自己的家鄉工作。我們為那些來自農村基督教家庭，留在城市學習或工作的年輕人禱告，其中許多人已不再參加教會。願主垂聽他們的祈求，也幫助他們重投主的懷抱。
星期六
「蟻族」中半數以上來自農村，20%來自縣級市，是典型的「貧二代」，很多家庭年收入不超過五萬元。他們在大城市裡既無根基又無人脈，甚至很多家庭為了供子女上大學全家勒緊褲腰帶，不惜舉債。貧困家庭的年輕人承受巨大壓力，渴望畢業後能事業有成以幫補家計。讓我們為那些不願辜負父母厚望而努力奮鬥，卻對信仰逐漸冷卻的年輕人代禱，願他們能認真尋求神在他們身上那永存美善的旨意。
星期日
媒體報導「上海式貧困」與「北京式富裕」的「相對論」：一個月入五千（人民幣）的上海外來者可能因租房、日常開銷、照顧在農村的家人等導至生活拮据；而一個月入只有一千多元的「北京土著」卻可能因有房子、有父母「罩著」、受良好教育等而生活得相當悠哉。讓我們為離鄉背井在城裡工作的基督徒的身心靈禱告，他們辛苦工作，卻永遠趕不上不斷上升的生活水準，也無法在大城市定居。讓我們禱告弟兄姊妹能存感恩的心，相信父神定必眷顧我們。
星期一
08年四川地震後的賑災，是中國家庭教會參與社會關懷及付出愛心的一個轉捩點。當中國的經濟發展起飛時，特別是沿海地區，教會信徒在金錢奉獻及資源付出方面也大有長進，尤以溫州教會最為顯著。我們有更多的信徒願意給而不僅是受而感恩。當牧師在講道提及奉獻及什一奉獻或金錢有關話題時，常被認為是「不屬靈」。讓我們禱告弟兄姊妹們能對神有信心，信任自己教會的領袖，操練聖經上對金錢的教導，更重要的是幫助信徒常懷感恩的心向厚賜一切豐富的主謝恩。