Prayer Request 8/3 - 8/9

Tuesday
In the recently held Hong Kong Book Fair 2010, fictions are still the most popular books, followed by literary genre. The once hot investment how-to books lagged behind because of the sagging financial climate. China churches, especially the rural, laborer churches, and also churches in the disaster-afflicted areas, receive a lot of donated books. Yet, the majority of these books stay boxed up and never reached the intended believers. Generally, the appetite for spiritual readings among Chinese believers is not good. We pray the Lord to give us hunger for spiritual readings, that our lives will be renewed and our love stirred because of the fervent reading.
Wednesday
Shanghai people are very practical, which is in their very nature. Shanghai men work outside and come home to do housework, too. They are humble, not demanding. Women from northern China consider Shanghai men not macho at all. But, to Shanghai men, they would not have it any other way. It is very difficult to teach the Biblical command of "wives submit to your husbands" in China, when the prevailing culture is "women hold up half of the sky." Let us pray for all the marital relationships of all the believers, for husbands to honor their wives and be considerate. We pray for many couples who can serve as good role models in their church as well.
Thursday
The divorce rate has risen considerably in China and 56% of while-collared workers consider their marriage "psuedo-happy." Two reasons that couples cite for divorce are stress from work and extramarital affairs. It is also said that Chinese married women often neglect to keep themselves "pretty and presentable," which contributes to marital discord. We believe God can "fix" all bad marriages and that marriages are for life. We pray that Christian couples would not give up and lay blame on their spouses, but ask the Holy Spirit to change themselves first, learning to accept and love, as Jesus loves us.
Friday
Recently police in Guangdong publicly paraded prostitutes in handcuffs and neck chains in an attempt to humiliate them and cut down the sex trade. Public Security at the highest level has ordered that police cannot do this but must respect the basic human dignity of all offenders. Christians often condemn prostitution in their cities but then they cannot really offer any positive or moral influence to help in a concrete way. We pray that believers will "hate the sin but love the sinner" as Jesus Christ did. We remember the few believers who purposefully reach out to those women trapped in prostitution.
Saturday
Mr. Yamasaki was a physician with the invading Japanese troops in the opening of the Sino-Japanese war. Now, he is 102 years old and still offers free medical care to local residents every Saturday as his personal "redemption." He deserted his troop and even stayed in Jinan, Shandong, and lives there still today. The Shandong province was once an important place in the history of the Chinese church revival in the 20th century. We remember the believers there, many of them are old but witnessed those glorious days of revival and the sending of the gospel band. May the Spirit of God come again to churches there.
Sunday
Since 1997, after Hong Kong's return to China from the British rule, Hong Kong's educational goal is "Two languages and three tongues." Schools aim to equip their students to be proficient in Chinese and English and to be able to converse fluently in Cantonese, English, and Mandarin. To minister to Chinese churches overseas, those who are "two languages and three tongues" enjoy a great advantage. Let us pray especially for the growth and spiritual vitality of churches who are non-Mandarin speaking, for those who speak only Cantonese, Fujianese, Wenzhounese, or English.
Monday
China is now the world's second-largest economy, having overtaken Japan. China could even overtake the United States as the world's biggest economy in the next 20 years. Still, China's annual per-capita income is a mere $3,800. We thank the Lord for the great stride China has made in her economic development in the last 30 years. We pray China churches will also grow both in numbers and strength, spiritually and in her ability to minister to churches in China and in other countries.

星期二
今年度香港大型書展剛結束，仍以小說最受書迷歡迎，第二位則是以往較冷門的文學作品，至於過去數年都大受歡迎的金融投資類書籍，受香港近期股市變動影響，銷售量僅屬一般。中國教會，特別是農村、民工，以及災區的教會，常有外來捐贈的書籍，可惜信徒的屬靈閱讀胃口不高，多數書籍都被囤積，沒人翻閱。求主讓弟兄姊妹能察覺靈性的饑渴，主動追求靈命成長茁壯，激發出愛主、愛人的心。
星期三
上海人是非常實惠的。實惠，是小市民品格的本色。上海男人更是實惠的：上得廳堂，下得廚房；不充大，不滋事。照北方女人的標準，這是群不像男人的男人。但按照過日子的標準，實在是實惠。在「女性撐起半邊天」的主流文化下，要教導聖經原則「做妻子的要順服丈夫」著實困難。但我們能為信徒的婚姻關係禱告，讓夫妻彼此尊重，彼此體貼。使更多信徒夫婦能在教會裏成為年輕人的好榜樣。
星期四
離婚率日益上升，有56％的中國白領階級覺得自己的婚姻「偽幸福」，原因不外乎工作、生活壓力太大及第三者插足。而婚後女性一般對美麗意識的淡薄和忽視，成為「黃臉婆」，亦或是引起時下眾多家變的原因之一。我們相信神能夠修復所有失敗的婚姻，也相信婚姻是一輩子的。我們禱告，基督徒夫婦不互相怪罪、輕言放棄，願意讓聖靈來改變自己，學習無條件接納和付出愛，像耶穌愛我們一樣。
星期五
最近廣東省的警方公開將妓女戴手銬和脖鏈遊街示眾，企圖以此羞辱她們，從而減少性交易的發生。國家公安部已下令禁止警方今後再這樣做，必須尊重所有罪犯的基本人性尊嚴。基督徒時常譴責所居城市的賣淫行為，卻無具體積極的防治行動或發揮正面的道德影響力，來幫助解決。我們禱告主讓信徒能效法耶穌：厭惡罪惡，但愛罪人。特別是以禱告記念，幫助困於賣淫業中的婦女的少數基督徒們。
星期六
年高102歲的山崎宏曾是侵華日軍的隨軍軍醫，在戰爭中當了逃兵，從此滯留山東濟南。幾十年來，山崎宏一直堅持每週六日給濟南市民免費看病，替當年的戰爭行為「贖罪」。山東省是20世紀中國教會復興時期的一個重要據點。許多年長的信徒都曾見證當年福音大復興的輝煌事跡。我們特別以禱告記念當地的信徒，求聖靈再次臨到這地方，使福音興旺，教會復興。
星期日
在香港，「兩文三語」（書寫兩文–中文，英文；口操三語–粵語，英語，華語（普通話））是1997年回歸後語文教學的目標，學校要刻意培養學生的華語能力。 從事海外華人教會的福音事工，有「兩文三語」能力者占盡優勢。讓我們為「非華語」教會，亦即講廣東、福建、溫州話，或英語的華人教會的增長和靈命進深來禱告。
星期一
中國已超越日本，成為世界第二大經濟實體。中國更有可能在未來20年裡繼續前行，取代美國成為第一大經濟體。儘管如此，中國人年均收入僅為 3,800美元。我們為中國在過去30年經濟的發展感謝神。我們祈求上帝，賜給中國教會信徒人數的增長，她的靈命及能力也都成長健全，能幫助更多的教會，不論是在國內或是國外，成為流通愛的管道。