Prayer Request 9/7 - 9/14

Tuesday
A recent survey compares the tastes of young Chinese consumers with those of overseas youth. It found that Chinese young people do prefer name brands and trendy products but in terms of family values and saving money, they are more inclined toward traditional values. 88% of them trust Chinese name brands while only 65% trust foreign brands. Historically churches in China have not been "youth-friendly" nor do they feel they know how to reach the younger generation. However, churches that don't have young people are in danger of being disconnected from life. We pray for more church leaders who will reach out to the younger generation and make their churches more friendly for the youth.
Wednesday
Every year China sends high level officials and professors abroad to learn new management skills. However, once they return they invariably are not able to implement what they learned and must still conform to their old way of doing things. In the past many pastors from both open and house churhes have received special training or even visited abroad to learn more about leadership and church administration. May the Lord grant their wish of helping churches to be more transparent and the leaders to be more open in making decisions.
Thursday
A report claiming 65.4 million vacant apartments exist in 660 Chinese cities, indicated by their zero electric meter reading for more than 6 months. That is an excess of housing units for 200 million people. Such report quickly aroused great public concern about the housing bubble. Chinese housing market has been so hot and everyone "make big money buying houses". Yet, so many believers feel they are still poor and they do not need to give to God at all. Lord help us to know how to be truly content and always give thanks lest we become greedy.
Friday
For millions of older Chinese Christians the poison of the Cultural Revolution remains in their hearts. The worst of this poison is the teaching "Doubt everything, overthrow everything". This explains why a seemingly innocent discussion of theology could quickly turn into a heated debate or even an outright attack. There is still a strong tendency to question any authority in the churches. For believers to genuinely and humbly accept others who hold a slightly different interpretation of the Bible is extremely difficult. Let us pray for the work of the Holy Spirit in changing our hearts and minds to have the humility of Christ, seeing others as better than we are.
Saturday
Although Chinese parents are universally expected to help with the down payment on their children's homes, for young couples the choice is either to pay for an expensive apartment in the city and become a "house slave" or to buy a cheaper house in an outlying area and spend hours daily commuting to work. It is hard for Christian parents to give to the church because they save not only for their retirement but also to help pay for their child's house. We pray for trust in God Who will care for us and provide for all of our needs. We must have faith in Him and because they know about our devotion to our Lord, bring blessing to our children.
Sunday
It is predicted that by the end of 2015 the total population of China will reach about 1.38 billion people with 700 million of them living in cities which means that more Chinese will be living in cities than in the villages. Rural churches have caught on to the shift in population and want to develop urban ministries but they often do not have the proper training and experience to minister to city folks. Let us pray for this important shift in the population in China. Rural churches have been declining as the young people move to the cities to work and stay there. We pray for vision, wisdom in long-term planning, and revival in all of the churches in rural regions.
Monday
Factories in the Pearl River Delta (Guangdong) have attracted tens of millions of Chinese workers from all over China as well as illegal workers who come mostly from Africa. The recent salary increases throughout the region have drawn even more illegal. It is estimated that there are almost a million illegal foreign workers in Guangdong Province, with a majority of them coming from Africa. Pastors in rural churches often have to take a part-time job to support their families. This is not only physically demanding but it also influences the effectiveness of their ministry. We pray that churches will treat their pastors as servants of God and take care of them financially by cheerful giving and not merely expect their pastors to "live by faith".

星期二
據最近一項調查顯示，與海外市場的青少年消費者相比，中國青少年雖然崇尚名牌和時髦產品，但是在家庭價值和儲蓄方面，他們卻比較傾向傳統。88%的中國青少年信任中國品牌，信任外國品牌的只占65%。中國教會傳統上，與年輕的一代是有脫節的現象，對年輕人所追求的也無法接受。然而，沒有青少年的教會就是後繼無人的教會，也與當代的文化脫了節。我們懇求神賜給教會領袖智慧，願意主動接觸年輕的一代，使教會成為吸引更多年輕人地方。
星期三
中國每一年送出不少高官和教授到美歐學習先進經管理念，然而他們一回國，似乎就如「泥牛入海」，立即被一種無形卻強大的勢力包圍而「銷聲匿跡」。過去中國教會也有不少傳道人，不論是三自的或家庭教會的，都曾在國外觀摩或受過培訓，一但回到教會卻無法學以致用。求主特別幫助這些傳道人，在教會的管理上，能將習得的領受活用出來，好讓他們想促進教會的行政管理及決策程序更加有透明度的心願得以達成。
星期四
中國660多個城市中現有連續6個月以上電表讀數為零的空置房6540萬套，足夠2億人居住。此數據迅速引起公眾極大的關注和震驚。投資房地產市場，投機之風早已盛行，大家都抱著「買房就能賺大錢」的心態。求主幫助我們能有智慧分辨何謂知足並感恩，何謂貪婪。若非我們能滿足現今所擁有的一切並向神感恩，就不能將領受到的各種有形、無形的恩典大方流通出去，甘心樂意的奉獻付出。
星期五
文革的傷害仍殘留在無數老一輩的中國信徒心裏。「懷疑一切，打倒一 切」的文革思想餘悸，常使原本單純的神學討論瞬間升溫，成為激烈的辯論甚至演變成相互攻訐。在中國，教會的權柄仍常受到質疑和挑戰。信徒很難真誠的虛心接受觀點跟自己略略不同的聖經解讀。求聖靈在眾信徒心裏 動工，作更新的善工，使我們學習基督的柔和謙卑心態，願以開放的胸襟接納別人的觀點，看別人比自己強。
星期六
一般中國年輕夫婦都會指望父母給他們付買房子的首期貸款。但對欲買屋者而言，也只有兩個選擇：購置城市的高價房子成為「房奴」；或在郊區買較便宜的房子，爾后承受每日上班來回數小時之苦。基督徒父母往往為了給孩子買房子或付貸款，而割捨了原本的奉獻。求主使我們能夠信靠神，相信祂會信實供應一切所需用的。兒孫輩也會看到我們對神的信心和委身，因而蒙福。
星期日
按現時人口的增長情況預測，到2015年底，中國人口將直逼13.8億。城鎮人口會突破7億，首次超過農村人口。部份農村教會有見及此，正積極計劃發展城市事工。然而，城市宣教也帶出了牧養、教導與治理等諸多的問題。再者，他們推出的培訓課程也遠不能供應實際的需要。我們要為中國人口轉變對福音事工的影響禱告，隨著更多農村青年人往城巿工作，農村教會的人數不斷下降，教會亟需要主賜下的異象和使命，有智慧及策略地擴展神的國度。
星期一
自去年起珠三角地區，工人工資水平日益提高。不僅吸納了國內數千萬的勞動力，連外國的非法打工者也趨之若騖。據非正式的統計顯示，人數已高達數百萬人，尤以非洲籍居多。農村教會的傳道人為了生活、子女教育、醫療、奉養父母等等需要，難免要兼差打工，不僅辛勞且對教會服事的確帶來虧損。求主幫助教會尊重神的樸人，也要照顧他們的現實需要，而非美其名說「教會工人要憑信心過日子」就對他們的實際情況置之不理。