Prayer Request 12/14 - 12/20

Tuesday
The Shanghai World Expo, from May to October boasted a staggering seventy million visitors. November's Asian Games in Guangzhou had 6.5 million visitors, and there were 1.16 million registered volunteers, or one for every eight people in Guangzhou. It seems that China is now an international powerhouse and destination, attracting people around the world to see the new China of the twenty-first century. Will the Chinese government give up its high-pressured way of dealing with the churches in China? We beseech the Lord to give the atheistic officials a heart to favor the Christians in those churches. We pray, too, that believers will be firm in their faith knowing that God has called them to give a strong testimony to His great power.
Wednesday
Several former top Chinese soccer officials will stand trial on charges ranging from taking bribes for fixing the outcome of games to placing players on the national team. A player had to pay 100,000 yuan (US$14,800) to 300,000 yuan to be picked and to play on the national team, Many believers in China do not trust those concerning the way their offerings are spent so they hold back in giving to the church. We pray that there would be more transparency among churches. We also pray that believers will learn to be cheerful givers and " That they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute" (1Ti 6:18)
Thursday
About 2.79 million villagers in northwest Shaanxi Province who have been suffering from frequent natural disasters and poverty are to be moved to new homes with better conditions next year. This relocation will be the largest in the history of the country since 2006 when the Three Gorges Dam project dislodged nearly 1.5 million people to make way for the world's biggest dam on the Yangtze River and is scheduled to be complete by 2020. Let us lift up the churches in Shaanxi. Many of them are impoverished and without shepherds. (Eze 34:6) We pray that the leaders of the churches will see this great opportunity to share Jesus with many who were unreached before. May the Lord revive the churches in the whole Shaanxi Province.
Friday
Many churches in China do not give their pastors any salary and in most of them it is not a lack of offerings but the tradition of asking the shepherd to live by faith. Therefore, many pastors in the house churches are only part-time workers who are unable to devote full attention to their ministry. A lack of full-time ministers hampers church growth. We must pray for a change in the fundamental attitude of believers since they wrongly believe that church workers should not be paid lest they lose their trust in God. They also believe that a poor worker in the church is a more spiritual person.
Saturday
An expert commented, "Is this revival of the church in China a thing of the past? Although house churches seem vibrant on the outside, there are many hidden crises inside and there are also some significant setbacks." It is true that economic prosperity, secularism, and decisions based on theological differences are the things that kill the house churches. But, God has done a miracle and He will continue to do great things for the churches there, We are committed to keep praying for believers in China.
Sunday
In China there is the phenomenon of the "one-voice church". One person built the church or the meeting is held in a person's home, therefore that person gets to make all the decisions for that group and no one else can give feedback or raise a dissenting voice. We do not doubt the love and faithfulness of many of the church leaders but their authoritarian leadership style stifles the vibrancy of the body of Christ. May the Holy Spirit convict all of us to see that others are better than we are and give us the joy of seeing others grow mature spiritually.
Monday
In the past, many of the churches in China grew rapidly but lacked a clear administrative policy. Traditionally the monthly finances or offerings are reported each week during the service but numbers of churches never tell anyone about their finances and many believers feel uneasy about where their offerings will end up, so they hold back in their giving. We pray that the churches in China will soon learn how to manage their finances and there will be more discussion about their financial accountability and stewardship.

星期二
今年五至十月舉辦的上海世界博覽會，估計觀光的人數高達七千萬。11月在廣州的亞運，也有65萬的遊客。亞運期間廣州有116萬註冊義工，或每八個廣州市民有一人為義工。中國似乎已準備好在各方面進入國際化，吸引各國人士一睹二十一世紀中國的新風采。政府是否放棄以高壓手段對付教會？求主賜教會在無神論的政府眼中蒙恩，並賜給信徒堅定的信心，回應神呼召他們見證主的大能。
星期三
在轟轟烈烈的中國足壇「打黑掃賭」風暴中落網的足協官員將被審，罪名包括一系列幕後交易，及收受一些國腳的賄賂。一名球員想進國家隊要「交」10萬元，想上場則需20萬元。許多信徒對教會處理奉獻缺乏信任，不太願意奉獻。求主幫助教會在財務上行事光明，不致絆跌弟兄姊妹；也求主親自教導信徒明白奉獻的意義，把神的物歸給神，且「在好事上富足，甘心施捨，樂意供給人。」(提前6:18)
星期四
陝西將啟動搬遷安置，目的是為讓農民徹底遠離地質災害。山區則開展扶貧移民搬遷。兩項工程分別涉及遷徙240萬和39.2萬的居民，其規模遠超長江三峽大壩工程的150萬移民。搬遷首項任務是搬遷住深山最危險地區的農民，預計2020年完成。我們特為陝西省的教會禱告，該省不但土地貧瘠，許多教會更無牧者，求神讓教會領袖把握良機，能將耶穌基督的福音分享給這數百萬農民。
星期五
許多中國家庭教會現今仍不會供應傳道人生活所需。不是因經費不足，而是以為傳道人必須生活清苦才屬靈，才能鍛煉信心。為此很多傳道人都帶職事奉，不能全身投入教會的牧養工作。求主糾正此錯誤觀念，使神的國度能因工人得供應而興旺。「作工得工價」原是理所當然的，但也有人放棄這權利，願神悅納。求主顯出更多的憐憫，使神的僕人養生充足，更專一事奉，顯明主的信實和豐富預備。
星期六
有研究中國教會的專家稱：「中國家庭教會的復興已不復往昔，雖然現在的家庭教會表面看來仍然興旺，但復興背後卻滿了隱憂，衰退跡象亦愈更明顯。」經濟繁榮、世俗主義正悄然潛入教會，而一些信徒為神學觀點爭論而分裂，都為神的教會帶來許多難處。神曾在中國施行許多奇妙作為，深信祂的手也必繼續為自己的名帶領教會，讓我們不斷求主幫助家庭教會勝過挑戰、健康成長、承擔大使命，活出榮耀的教會。
星期日
中國教會常常有「一言堂」現象。一些教會是由某人建立的，又或設立在某人家裏，那人就獨攬決定權，容不下不同的聲音和意見，所有事情都由其做主。我們不是懷疑教會領袖愛主和對主的忠誠，然而他們獨斷的領導風格，讓信徒看見教會在人的操控下運作，而不是伏在神的權柄下。願聖靈光照我們，賜下謙卑的靈，各人看別人比自己強，也因著新一代的信徒大有長進，蒙神的喜悅。
星期一
按著教會傳統，主日聚會中通常都會有一項程序是執事/長老向信徒報告上週或本月教會的財政收支狀況。然而，近年由於教會發展迅速，又沒有明確的財務管理規則，不少教會都不公開財務狀况。求主賜智慧幫助中國教會建立良好的制度及財務管理，做神的好管家，凡事光明，不給魔鬼留地步。又願主教導弟兄姐妹更多關心教會經費的運用，使神的家中有糧之餘，更能供應其他地方的需要。