Prayer Request 1/28 - 2/3

TuesdayThe world’s largest annual human migration—the Chinese Lunar New Year Festival, also known as the Spring Festival—officially got underway on January 16th and will last for forty days. Chinese New Year’s Day itself is on January 31st and is the beginning of the year of the horse. In China everything usually grinds to a halt during this time but many rural churches have plans to reconnect with those who have been gone. We pray that these plans will be well received and the Holy Spirit will soften the hearts of their loved ones.
Wednesday
Hundreds of millions of people working away from home to return for the most important festival of the year, a good portion of China's 1.35 billion people are expected to make over 3.6 billion journeys – by plane, train, automobile, bus and all modes of transportation. As family reunions take place, we pray that Christian parents will have an opportunity re-connect and repair estranged relationships and even more importantly, encourage their children to love Jesus.
Thursday
The sentiment of “home at any cost” is summed up by a catchy saying: “Rich or Poor, Home for New Year” and the enormous human activity needed to make that happen is called the “Spring Transport”. We pray that as Christians return home, they will include sharing the Gospel with unbelieving family members on their agenda. The Lord give them opportunity and favors, so as they share Christ, it will be received well and the Holy Spirit soften the hearts of their loved ones.
Friday
In China, the massive migration of people during the Chinese Lunar New Year Festival strains the transportation system of the country. Tickets are hard to buy, scalpers abound, and trains are packed with fights over the seats but everyone believes celebrating the New Year with family is well worth all of these hassles. Many pastors will return home for the Spring Festival, too. We pray that the New Year will bring renewal for them and the Lord will give them a new vision for ministry and impart His joy and power then they return to the cities they will be able to start another year with even greater passion and urgency.
Saturday
In the past twenty years the divorce rate in Shanghai has increased twenty-fold and the main reason has been extramarital affairs. The divorce rate among those who are thirty years old is increasing by ten percent each year and about another one-fourth of divorces are among those who are under thirty. Many young believers get married despite the opposition of parents and pastors and many of those marriages end in divorce. We pray the church will be strong in teaching the Biblical view of relationships and marriage and that the Lord will have mercy on our young people so their marriages will honor Him.
Sunday
When those who are younger than thirty get a divorce in China, it usually means that their parents are involved since they are only children. The parents still dominate the affairs of their lives including marriage and divorce. We pray for wisdom for Christian parents to know how to help their children and remain in their lives but clearly know the boundaries. May the Lord help them to be good examples in their marriages and continue to pray without ceasing for their children.
Monday
The important reason for the thirty percent divorce rate among young people in the past fifteen years is that their parents have been divorced and have created a whole generation of broken people who have little faith in marriage or even the need to get married. The number of believers who have marital problems in China is alarmingly high. We need to pray for counseling resources in the churches. Although some pastors do counsel their people, their skills need improvement so we pray for more pastors to have good counseling skills.

星期二
中國的「春運」可算是全世界最大的年度人口遷徙， 2014年的春節是1/31，新的一年是馬年。其帶動的人口遷徙已經從一月十六日開始，持續四十天。春節期間大部人都把工作放下，成為農村教會與那些進城打工回來過年的信徒，重新建立關係的大好時機。這些信徒中不少已經一年沒踏進教會，求聖靈動工，柔軟他們的心，願主復興他們的靈命。
星期三
隨著春節臨近，在中國13.5億人口中，大部份人正搭乘車、船、火車、飛機等各樣的交通工具返鄉，總計進行逾36億次的出行。這表明了在異鄉工作的數億人對於回家的深切渴望，要與家人團圓慶祝這個一年裡最重要的節日。我們為弟兄姊妹能把握團聚的時機來禱告。求神賜給他們願意改善疏離的親子關係，更重要的是，也能藉機鼓勵孩子一生愛主、跟隨主。
星期四
春節前異鄉人那種「不惜一切代價回家」的情緒在朗朗上口的俗話當中得到了總結：「有錢沒錢，回家過年」，返鄉過年形成龐大人類活動的「春運」。我們為基督徒回家團聚，與不信的家人相處來禱告。求神賜給他們分享信仰的機會，聖靈在親友的心中做鬆土的工作，以致他們的分享與見證，能結美好的果子。
星期五
「春運」使得運輸系統陷入緊張狀態，到處都是一票難求、「黃牛」炒票、擁擠的車廂以及搶座位的爭鬥。然而，大家都認為，為了實現和家人一起慶祝節日這個最終目標，一切都是值得的。許多外出的傳道人也回家過年，我們為他們在新一年滿有主恩禱告。願神賜給祂的僕人、使女有喜樂和力量，當他們回到事奉的崗位時，能在新的一年為教會帶來復興。
星期六
上海的離婚率近二十年來增加了二十倍，主因是伴侶和他人婚外戀。在上海，「八十後」的離婚個案以每年一成的速度遞增，佔離婚案的 1/4。年輕信徒常有快速結婚，不接受家長及傳道人建議的情況，以致婚姻出現很多問題甚至無法持續。求主幫助信徒尊重神所設立的婚姻制度，持守與配偶的婚盟，不在婚姻問題上失腳。願牧者能常在講道中教導聖經的婚姻家庭觀，堅立信徒持守貞潔，建立基督化美滿的家庭。
星期日
「八十後」離婚案的特點在於父母作為庭審代理人、第三人，參與度極高。「八十後」是獨生子女一代，許多人從小生活中由父母包辦一切，經濟上又嚴重依賴家庭，所以父母會較多參與他們的婚姻。求主賜基督徒父母智慧，在子女的婚姻生活中知道如何幫助和提醒，及有合宜的界限。願神給他們在年輕人的眼中，有美好的榜樣，且不斷為子女的婚姻禱告。
星期一
過去十五年，年輕夫婦的離婚率達三成之高，其中一大原因是他們來自單親的家庭，成長過程中身心都受到不良的影響，長大後加倍不信任婚姻。教會裡婚姻亮紅燈的信徒夫婦也增多，婚姻輔導以及屬靈資源的需求亦日益突顯。牧者雖知輔導的重要，但無奈輔導裝備。求主憐憫我們，供應更多有智慧與裝備的牧者用真理來幫助弟兄姊妹克服婚姻裡面的難處。