Prayer Request 2/25 - 3/3

TuesdayThe slogans "The 21st century belongs to the churches of China", "Back to Jerusalem", "Chinese missionaries are best suited to go to the Muslim world" are all nice slogans. They are widely preached and embraced by churches in China but they are really centered on China itself and show a great deal of pride. We pray that God will remove this mindset and fill the people of China with a passion for lost souls--not only those who are farther away, but those Muslim minorities that people often look down on which are ubiquitous in every Chinese city.
Wednesday
Korean churches have sent out 100,000 missionaries because their leaders own the vision of working together in missions. However, at the present time it is not evident whether the churches in China can ever become a "missions superpower". We pray that God will burden the leaders of the church in China with a vision of missions, take away their pride and the tendency to "do it alone". We pray for qualified and trained candidates who are ready to go to the ends of the earth to come forth from the church in China.
Thursday
In order for the churches in China to meet the challenge of cross-cultural missions, they must shed the Sino-centric attitude that now consumes them. Many falsely believe that the rise of China certainly means that Chinese will have and deserve to lead a prominent and superior role in global missions. Pray that God would raise up pastors in the Chinese church--both inside and outside of China--who have a strong vision for reaching the ends of the earth with the gospel and will humbly communicate it to their congregations.
Friday
The Back to Jerusalem Movement (BTJM) created the hope that China could be a significant missionary-sending country. With an exciting slogan, a clear target, and a specific number of missionaries, it claims China is to take up the last baton of the Great Commission and bless the nations. However, after many years and much publicity, these words have been like “thunder without rain”. We pray that Chinese believers will not be caught up in exaggeration and unrealistic goals but will be humble and willing to learn and partner with missionary-sending countries.
Saturday
The optimistic projection of the Back to Jerusalem Movement based on the assumption of the growth of the Chinese church will be a new driving force for missions. They thought that the house church model works well under restrictive government and a big church membership base will provide the large number of workers needed. There are 29,000 missionaries from America, 20,000 from Korea, and 300 from Mongolia but only a handful from China. Let us pray for all of those who serve the Lord especially those in China and the Muslim world. May the Lord raise up Chinese who are truly equipped and willing to serve Him in the Islamic world.
Sunday
The high profile of the Back to Jerusalem Movement has already caused backlashes from Islamic states in the Middle East even through diplomatic channels. Such an approach is contrary to the low-profile, non-confrontational Christian witness practiced in most Creative Access Nations (CAN) ministries today. The churches in China still receive a lot of foreign financial support so we pray they will learn to be self-sufficient and also able to give toward mission work. May the Lord raise up not only workers from China to serve Him but also the finance to back them up.
Monday
Up until now the few churches in China involved in cross-cultural missions have been working independently. Most of the projects were co-ordinated and funded by overseas organizations with China providing the labor for them. This is similar to the way China has become the world’s factory. We pray for the day that churches in China will have enough workers and young believers that will be willing to serve the Lord and the churches will treat them as a valuable and precious resource rather than cheap labor.

星期二
教會中常喊著的口號「21世紀是中國教會的世紀」，「回歸耶路撒冷」，「中國的信徒最適合穆斯林宣教」 ，其實都難脫除以中國為中心的屬靈驕傲， 有藐視其他被神重用的宣教國家之嫌。求主除去我們以自我為中心的心態，添加更多單單為主尋回為靈魂失喪者的心。不是只是說說到遠方回教國家宣教，卻以漢人的自傲，輕看回民。
星期三
並不難理解韓國教會能夠達成差派出100,000名宣教士的目標 ──因為韓國教會的領袖擁有這個異象。但是中國的教會是否能成為「宣教的超級勢力」，目前為止則尚不明顯。 我們為中國教會的領袖們也能有共同的宣教異象禱告。求神在教會中興起更多受過完備訓練的優質人選，整裝待發朝著包括中國和境外的「地極」前進。
星期四
許多信徒認為中國經濟的興起，就代表中國教會要在全球的宣教舞台上，扮演主角的角色。其實關心跨文化宣教， 首先就要放棄以中國為中心的態度，和在全球福音差傳使命中高人一等，自命領銜擔綱要角的姿態。求神興起中國教會中對福音傳到地極抱持強烈異象的牧師，讓他們存謙卑的心，夠將這個異象傳遞給他們的會眾。
星期五
「回歸耶路撒冷」的口號給了中國成為宣教大國的殷切盼望，同時也喊出教會要派出宣教士的人數及將福音傳遍回教國家的使命感。然而，這口號現在卻仍止於「只聽樓梯響，不見人下來。」 我們為中國教會禱告，不要僅僅追求響亮口號而不按在主面前的領受而行，願主賜給神的兒女有謙卑的心，願意更多向宣教國當地的前輩學習和建立差傳夥伴關係。
星期六
事實上信徒多並不一定就等同能送出質與量俱優的宣教士。「回歸耶路撒冷」運動，高估了中國教會的成長率；再者家庭教會的模式也不一定合適穆斯林民族。全球參與宣教的信徒有兩萬九千人來自美國，兩萬人來自韓國，三百人來自蒙古，中國人卻不多，求主感動更多已受裝備又願意受差派的弟兄姊妹加入這個行列。我們也為這些宣教士禱告，求神保守祝福他們，尤其是穆斯林地區服事主的僕人。
星期日
「回歸耶路撒冷」的口號可說是樹大招風，甚至引起中東國家的關注。大張旗鼓的宣教運動極不合適穆斯林的區域，反而是低調及不張揚的策略才不致引起當地的反感。許多非沿海富裕地區的教會仍需要國外的經濟支持，我們為中國教會的自立與成長禱告，願信徒不但能有更多人回應神選召成為宣教士，也能夠甘心樂意為主擺上更多金錢與時間。
星期一
至今為止，少數參與跨文化的宣教的團隊是單獨運作的。通常是外國機構策劃、出錢，中國則是出人力。因此當今中國教會的宣教景況跟商業上國外設計,中國製造業有些類似。我們禱告上帝能在中國教會興起更多年輕人願意服事主的童工，而教會更能看重他們，願意栽培他們，不視為廉價勞工。