Prayer Request 8/12 - 8/18

Tuesday
Macau on the southeast coast of China, next to Hong Kong already has its own Venice, complete with a Grand Canal and a Rialto Bridge. Soon, it will get its Eiffel Tower and a giant resort modeled on the Palace of Versailles. Macao is a hard soil is for the Gospel to penetrate. Christianity came to Macau early but churches there are mostly small and struggling. We pray for fruitful results from the effort to share the gospel with casino workers and streams of visitors who come every day.
Wednesday
The revenue from gambling in Macau was nearly seven times more than that of Las Vegas in 2013 and still continues to grow. Nearly twenty million people (one in five of people who ventured outside of mainland China last year) went to Macau to gamble, shop, and sightsee. It is a fact that Chinese people like to gamble but gambling kills marriages and homes. We pray for Christian homes where the husband or father gambles. We know that gambling does a great deal of damage to the spouse and children. May the Lord be merciful to them.
Thursday
Casino operators have faith that Beijing, despite a recent clampdown on corruption and ostentatious spending, is content to let gambling thrive in Macau, which is a special administrative region of China with its own regulations and casino gambling is allowed, unlike on the mainland.One thing is certain and that is that in China the official policy does change. Many churches face conflict with local authorities in matters of their church buildings, whether it is getting a permit or enforcing compliance to code. We pray for wisdom and favor for all churches in dealing with the officials.
Friday
Gamblers from China play in Macau to win, not to have fun. They drink tea and coffee, not alcohol. It is common to see people eating noodles bought from outside at the gambling tables. They play with thousands of dollars each time. Chinese gamblers are intense and lose big. Gambling is pervasive but many see it as acceptable and recreational. We pray for courage and wisdom for believers as they try to convince their loved one to stop gambling. We believe the Holy Spirit can break the bondage of addiction of all kinds.
Saturday
​The churches in Wenzhou are probably the best example of local church autonomy that you will find in China.​ For example, some districts have over twenty churches where the pastor in charge is personally responsible and provides input for each of these churches but does not possess absolute authority over the matters of the church. We pray that churches will have leaders who are pleasing to God and that every congregation will have a good shepherd and co-workers who seek His heart in unity as they serve the Lord without strife or bickering.
Sunday
In the countryside there are always some Christians who feel their Buddhist and Taoist neighbors are unsaved sinners bent for hell. Such an attitude antagonizes people and creates many misunderstandings along with friction which makes the work of spreading the gospel hard among villagers.​ Although such incidents are not common, we pray that churches will have a good witness among the followers of Buddhism and Taoism. May the Lord have mercy on all the villages where churches are outnumbered by the many temples.
Monday
Many of the older leaders and pastors in the rural churches of China are deeply influenced by the traditional​ Chinese folk lore of hero bandits. They see themselves as hero figures so they lead and manage their churches as their own territory. May the Lord have mercy and give grace to the rural churches in China, especially those whose pastors have little education. May He help them to be wise and able to grasp the Word of God, discerning the truth, and not be misled or deceived.
 
星期二
仳鄰香港的澳門處於東南沿海，還有自己的「威尼斯」，其間大運河、里阿爾托橋樣樣俱全。不久將來，又有一座埃菲爾鐵塔及一個以凡爾賽宮為原型的大型度假村落成。 澳門真是一塊福音的硬土， 基督教很早就傳入澳門，歷史雖悠久，但教會一直都小又微弱。我們為向賭場的工作人員和針對成千上萬遊客的福音事工禱告，求主賜他們智慧，無論得時不得時，總要盡力多救些人。
星期三
澳門2013年的博彩業收入比拉斯維加斯高出七倍有餘，並持續增長中。去年有近二千萬人，或說每五個到外地的中國人，就有一個是去澳門賭博、購物和觀光。中國人愛賭是事實，賭博更是婚姻和家庭的殺手。我們為信徒家庭中，有嗜賭的丈夫或父親來祈求，願主憐憫他們的家，醫治他們的傷害。
星期四
儘管北京最近打擊腐敗和炫富，賭場營運商有信心，在澳門的賭博業仍可茁壯成長；這是因中國法規許可在「特別行政區」內可以經營賭場。不同於內地禁賭。官方的政策時刻更變。許多教會為教堂建築物與政府有摩擦，常有不被許可或是被要求拆卸的問題。我們為教會有智慧處理這些政策與執行的難題，因著神的星在，能夠平靜安穩面對每一個艱難考驗。
星期五
上澳門的中國賭客不會把賭博僅當作娛樂，而是存心要贏錢，所以也大筆下注，每次都是成千上萬。 他們一邊賭，一邊喝茶或咖啡，很少喝酒。肚子餓了就吃外面餐廳叫進來的麵食，繼續邊吃邊賭。中國人賭錢激烈驚人，時時傾家蕩產。賭博非常普遍，乃因許多人認為「小賭宜情」。我們求主賜信徒有勇氣和智慧，來勸誡家人戒賭；我們相信聖靈的大能能打破種種心癮的束縛。
星期六
地方教會模式做得最成功的是溫州，因為它強調獨立性；比如有些牧區有二十多個聚會點，牧區的傳道人雖然是總負責，在某些事務上有相當範圍內的許可權，可是卻不是隨己意思來帶領的。我們為教會有合神心意的領袖禱告，願神給教會良善忠心的牧者，有敬虔的同工能一起尋求神的心意，不爭權，並能同心服事。
星期日
農村信徒常會排斥不接受福音的人，尤其佛教徒、道教徒。有些基督徒認為「不信者」是惡人，以致產生摩擦和誤會，這種心態大大攔阻了福音傳開。儘管這樣的人佔少數，我們仍要為教會在佛教及道教徒中有美好的見證祈求。求主施恩扶持村鎮教會和信徒，因為他們附近的寺廟遠遠多過教堂，信徒在社區中也是極少數的。
星期一
有些老一代的農村教會領袖和傳道人深受江湖社團、民間社團的影響，愛看《三國演義》、《水滸傳》等中國傳統書籍，把教會看為自己的地盤。求主憐憫恩待今天的農村教會，幫助他們能抓住神的話，能分辦真理，使他們有真知識，跟隨合乎聖經的教導，不被撒但所施的技倆矇騙或誤導 。