Prayer Request 12/30 - 1/5

TuesdayMillions of parents in China ​send ​their children to ''boarding kindergartens,'' every year, a tradition that began after the 1949 Communist revolution, where children as young as 3 live at school during the week — sometimes, but not always, returning home for the weekend.Some churches even openly discourage the presence of children because they interfere with adult services. We pray churches will see the importance of children​'s​ ministry, not causing any of the little ones to stumble and lose the opportunity to know Jesus.
Wednesday
China built many ''boarding kindergartens'' after the revolution in order to free parents, especially mothers, to work outside the home, as part of the official goal of women's emancipation that in reality was geared to the needs of the Communist Party. ​Many churches have no programs for children so parents ​can't take their children to church. We pray for training classes for teachers of children in Sunday school because this will truly bless the future churches of China.
Thursday
“Boarding kindergartens” reached a peak during the Great Leap Forward from 1958 to 1962, when children were boarded in droves as Mao Zedong ordered China to outstrip the United States and Britain through agricultural collectivization and industrial production. We pray for adequate equipping of all of the Sunday school teachers of children so they will be able to effectively teach Bible truths. We pray specifically for the wisdom and love of Jesus for those who are passionate in serving the little ones but lack proper training.
Friday
According to experts, separation anxiety in China today may be caused by the widely-accepted cultural practice of giving children to their ​grandparents to raise so the parents can work long hours due to intense economic pressures. Many believers do not raise their own children for various reasons. May the Lord comfort them, removing the guilt they struggle with, and listen to their prayer for their children to keep ​a close relationship with them.
Saturday
​Chinese families are no longer scattered due to political campaigns but what about the impact of the "boarding kindergartens" today? On the internet parents say, "I'm so busy at work. Where is there a 'boarding ​kindergarten" in Nanjing or Shanghai? How much does it cost?" Many young Christian parents really do not know how to balance the demands of work, family and raising children. We pray for these parents so they will still have regular church lives and possess the wisdom of raising children knowing God.
Sunday
​Approximately fifty-five million children in China are left behind with their grandparents on the farm as their parents go to the city to work, seeing their children perhaps once a year. Separation anxiety looms when the grandparents later hand the children back to the parents their hardly know. ​We pray for parents who are believers ​but are emotionally distant or even unable to communicate with their children. May the Lord heal their brokenness so they can once again fulfill their God-given role and duty.
Monday
Tens of thousands of parents in China choose an overseas education for their children each year hoping they will learn world-class skills grounded in liberal, democratic values in a healthy environment.​ May the Lord answer the prayers of all the believers who pray for a good education for their children. We pray that each of us would be reminded that God desires us to teach our children so they will know Him from a very young age.

星期二
每年有數百萬中國家長將孩子送去“托兒所”。這種做法始於1949年的共產黨革命，只有3歲大的孩子都是一整個星期待在學校裡，有時會回家渡過週末。 有些教會以「妨礙」成人聚會為由，在門口懸掛「禁止兒童進入」的牌子。我們為教會能看見兒童事工的重要性代禱，不使主所愛的小孩失去認識耶穌的機會。
星期三
1994 之後，中國修建了許多“托兒所”，為了給母親們騰出時間，讓他們能離開家門工作。讓母親們走出家門是官方解放女性目標的一部分，但實際上是為了滿足共產黨的需要。許多教會沒有任何孩童的事工，信徒的兒女沒有聖經的教導。 求主差派更多工人幫助各處開展兒童主日學老師的訓練課程，祝福中國教會的下一代。
星期四
孩子送去了寄宿學校的教育現象，在1958至1962年的大躍進時期達到頂峰。當時，毛澤東下令中國實行農業合作化和加大工業生產，從而超越美國和英國。我們為兒童主日學老師禱告，求主賜智慧和愛心給那些滿有服事熱誠，但卻得不到適切培訓的兒童主日學老師們。差遣更多同工去幫助他們能受到扎實的培訓，效地教導兒童在真理上成長。
星期五
今天中國社會普遍都接受孩子由祖父母撫養，而承受巨大經濟壓力的年輕父母則長時間工作。然而，專家認為這種做法可能造成分離創傷。不少信徒因為種種原因，無法親自養育孩子。求主安慰他們的心，不致因為對孩有虧欠而過份內疚。求主幫助他們能保持與孩子的關係上開路。
星期六
雖然現時中國的家庭不再因為政治因素而分居多地，但是仍然有許多父母選擇把孩子送去托兒所。在網上，家長們常常問道：“我工作太忙了，南京或上海哪兒有托兒所？收費是多少？” 許多年輕信徒家長真的不知道如何平衡工作、家庭、子女教養等的要求，求主幫助他們能有規律的教會生活，也幫助他們能培育敬虔愛主的下一代。
星期日
中國約有5500萬名農村留守兒童，一年頂多和父母見一次面。不論是農村或城市，當祖父母把孩子還給父母時，孩子可能已經認不得父母了，這又是一種分離。我們為信徒父母禱告，許多人跟子女的關係不親密、疏遠、甚至破裂，求主賜下醫治，使家庭能回復至神所托負的角色與責任。
星期一
每年都有成千上萬的中國家長為孩子選擇海外的教育，希望他們在健康自由的環境中學習世界級的技能，很多主內肢體也是為著孩子能有好的教育奔走。願主垂聽每位父母者為著下一代的殷切的禱告，也時時提醒弟兄姊妹子女從小認識、敬畏上帝的重要性。