Prayer Request 4/21 - 4/27

TuesdayA typical Chinese worker who is thirty years old or older has usually left his family in a village to go work in a factory. There is much personal sacrifice as well as hours spent working overtime​ involved but these virtues and work ethic are rapidly disappearing in the younger generation of workers. ​Many​ Chinese churches neglect their young people or do not promote hiring of younger workers resulting in the loss of young people and leadership to fill in the gap. We pray for humility, mutual encouragement, and respect, not merely promotion of the Chinese tradition that "age is wisdom".
Wednesday
Formerly, migrant workers left home and worked hard to feed themselves and their families but the new generation of workers go to work so they will have money to spend rather than supporting their families since they lack the strong sense of responsibility the older workers had.​ ​An​ increasing number of migrant workers are leaving factories in the coastal cities to work in the smaller inland cities near their hometown. We thank the Lord for this new development to help the churches in the interior of China. May the Lord bless those churches that intentionally serve the Christian workers nearby.
Thursday
The factory workers in China have three goals: financial security, better quality of life, enough money to buy an apartment​ and they can usually make a decent living. However, workers in the countryside have less stable lives and their only dream is to earn more money to send home. ​The number of migrant workers continues to swell but the window for these factory workers may be closing ​rapidly. May the Lord be gracious to billions of laborers who are at the bottom of the ladder socially and may we take the good news to them about salvation in Jesus.
Friday
Evangelism among migrant workers has proven to be​ relatively difficult because they work long hours and often change the places where they work. Many of the factories/shops where they work run twelve hours a day seven days a week. ​May the Lord comfort all those who are called to serve those low in society in the grassroots​ areas of the country and help them to realize that what they are doing in God's name, they are doing for Jesus. We pray for migrant workers who once attended churches that they will continue to stay close to God.
Saturday
Generally, a white-collar workers stays in the same location and settles there. College students usually stay at least four years but the Chinese factory workers stay only six to twelve months in the same place. Factory workers who stay longer than two years usually have their family and children with them.​ ​Many churches in China have little burden for or else do not know how to reach out to laborers or others in the service sector around them. We pray that churches will reach out to these people in love and not be judgmental.
Sunday
Some Chinese factories offer vacations for workers but it is not so for those in the service sector, such as restaurants, massage parlors, hotel receptionists, etc. It is the norm for them to work twelve hours a day seven days a week.​ ​Let us pray that churches will reach out to these who work in the service sector even though it is much harder to reach them than migrant workers. We cannot talk about sending missionaries abroad and then totally neglect the largest segment of our society whom we see daily unless we share the gospel with them, too.​
Monday
​Many of the groups that minister to college students lack even a basic curriculum (evangelistic methods, teaching on Christian dating)​ which are critical for the young people to whom they minister. Some groups do not even have solid Bible teaching. It is difficult to effectively lead a college ministry group when it grows larger than twenty to thirty students. Let us pray for all of the leaders and for the difficulties they encounter whether it is in reaching out to new students or teaching and following up new believers.

星期二
當今中國30或30多歲的勞工典型，是願意做出個人犧牲，為了家人超時工作不知疲乏地加班掙錢。 然而，這些優良品德和工作態度正在更年輕一代勞工身上急速地消失。許多教會往往看輕年輕一代的能力，年輕的同工因缺乏栽培提拔，造成教會老化及領袖接班的斷層。求主幫助我們謙卑，彼此激勵愛主，學習事奉、追求成長；而不是唯有要求尊崇傳統的 ＂听老人言 ＂才是明智之舉。
星期三
上一代外出打工的民工努力工作，為了養活自己和家人。對新一代人而言,他們出去找工作，有些僅是為了自己掙錢而不是為家庭，他們的責任感就比較低。越來越多的民工已漸漸從沿海城市，回歸自己老家附近的城鎮，這對內陸教會的發展是個好現象。求主記念內陸的城鎮教會，為關心附近的民工所擺上的努力，也幫助、赐福在工廠內實際服事眾人的基督徒。
星期四
一般的城市工人目前能過上差不多基本的生活，他們追求經濟保障、家庭生活品質，沒房的就想買套單元房。然而大部分在農村的勞動人口，生活並不穩定，他們僅有的夢想就是掙更多的錢養家。離鄉的民工繼續急速增加，但社會快速改變，福音窗口越來越小也更急迫。求主恩待所有中國基層的工人群體，億萬的靈魂正等待救恩，我們向主祈求，能有更多信徒願意積極投入這個巨大的禾場。
星期五
向民工傳福音是非常的困難，最主要的是他們工作時間太長和流動性太大，許多工廠或店鋪到今天都還是每週工作七天，每天12小時。求主安慰所有服事社會基層的牧者、同工們，我們為他們雖是做在人看來是卑微者的身上，其實是做在主的身上。願神報答他們的愛心，也為信耶穌的民工在這樣辛苦的情況下，仍然能親近神而代求。
星期六
一般白領層一旦定居之後不會流動，大學生至少可以在一個學校穩定的待上4年，但是民工的週期大約是6-12個月，能超過2年在一個工廠的，往往都是年紀較大，有家室的人。一般教會對民工或是從事服務業的人，往往感到陌生或缺少負擔。求主賜給教會能以寬廣的心胸接納各個群體，更不看輕基層人士，願意與他們分享上帝的救恩。
星期日
在中國，部份的工廠會有假期，但是服務業，飯館、按摩、櫃檯...等工作，大都沒有休息日，每週7天，每天12小時工作是非常普遍的。我們為眾教會能關心服務業群體來祈求，雖然他們往往比工廠的民工更難傳福音。當教會開始討論到國外宣教時，求主也提醒我們不能忽略就在眼前，尚有如此多的靈魂等待大家去關懷。
星期一
大學團契中不但缺乏牧養中最基本的教材，就連個人佈道，如何傳福音帶人歸主和基督徒如何戀愛等最基本原則性的教導也很模糊，甚至與聖經的訓誨有所偏差。大學生牧養很不到位，尤其团契超過二三十人以上就更難有果效了。我們為大學生事工的困難來禱告，不單單是向學生傳福音，更是為他們的靈命建造和跟進祈求。