Prayer Request 6/2 - 6/8

TuesdayThirty years ago the Communist Party ran the headline, "It is good to have only one child. The government will support you when you get old."​ Now officials in Shanghai are appealing to couples to have more children and say it is "more suitable" to have two children. The great majority of the churches in China have no programs for children so we pray that parents will take the responsibility to raise godly children and "push" their churches to provide meaningful Bible teaching for children.
Wednesday
In the past, those who were in charge of planning the population for​ China have been ruthlessly evaluated by their superiors for their fulfillment of quantifiable targets, such as achieving a certain number of sterilizations, and more importantly ensuring that no parents exceeded their quota of offspring. Churches will definitely see an increase of little ones now. We pray that they will see that they can no longer ignore children's ministry and that many more parents will be willing to become Sunday school teachers.
Thursday
Under the relaxed rules for family planning which Shanghai put in place in early​ 2014, ninety percent of the women in the city who are of childbearing age are eligible to have a second child but so far only five percent have applied for permission to do so. We pray for Christian couples who plan to have or do have two children. May the Lord give them an extra measure of joy and love as they rear their children in the way that will please Him and not stray away from God when they are grown.
Friday
Young couples in Shanghai are hesitant to have two children due to the high cost (Living costs there are among the highest in China.) of raising and educating a child and the fact that many others are struggling to juggle a career​ and a family. Many Christian parents do not take their children to church because they want them to rest or because the church lacks any meaningful children's program. We pray that parents who are believers will not honor their children more than they honor God but will teach them to fear God.
Saturday
In late 2013, the government of China started to permit couples where only one partner was an only child to have a second baby.​ Experts say it is only a matter of time before China will lift all of the current restrictions on the two-child policy and allow anyone to have a second child. Churches can expect a boom in the number of children attending in the coming years. We pray they will help young parents to rear their children with Biblical values and teach them the way of the Lord. We pray, too, that Christian grandparents will do their part in getting the little ones into the church.
Sunday
​In late 2011 one in four of the residents of Shanghai (which has the largest percentage of elderly people of any place in China) was older than sixty and by​ the end of 2015, it is predicted that nearly thirty percent of the people there will have reached that age. Believers in big cities in China are very busy and preoccupied by many things. We lift up the churches in Shanghai in prayer that the Lord will send a revival and stir their hearts to be on fire for Him and His people.
Monday
The fertility rate in Shanghai is reported to be the second lowest for a major city in China at 0.74 with Beijing being number one. The national rate was estimated to be l.18. Churches in Shanghai are rich in history and customs and it is also the seat of the Three-self churches. We beseech the Lord to revive the churches there. May He give them a renewed spirit and a breakthrough in their approach to evangelism along with freshness in their worship.

星期二
三十年前，共產黨黨報發表了一篇題為《只生一個好，政府來養老》的文章。在今天上海官員則稱生兩個孩子更「適宜」，並呼籲夫妻多生育。中國教會普遍都缺少為信徒的第二代預備合適的事工項目。我們來為當家長的肢體禱告，求主幫助弟兄姊妹能挑起教養子女敬虔愛主的神聖責任，也願意在教會的兒童事工忠心的服事。
星期三
過去中國為了完成計劃生育，對超生家庭採取了強硬的相關措施，諸如結紮，保證不能超生，超生即面臨巨額罰款。目前教會亦將迎來新的一波嬰兒潮，因此在發展兒童事工上不能再有藉口延宕推諉，願主興起更多家長願意投入成為主日學的教師，盡心力栽培神家里的新生血輪。
星期四
2014年初，在上海付諸實行的放寬計劃生育規定之下，該市90%的育齡女性都符合生育二胎的條件；但截至目前，僅5%女性申請了生二胎的許可。我們特別為計劃有兩個孩子的信徒家長們禱告，求神賜他們滿有喜樂和愛心，立定心志教導孩子成為討主的喜悅，一生行在神的旨意中，到老也不偏離的敬虔後裔。
星期五
上海的生活成本屬全國最高之列，許多年輕夫婦生育第二個子女的意願並不高。因覺得供養和教育孩子的成本太高，且難以兼顧事業和家庭。許多信徒家長放棄帶子女到教會，因為教會沒有適合第二代參加的聚會活動。求主幫助每一位父母，不要「尊重自己的子女，過於尊敬上帝。」，要著重教導子女敬畏神。
星期六
2013年年底，政府放寬政策，允許僅一方是獨生子女的夫妻生育二胎。專家認為，准許所有人生育二胎的政策遲早會推出。 教會將會迎接大量第二代也是必然的事，求主預備好教會更能幫助父母，以聖經的原則教導子女，也幫助祖父母盡他們的責任帶領兒孫到主面前。
星期日
上海市老年人口所占比例為全國最高。截至2011年底，上海市60歲以上的戶籍人口占總數的24.5%，有預測這個百分比在2015年底將攀升至近30%。大城市的信徒太忙碌，被許多事纏擾。我們為上海教會能被神復興來禱告，求主攪動信徒的心，離開不冷不熱的光景，重燃滿有愛神、愛人的熱心。
星期一
最近一次全國人口普查顯示，全國生育率約為1.18，而上海的生育率為0.74，是繼北京之後第二低的大城市。上海的教會不單歷史悠久，也曾經扮演推動全國基督教發展的重要角色，且是三自教會的樞紐。求主復興他們，賜下靈命的更新，傳福音大有突破，更有活潑的崇拜，滿足主的心。