Prayer Request 9/8 - 9/14

TuesdayChina has a large film industry and the second-biggest box office in the world, but few people outside the country have ever watched a movie released from China. We pray for wisdom for all believers, especially the young ones, so they can discern the hidden messages and unbiblical value system in all the media we are exposed to everyday.
Wednesday
When a movie is made in China, film censorship rules dictate that crime stories must be free of crime, ghost tales cannot show ghosts and Chinese corrupt politicians can’t be crooked. The Chinese government is extremely sensitive about how the nation is portrayed. We can say Chinese entertainment is clean, but we all know how corrupt Chinese society is. We pray for guarding of hearts of all believers, so we will not only have a religious façade but rather a clean spirit.
Thursday
No one can start making a film in China without submitting the plot to the State General Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television (SGAPPRFT), an agency that control​s​ media but​ is​ best known (and feared) as a committee of censorship. Many good Christian contents,​​ books and movies are unable to receive official approval and be available openly. We pray for more content for personal devotion, Bible study tools and commentaries for believers in China.
Friday
Movies with sex scenes or depictions of “excessive drinking, smoking and other bad habits” are forbidden in China. Any content that ​is​ “propagating passive or negative outlook on life, worldview and​ the​ value system” is also banned. ​Obviously, people in China have access to all kinds of pornographic and violent material despite the bans. We pray for Christian parents who​ are concerned about how this will affect their children. May the Lord give them a good parent-child relationship so they can express their care and concern.
Saturday
China will censor or reject the storyline of a movie for being "unscientific" because it features time travel. It automatically bans any "historical untruth" which often means presenting past events inconsistently according to the official version of Chinese history.​Officials in China are suspicious of Christianity because it has too much foreign influence and connection ​with the outside. We pray that churches will have a wonderful testimony in their communities, living out the love of Jesus, and dispelling the image that Christianity is a foreign religion.
Sunday
In any movies released in China, the bad guy cannot be Chinese. Any crime movie must not be initiated within China’s borders. All Chinese policemen and soldiers must be good guys. Government employees may never be corrupt and there are no prostitutes in China. The Bible says that we are all​ sinners. May the Spirit of God always convict us so that we do not become conceited thinking we are better than others.
Monday
At least half of the movies shown in Hong Kong now are produced in in co-operation with China, so they are subject to the rules China imposes on them.​ Because of this, Hong Kong makes only "Kung Fu" films or uses stories that took place before 1949. Recently Christians in Hong Kong were divided into pro-Beijing, pro-democracy, and neutral camps. We pray for unity of the churches in Hong Kong and that mission agencies would not lose their passion to help churches inside China.

星期二
中國擁有一個龐大的電影工業，以及世界第二大的電影票房，但中國電影在中國以外的地區很少能看到。求主賜眾信徒智慧，能夠明白也能分辨電影及各樣媒體灌輸的潛藏信息和許多似是而非、不合聖經真理的價值觀，尤其是教會年輕一代信徒的信仰根基不致被誤導而動搖。
星期三
中國的電影審查規則，以及中國政府對其國家形象的描繪是極度敏感的。相對於其他國家的大眾傳播媒體，罪案故事裡是沒有罪犯會認罪，鬼故事亦沒有真魔鬼，壞政客也會心悔改。中國的媒體算是非常「乾淨」的，但是社會風氣則完全不同。求主保守我們的心懷意念，不是只有敬虔的外表與言語，而是要有清潔的靈。
星期四
任何人想要在中國拍電影，首先要把劇情提交給國家新聞出版廣電總局，這個單位負責管理政府的媒體。許多很好的基督教書籍、電影無法得到批准公開出版。我們為中國信徒能有更多屬靈書籍、參考書及材料可供閱讀和學習來禱告。
星期五
在中國電影裡，性愛場面或「過分表現酗酒、吸煙及其他陋習」是不能接受的。「宣揚消極、頽廢的人生觀、世界觀和價值觀」亦是被禁止的。「道高一尺、魔高一丈」，年輕人總能透過管道找到不好的內容來觀看。信徒家長會擔心孩子被黃色、暴力內容影響，我們為家長與孩子禱告，求主加給他們在平日有良好的親子溝通，父母與子女能交流積極的人生觀和合乎真理的價值觀。
星期六
一部電影遭禁的理由，可能是一個故事情節裡被認定為「不科學」，因為其中涉及「時間旅行」。或者「違背歷史史實」，這意味着他們禁止呈現不是官方版本的歷史陳述。在官方眼中，基督教有太多國外的影響。我們為教會在自己的社區中有美好的生命見證禱告，信徒都能將主耶穌的愛真實地流露出來，而不是一群所謂的「洋教徒」。
星期日
在中國發行的電影裡，犯罪一定不是在中國境內發起，如果涉及國際犯罪，壞人一定不能是華人。所有穿制服的角色必須是好人，官員不能也不會腐敗，並且也不會有妓女的。聖經說「世人都犯了罪」，願聖靈常常光照我們時時儆醒，省察是否還有一些隱而未現的罪没有清理。免得我們自欺，甚至以為我們肯定比別人優秀、聖潔而受虧損。
星期一
香港電影至少有一半是和中國影商合拍的，也需要接受北京當局的規範。這正解釋了為什麼中港合作的影片都是武俠片，或是發生在新中國成立前的故事。近來，香港信徒分成了幾派，一是支持北京政策的，一是追求民主的，還有持中立態度的。我們為香港眾教會的合一及宣教機構不失去傳福音的火熱來禱告。