Prayer Request 3/8 - 3/14

Tuesday
It is truly heart-wrenching to watch the footage of the destruction of majestic church buildings​ in Zhejiang China ​but the history of churches in China has taught us that God ​has allowed persecution to happen and turned it into revival. ​May the Lord comfort believers who are facing persecution, help them know that God is in control, and that this trying time can be ​a good time for self-reflection as well as an opportunity for new ministry.
Wednesday
Since the 1980's there have been many churches re-opened or rebuilt in China which has given the false impression that the buildings themselves represented the expansion of ministry and that they are the sole testimony to the public. We pray this wave of forced demolition will give all believers a new perspective of what the real church is--not buildings but people. May this difficult time help the churches in China to head in a new direction.
Thursday
Hundreds of churches in Zhejiang have recently had their crosses forcibly removed which helps us realize that the true essence of the church is the spiritual bodies they build in response to the Great Commission and that the church buildings are only a tool toward that end. The Church exists even without a building and the building should not be the primary place that defines Christianity. May the Lord comfort those who have lost their church buildings and help each of us to reflect on the rush to rebuild churches all over China.
Friday
During the past twenty years a new church building was completed about every two days in China. Believers gave very generously to build buildings but very little to train pastors or other church workers. We pray that churches and believers will focus on the training and equipping of their pastors​ to be better leaders of the flock.
Saturday
In Eastern​ China tens of millions of dollars are spent annually on new church buildings. If the same amount of money could be channeled into theological training, equipping, and improving the salaries of leaders, there would be pastors who are trained much better than they are now. May the Lord help us to see that He wants more shepherds to care for His flock and more workers for the harvest rather than our spending a lot of money on big church buildings.
Sunday
In China it is common to find many churches with small and dilapidated buildings with no shepherd within a half hour drive from a huge new church​. We pray for all of the small churches there. May the Lord give each of the believers a vision to be a bright light for Him in their neighborhood and not compare themselves to bigger churches.
Monday
The demolition of church buildings and crosses in China highlights the strain and tension between Christianity and the Communist government which many once thought to be relaxed or even improved but which is actually ever-present. ​We pray that believers will stay clear-minded as they face the conundrum of finding a Biblical solution of how to worship and grow ministries with the imposed restraints. May they realize they should not feel they have failed because our Lord resides in our hearts, not in the buildings where we meet.


星期二
高大輝煌的浙江教堂被夷為平地無疑令信徒痛心疾首，但從中國教會的歷史來看，我們知道逼迫不能消滅基督徒，反而促使教會復興，又或越加興旺。基督徒面對困難挑戰，能謙卑下來深刻地自我反省是必要的。求主安慰面對試煉的信徒們，相信危機之後必有轉機，因為神一直在掌權。
星期三
中國自八十年代開始，不斷有教堂重新開放，或有新蓋的教堂，形成教堂建築富麗堂皇即代表教會事工成功擴展和能公開見證主道的刻板印象和觀念。求主藉著「遭強拆」也給所有信徒一個反思機會：教堂不等同教會，建築物絕不是主的身體，尤其是教會領袖們要在基督裡重新思考教會發展的新方向與策略。
星期四
近年來不少浙江省的教會和十字架被政府強制拆毀。教會的本質是建立屬靈群體，這是大使命中使萬民作主門徒的最重要關鍵，而建築物僅能算作輔助的工具。「教堂沒有了，教會仍在！」教堂建築不應是教會唯一事工或最重要的事工標記。我們求主安慰信徒，也給我們對重新建堂的熱潮有一定的反省。
星期五
中國過去二十年，每一至兩日就有新教堂落成。信徒樂於奉獻建堂固然好，但對於教會人才培育的投資，在比例上仍少得可憐。教會若沒有做好信仰的傳承，是對神託付的極大虧欠。求主提醒信徒和教會領袖們，再次注重培育屬靈的第二代，訓練傳道人，不單單注意信徒的數目，更需重視素質的提昇。
星期六
華東地區蓋教堂動輒數千萬元，若這筆錢用在改進神學教育、投資人才培育和改善同工待遇上，每年接受到正規神學教育畢業的同工或有望倍增；而教會的牧者也會樂於長期忠心地委身而無後顧之憂。求主幫助我們洞察，教會不能忽略訓練工人，這比花費巨額在建築物上更有永恒的價值，也更合乎神的心意。
星期日
中國社會貧富之間的巨差現象，也反映在教會之間的寫照。在華東地花費數千萬建造的大教堂的鄰近半小時車程裡，多的是貧窮、沒有牧人的小教會。我們要為中國的小教會禱告，求主賜信徒們有使命感，不與大教會攀比，每一個肢體只單單忠心按著神的指引，成為社區中一盞明亮的燈台。
星期一
浙江省的教會和十字架被拆，再次顯出基督教和政府之間的張力，不僅從未真正改善，反因彼此岐見越來越根深蒂固。求主幫助弟兄姊妹面臨挑戰時，能冷靜下來，回歸聖經真理。有智慧尋求、思考有效拓殖發展策略，不必為教堂被拆感虧欠，因神原不住人手所造殿宇，而是與信徒在心靈深處相契。