Prayer Request 1/1 - 1/7

Tuesday
China has swapped its socialist dream for an American-style of cars and sprawling suburbs. The number of automobiles has increased more than tenfold in the past decade, to sixty-four million. Availability of parking space is a key factor determining whether a church in China can grow and expand now. We pray for wisdom and vision for church leaders as they consider and plan how they can expand their ministries and serve effectively those members who live far away.
Wednesday
When the Seventh Ring Road is completed, the 900km (560-mile) highway will surround Beijing at such a distance that most of it will run through the neighboring province of Hebei. Parts of it are actually 175km from Beijing’s center. Many urban churches in China are considering how to plant new churches in their expanding suburbs as roads improve. We pray for strong growth in all the new church plants as they reach out to the new neighbors who usually know very little about Christianity.
Thursday
Breakneck urban growth has propelled China’s rise in the past three decades. Migration from the countryside has helped expand the urban population by five hundred million — the biggest movement of humanity the planet has seen in such a short time. Rural churches have suffered much decline as they have lost members in droves. We pray that rural believers will not feel discouraged, but rather will work with church leaders to discover new ways to share Jesus with their neighbors and minister to those who remain in the villages.
Friday
Over half of the population of China now lives in the cities. Although some people live in the basements of apartments or in shacks built in courtyards, the cities in China have by and large avoided the squalor of those in many developing countries. We praise God for the increasing numbers of believers in the cities of China. May the Lord help them not to be content with what has been done but rather redouble their efforts to find ways to minister to the younger and well-educated people without neglecting the older blue-colored people.
Saturday
Unprecedented urban growth has created large cities in China—more than one hundred of them have more than a million people—but that some are supersized. Giant cities are polluted, pricey and congested. Average travel speed in Beijing is half that in New York or Singapore. Many urban churches are now affiliated with each other or led by one pastor, very much like a denomination. We pray for godly leadership and coworker teams, healthy church growth without a competitive spirit and a willingness to share their resources with smaller churches.
Sunday
There are 30 “megacities” worldwide, six are in China: Shanghai (23m), Beijing (19.5m), Chongqing (13m), Guangzhou (12m), Shenzhen (11m) and Tianjin (11m). Churches are doing well in some megacities but remain weak in others. Some cities have tighter police supervision than others. We pray for revival for churches that have been stagnant or members who have become lukewarm.
Monday
Officials in China can expropriate rural land easily and at little cost. Doing so is far cheaper than redeveloping existing urban areas. Industrial land is heavily subsidized, so factories have remained in urban areas rather than move to cheaper sites on city outskirts. Expansion of cities opens a new opportunity for evangelism and church planting in all the new communities. We pray that many churches will see the precious window of opportunity and act on it with good and sustainable strategies.


星期二
中國的社會主義理想隨著汽車保有量增加和城郊擴張，已經轉變成美國式的小康社會。過去十年，汽車保有量增長超過十倍，達6400萬輛。城市教會需要有足夠的停車位才能符合增長需要。我們禱告：為城市教會有遠見和智慧能繼續成長及發展，有效地服事居住在離教會較遠的信徒。
星期三
北京七環路全長940公里，其中北京市約90公里，河北約850公里，途經河北張家口、涿州、廊坊、承德及北京市大興區、通州區和平谷區等地，某些路段距北京市中心達175公里。來往郊區的交通便利使不少城市教會有心在郊區成立新聚會點。這些新區的居民一般都沒有接觸過教會，求主賜給這些新的聚會點和教會有美好成長。
星期四
「對內改革、對外開放」的政策在中國實行了四十年，令城市極速發展，來自農村地區的移民使城市人口暴增超過五億，這是地球上迄今為止最巨大的短期人口遷移。農村教會的沒落是個事實。求主幫助農村教會的信徒和牧者不灰心，有智慧和主的恩典向村民傳揚基督的福音，更加關顧留守信徒的靈命需要。
星期五
超過半數國民已屬城市人口。雖然其中有人宿於公寓或停車場的地下室，有人避於大院小棚屋，但中國城市大體上避免了多數發展中國家出現的髒亂現象。我們為城市信徒的增長來感謝神！求主繼續祝福及保護教會，又賜下智慧能更有效地服事年輕、高教育程度的弟兄姊妹和慕道朋友，同時也不忘記關懷社區中的長者和藍領人士。
星期六
隨著人民遷移到城市發展，讓中國產生了許多大型城市（人口多於一百萬的超過100個）。現今城市污染嚴重、物價高漲、交通擁堵，北京的平均車速只相當於紐約和新加坡的一半。許多城市教會是由團隊組織或是一個牧者帶領，如同宗派。我們為他們有敬虔的領袖和同工團隊禱告，求主賜他們健康成長，沒有任何爭競，願意彼此分享資源。
星期日
全世界三十個「超大城市」( 人口超過千萬)中， 有六個位於中國；分別是：上海（2300萬）、北京（1950萬）、重慶（1300萬）、廣州（1200萬）、深圳（1100萬）和天津（1100萬）。這些大城市中，教會有的興旺，有的荒涼。在一些城市中，教會被緊緊盯住，發展不易。我們為超大城市的教會禱告，求神啟示祂的話語，讓信徒的信心有根有基，不要像主所責備的 "老底嘉教會" 般對信仰不冷不熱。
星期一
中國的官方可輕易以低廉價格徵用農村土地，這比重新開發舊城區便宜得多。市區的工業用地也能拿到大額補助，因此工廠都留在市內，不願遷往郊外更便宜的地區。城市往郊區發展其實是傳道和植堂的大好時機，求主讓更多教會能把握機會多作主工，弟兄姊妹擬定好的策略和計劃不紙上談兵，以行動促使神的道快快傳開。