Prayer Request 5/28 - 6/3

Tuesday
In recent months, Chinese censors have blurred the earlobes of some of China’s young male pop stars on television and the internet, lest their piercings and jewelry set too feminine an example for the country’s boys. The Communist Party is determined to intervene in even the smallest details of Chinese life there. We pray that Christian parents will intentionally set a spiritual example for their children at home and the Lord will give young believers a model of faith and sacrificial service in their churches to inspire them and to imitate.
Wednesday
Men’s earrings aren’t the only objectionable material that China’s censors are blurring. Soccer players wear long sleeves to cover their tattoos. Young women at a racy video game convention have been told to raise their necklines. Rappers can rhyme only about peace and harmony. Churches in China are generally conservative. We pray specifically for young believers so they will know the reasons why we should please the Lord in our appearance, not to imitate the world, but to be transformed from within. (Romans 12:2)
Thursday
The Communist Party is intensifying efforts to instill what it calls "core socialist values"--patriotism, harmony, and civility. Content that celebrates money worship hedonism or individualism is being removed more and more from public view. Material that was acceptable only a few years ago is no longer acceptable. We pray that believers in China will experience many blessings from the Lord, both spiritual and material and above all, give thanks for all that God has done for them.
Friday
China’s censorship is very extreme that it risks infantilizing the country’s culture. Unlike the American movies that have a rating system of PG and R, all contents in China must be suitable for a 12-year-old to see. We pray for wisdom for Chinese believers to know how to control what their children watch and help them to discern what content pleases the Lord and what leads to sin. Above all, we pray that Christian parents will never forget to tell Bible stories and teach God commandments to their children.
Saturday
In the 1980's, the Communist Party in China conducted a campaign against spiritual pollution, banning pop music, flared pants, permed hair, love stories and even kissing. The first movie kiss in modern China didn’t take place until the late 1980's. We pray that pastors in China will teach the Biblical view of culture and entertainment, rather than being legalistic or consider them as totally sinful.
Sunday
Two years ago, broadcasters and streamers began blurring tattoos in China. Male ponytails, blood and dead bodies corps are routinely blurred. There’s so much blurring on the Chinese internet that there’s a term for it: “heavily applied mosaics.” In a highly censored society, we pray for boldness and wisdom for believers and churches as they share the good news of Jesus Christ with their neighbors and friends and bear good fruit.
Monday
In a few years’ time, today’s youths will have seen less unfiltered media content than people even five years older. Without knowing what they don’t know, they’re likely to be more receptive to party doctrine and easier to govern. So many parents in China strive to give their children an advantage by providing early education. We pray that Christian parents will know the importance and the urgency of teaching their children to fear the Lord from a young age, so they will have wisdom and not stray away from the Lord.

星期二
近幾個月，審查機構在電視和互聯網上對一些年輕男明星的耳垂進行了模糊處理，以免他們給男孩樹立過於女性化的形象。在中國即使是生活中最小的細節，共產黨也會干預。求主提醒信徒家長，要為子女的屬靈情況守望，並要樹立屬靈的榜樣；又求主幫助年輕信徒在教會中活出美好的見證，成為有信心及樂意事奉的模範。
星期三
除了男人的耳環，電視審查機構還要求足球運動員要用長袖遮住紋身，而熱鬧電動遊戲活動內穿著遊戲服裝的女性，亦要拉高領口，說唱(饒舌)歌手只能用平和溫柔的節奏演唱。中國的教會相當保守，我們為年輕信徒祈求，知道為何要討主喜悅，不是守律法式的禁慾，而是心意更新而變化 (羅 12:2)。 
星期四
共產黨越來越努力地灌輸愛國主義、和諧與文明等所謂的「社會主義核心價值觀」，宣揚拜金主義、享樂主義或個人主義的內容越來越少。幾年前還可以接受的東西，現在難以過關了。我們為中國的信徒禱告，雖然不明白神所預備的道路，但仍願意全然降服於神的旨意，儘管落在百般試煉中，都能以為大喜樂。
星期五
中國政府的審查制度沒有像美國的行業機構般把電影分為PG(家長指引)或R(限制某年齡以上)類，換言之所有內容都必須適合12歲的兒童，這可能會導致電視或電影的內容深度不足。為中國信徒有智慧管制孩子們所看的內容禱告，求主幫助孩子能決心靠主過討神喜悅的生活，也知道要遠避罪惡，並提醒家長要將聖經真理及神的心意教導孩子。
星期六
上世紀80年代，共產黨的保守派人士曾發起「清除精神污染」的政治運動，主要針對文藝界、思想界，抗拒流行音樂、喇叭褲、燙髮、愛情故事、接吻等等。直到1990年，現代中國電影中才出現接吻的鏡頭。為中國的傳道人能以聖經原則來幫助和教導當今信徒面對的多元文化及娛樂禱告，而不是一味批判，或是以罪惡、教條主義來處理這些重要的議題。
星期日
兩年前，電視台和串流媒體紛紛開始對紋身進行模糊處理，血跡和屍體亦被模糊圖像遮蓋。去年，男性的馬尾辮也被模糊處理。中國網路有個專門的名詞，叫做「重度馬賽克」。世界的價值觀、審美觀、金錢觀等都不斷在變，惟有神永不改變。求主幫助信徒有屬天的價值觀，生活在日光之下，活出日光之上的人生。
星期一
今天的年輕一代少能看到未經審查的內容，比大他們五歲的人涉獵更少，他們在不自知的情況下，可能更容易接受黨的教條，屬於容易管理的一群。中國家長們都知道要提供子女早期的教育，就怕孩子輸在起跑線上。我們求主叫信徒家長知道教導他們的孩子從小敬畏神的重要性和緊迫性，好叫孩子得著真正的智慧，一生不偏離主。

Prayer Request 5/14 - 5/20

Tuesday
Revolutionary language is ubiquitous among normal Chinese people. Economic sectors like industry and agriculture are referred to as “battlefronts.” (Most workplaces, in fact, are called “fronts.”) Continuing to work while sick is likened to “the wounded not leaving the front line.” Decades of revolutionary languages and the poison of the Cultural Revolution have left a definite attitude and tendency for believers in China, in being intolerant and readily attacking other believers who hold different views. We pray for humility for every believer and unity in churches, not as a slogan, but in earnest.
Wednesday
The use of military terms is so very common for the normal Chinese people. Many big enterprises talk about their marketing teams as “armies” or “troops,” and their sales territories as “battle zones.” And, at the ends of banquets, even today, mainland Chinese sometimes urge their friends to xiaomie (annihilate) the leftovers. Unfortunately, believers and other church leaders consider other believers who hold different interpretations or theological persuasions as enemies. We pray for true humility for all believers and teachers in China, knowing that all of our understanding of the Bible is imperfect and we can certainly learn from one another.
Thursday
The roots of this New Chinese Language naturally go back to Mao. In his 1942 Yan'an speech exhorting authors and artists to “serve the people,” Mao called for writers to use language people can understand. It is really difficult for believers to love one another because they see plenty of faults in others and there is the tendency to show contempt for others and be self-righteous. We pray that all of us will always heed what Jesus said, “remove the beam in our own eyes.”
Friday
As Mr. Xi called Marx "the greatest thinker in modern times" he was reasserting the dominance of the Communist Party over an increasingly complex society by renewing devotion to the founding tenets of Communism. We pray for churches in China as they face strong political headwinds and even much more restrictions. We too pray that young believers will stand firm in a time of great pressure and even oppositions from their superiors, especially the new converts in colleges throughout the land.
Saturday
China’s Communist Party sees the great importance in indoctrinating the students from a very young age. It has redoubled its effort to convert the young people who grew up absorbed in their smartphones rather than “The Communist Manifesto” or Mao Zedong’s “Little Red Book.” We pray that believers who are parents will wake up to God's command to teach their children to know the Lord from the time they are small and that the parents will model the love of Jesus by teaching them to pray and not be ashamed of their faith.
Sunday
Many young people in China see Karl Marx as just an image of someone who always has a big beard, and Marxism is just a bunch of concepts or a few exam questions. They really have no understanding of Marx and Marxism. Unfortunately, the same things are true for children from Christian homes and their understanding of Jesus Christ. We pray that believer parents will see the importance of raising godly children and that it is solely their responsibility to teach and train up their children to fear the Lord and not the job of their churches.
Monday
Every child in China is taught and indoctrinated with Marxist-Leninist lessons, in addition to tons of nationalistic greatness and patriotism. China remains loyal to socialism, despite having as many as 800 or more billionaires, rising high-tech conglomerates and gaping inequalities. It is a daunting task for Christian parents to raise up children who will keep their faith in Jesus, in an educational system that is absolutely anti-God. We know Christian parenting is an act of faith and thus we pray for greater faith for all Christian parents.

星期二
革命性語言在普通中國人的話語中普遍存在，例如把工業、農業在內的一切行業都稱之為「戰線」（幾乎所有工作的場所都可以稱為陣地），帶病堅持工作通常稱為「輕傷不下火線」。革命性語言和文革也影響著中國信徒的觀念，不能容忍並愛攻擊與自己持不同觀點的信徒。求神賜我們眾人有謙卑，不要相咬相吞，竭力保守合一的心，而不僅喊喊口號。
星期三
不少中國人的會話中常使用軍用詞。一些大企業的銷售隊伍稱為「集團軍」、「師」、「團」；銷售區域稱為「戰區」，也常聽見在飯局快結束時讓朋友將剩餘的飯菜「消滅乾淨」的說詞。許多信徒間也常因神學觀點不同或宗派路線有別而彼此猜忌甚至相互攻擊。求神赦免我們分門別類的罪，教導我們要尊重並學習不同人的領受，總意是要尊主為大。
星期四
現今通行的新式中國語言的根源要回溯到毛澤東時代。在1942年延安講話上，毛澤東勸告作家和藝術家要“為人民服務”，要使用人民看得懂的語言。若信徒之間彼此只看到對方的錯誤，並且自以為義，就很難活出彼此相愛的見證。求神光照我們的內心，開我們的眼睛，常自省以看見自己眼中的樑木。
星期五
在現今日益複雜的社會中，國家主席習進平重申共產黨的主導地位，尤其重新致力於共產主義創建時的信條。他稱馬克思「是近代以來最偉大的思想家」。我們要恒切為中國教會禱告，在目前的逆境與限制中能繼續成長；也為年輕信徒，特別是大學生禱告，在層層壓力中仍能為主站立得穩。
星期六
共產黨知道潛移默化的重要性，讓孩子從小就接受共產主義的教導，也致力傳授馬克思主義給年輕一代，即使這代人是捧著手機而不是《共產黨宣言》或毛澤東的「小紅書」長大的。求神提醒父母要成為子女愛主和信心的榜樣，並教導孩子從小認識主，讀經禱告與神建立親密關係，勇敢為主作見證，不以他們的信心為恥。 
星期日
對某些年輕人而言，馬克思只是一個留著大鬍子的歷史人物，而馬克思主義也只是一些概念，或是幾道考題。他們實在不了解馬克思，更不懂馬克思主義。 遺憾的是，有些在基督教家庭成長的孩子對耶穌基督也一知半解。我們為信徒父母應認定教養敬虔後裔的重要禱告，並且曉得自己要教導和培養孩子敬畏神，而不是把這責任推卸給教會。
星期一
每個中國孩子都接受馬克思列寧主義的教導，還加上極多的民族偉大和愛國的灌輸。儘管中國有800多名億萬富翁、高科技企業集團，但在政治上仍然是個社會主義的國家。基督徒父母要想在無神教育體系中養育有基督信仰的孩子是何其艱鉅。他們需要主的恩典與扶持，更是信心的操練，因此我們為信徒家長守望 ，求神的施恩與憐憫與他們同在。