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。