Saturday, October 05, 2019

Prayer Request 10/1 - 10/7

Tuesday
“Where does our happy life come from? Who gave it to us?” the teacher asked. “It comes from the blood of revolutionary martyrs! From the Red Army!” A student proudly said. This is a glimpse of patriotic education among the grade-schoolers in China. The Bible does not specify the age of accountability but clearly says children are saved by believing in Jesus(Matt. 18:6). We pray for Christian parents that they will know they are the most important teachers and the life-long models for their children to learn about God.
Wednesday
For decades, the Chinese Communist Party has pushed a stiff regimen of ideological education on students, requiring tedious lessons on Marx and Mao and canned lectures on the virtues of patriotism and loyalty. Nearly 65% of Christians believed in Jesus at the ages of 4 to 14 years old. We pray that believer parents will know how critical this ten year period is and make sure to help their children to come to know the Lord and sincerely follow Jesus.
Thursday
Now, amid fears that the party is losing its grip on young minds, President Xi Jinping is reshaping political education across China’s more than 283,000 primary and secondary schools for a new era. Parents need to spend time on the spiritual development of their children, especially when children are small and their parental influence is still great. We pray that Christian parents will intentionally and with a plan to teach the Bible and pray with their children.
Friday
Textbooks are getting a larger dose of Communist Party lore in China, including glorified tales about the party’s fights against foreign invaders like Japan. Schools are adding courses on traditional medicine and Confucian thought to highlight China’s achievements as a civilization. Many Chinese mothers are the so-called “tiger mom” who will do anything to make sure their children perform well scholastically. We pray for Christian mothers that they will take the time to pray with and share their passion for the Lord with their children.
Saturday
In China, in the students’ curriculum, the government is also scaling back discussion of iconoclastic writers like Lu Xun, amid concerns that exposing students to social criticism may inspire disobedience.Although most Christian parents know they are responsible for the moral and spiritual growth of their children, they still delegate it to their church. May the Lord forgive us, change us and help us to be serious about the effort to teach.
Sunday
In a stern directive issued, the party ordered schools to intensify efforts to promote “Chinese traditional and socialist culture"— a mix of party loyalty and patriotic pride in China’s past. The spiritual foundation of a child is shaped before the age of nine. And their spiritual identity is established before the age of 13. We pray for believer parents in China that they can raise children who will love the Lord, in the atheistic educational system.
Monday
In a new approach, the Communist Party of China is presenting itself less as a vanguard of proletarian revolution and more as a force for reviving China and restoring it to its rightful place as a world power.God has entrusted parents to nurture their children spiritually, instead of the church. We pray that more Christian parents will appreciate the seriousness of this sacred duty, and will teach and share the Biblical moral guidelines and values to their children from an early age.

星期二
老師問:「我們幸福的生活從哪裡來?是誰給了我們幸福生活?」四年級的學生回答:「是紅軍革命烈士的鮮血換來的!」這是中國小學裡的愛國教育的一部分。聖經沒有告訴我們小孩子可以信主的年齡,卻明確表明他們是能夠信主得救的(太18:6)。求神提醒家長,自己是幫助孩子認識神的重要老師,而父母的信仰見證也會影響孩子一生。
星期三
幾十年來,共產黨一直對學生進行嚴格的思想教育,要求他們學習的馬克思主義和毛澤東思想課程,給他們講述千篇一律的愛國主義和對黨效忠。大約63%的基督徒都是在四至十四歲信主的。求主幫助信徒家長注重孩子在這十年靈性發展的關鍵時間,幫助孩子信主,培養他們做主的門徒,一生跟從神。
星期四
由於擔心共產黨失去對年輕人思想的掌控,國家主席習近平正在為重塑逾28.3萬所中小學的思想政治教育而努力。父母在孩子的屬靈發展上要付出時間,尤其趁孩子還年幼,父母的影響最大時,更要把握時機。願主加力給每個信徒家長,身心有力、有計劃地培伴孩子讀經、禱告,建立堅穩的屬靈根基。
星期五
國家在中小學的教科書裡增添了更多共產黨的歷史,包括美化共產黨與外國侵略者(如日本)作戰的故事。學校正在增加中醫和儒家思想的課程,以突出中華文明的成就。許多中國媽媽以做「虎媽」自豪,她們為了孩子的成績更好會不惜一切的擺上。我們為基督徒母親禱告,求主教為母者願意花時間和孩子一起禱告,也跟孩子分享自己的屬靈心得和與神的關係。
星期六
在學生的教科書裡,政府也正在減少對魯迅這樣反傳統作家的討論,因為擔心學生在多接觸社會批評的理論後,會激發違抗政府之舉。雖然大多數基督徒父母都知道自己對孩子的品德和靈性發展有主要責任,但是仍然會把這擔子推給教會,幾乎放棄做孩子的屬靈帶領者。求主赦免我們,改變我們!
星期日
在一份措辭嚴厲的發表中,官方要求學校「加強中華優秀傳統文化和社會主義先進文化教育」— 對黨忠誠,對中國歷史的愛國主義自豪感。孩子的屬靈根基在九歲前基本定形;並且,13歲以前他們的屬靈身份已確立。我們為中國信徒家長能在無神論的教育制度中,仍然為神養育愛主的第二代來祈求。
星期一
在學校加強傳統文化等等的指引下,共產黨作為無產階級革命先鋒的作用被淡化,而其作為中華民族復興,恢復中國作為世界強國的應有地位的作用則被予以強化。上帝沒有把孩子的屬靈培養責任完全交給教會,而是託付給父母。我們為更多信徒家長知道這個神聖責任禱告,求主幫助他們教導孩子從小認識聖經,從神的角度去看人生,有合乎神心意的價值觀。

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