Prayer Request 10/18--10/24

Tuesday
“China 2, Japan 0”, China proudly announces in reference to the successful landing of the manned space flight, Shenzhou 6. In a nation where Japanese electronic goods are considered superior, much national pride rides on this technological achievement. Japan is one of the least evangelized countries, a hard soil for the Gospel. Let us pray for the divine lifting of nationalist rivalry and even sending missionaries to Japan from the Chinese churches .

Wednesday
Once divorce was looked upon as a dreaded fate by the women in China. Today many younger urban women feel divorce is their civil right and thus, the divorce rate is rising. In Guangdong province women initiate seventy percent of the divorces. One of the common reasons for this is extra-marital affairs. Let us remember all the couples, especially those whose marriage is affected by separation by work or the heavy demand of church work .

Thursday
Marrying a foreigner is the dream of many Chinese women, especially middle-aged divorced women. They think, "This is the only ticket I have for a better life my child and me." In Shanghai three percent of all the registrations are for marriage to a foreigner. However, inter-racial marriage may not be so romantic with divorces in such marriages hovering at about fifty percent. Let us pray for many of these women to come to know Jesus in churches which embrace them and their white husbands .

Friday
The One-child Policy has had the effect of a double-edged sword. Girls have benefited with better education and inheritance rights, but it has led to abortion and abandonment of infant girls. The suicide rate of Chinese women is the highest in the world--five time the average in other countries with victims being typically village women 15-45 years old. We pray that believers and churches will be able to share the love of Christ with the families of victims .

Saturday
Among the top twenty most influential women in Shanghai in 1995-2005 seven were business women, seven were in the education/art and entertainment field, and two were volunteers. The women in Shanghai are known for their determination and powerful influence in their families. We take this time to pray for all women involved in teaching and shepherding. The percentage of women in ministry in China is undoubtedly the highest in the world .

Sunday
The news carried a story of a million-dollar wedding held in the tallest restaurant in Shanghai. Weddings, once austere ceremonies with a local Party chief as the official, today have given way to the trendy extravagant wedding. In the villages a wedding frequently doubles as an evangelistic meeting. Let us pray for the many believers who share their faith openly to their friends and relatives .

Monday
"Match-making Mini Conventions" held in the open air in several cities are well-attended by eager parents who exchange information and pictures of their children. The first group of "emperors" and "empresses" reared under the One Child Policy are now ready for marriage. We pray for those Christian young men and women who are now of a marriageable age. May they seek to know God's desire and design for their marriages as well as purity in courtships .

星期二
隨著“神舟六號”載人飛行任務圓滿完成，中國對日本的太空優勢已是2比0。在國內，日本製造的電子產品一直保持領先的地位，因此中國在航空事業的領先與成就更顯意義非凡。日本一直是福音的硬土。盼望中國教會能夠以神的國度為念，放下國家間的競爭與歷史恩仇，願意差派宣教士前往日本，使更多人蒙恩得救。

星期三
過去中國婦女將離婚視為人生悲慘的命運，但現代的年輕城市女性卻認為，離婚是女性自主權的表現。近年來國人離婚率持續上升，在廣東省境內，有將近七成的婦女離婚，理由都是配偶有外遇。讓我們在禱告中紀念所有的夫妻，特別是因為工作、教會服事的需要而分隔兩地的配偶。求主保守他們對聖潔婚姻的珍重與經營，成為世人美好的見証。

星期四
異國婚姻是許多中國婦女的夢想，特別是離過婚的中年婦女。他們認為，這是能夠改善孩子與自己生活的不二法門。在上海，每一百對新婚夫婦中，平均有三對就是跨國婚姻。然而，看似浪漫的異國通婚離婚率卻高達百分之五十。讓我們在禱告中紀念許多異國婚姻下的中國婦女和她們的外國伴侶及孩子，能在教會裡得到充份的支援與靈命成長。

星期五
計劃生育政策對中國男女地位問題產生『雙刃劍』的作用，雖然女童能擁有更好的受教機會與繼承遺產。但惟男續香火觀念不改，卻使更多女嬰在懷孕期間就被流產或於出生後被遺棄。中國婦女自殺率高居世界平均值的5倍，高危人群主要集中在15歲至45歲的貧困地區。讓我們為所有教會與信徒願意分享基督的愛與盼望給周遭心靈憂傷的婦女及其家人來禱告。

星期六
「1995-2005上海最有影響的女性人物」於日前揭曉。二十位候選人中，七位來自企業界、七位教科文教界、兩位出自社會團體、兩位志工、兩位公務員。「掌握家中決策權並富影響力」，一直是上海婦女給人的印象。在中國，參與福音事工的女性比例高居全世第一位，讓我們特別以禱告紀念神家中所有參與教導與牧養的姊妹們。

星期日
大陸第一高樓「上海金茂大廈」，日前舉辦了一場「百萬婚禮」。婚禮過去只是一項由黨地方幹部負責的樸實無華的儀式，今日卻變為極盡鋪張奢華之能事的豪筵。在農村，福音聚會的次數還不及婚禮舉辦次數的一半。讓我們特別為中國的信徒禱告，願他們能勇於在各種公開場合裡與朋友、親戚分享神救恩的美好。

星期一
在中國，第一代獨生子女開始步入婚育年齡。各地婚姻介紹所舉辦的家長聯誼替子女物色對象的活動，深受好評，父母還會彼此交換自己子女的基本資料與照片。我們在禱告中紀念這群廣大的適婚青年男女，尤其是讓信徒們樂意尋求神對於他們婚姻的計畫與旨意，並且願意謹守聖潔，建立蒙福的家庭。