Prayer Request 3/14--3/20

Tuesday
Since the Premarital Health Examination was eliminated in late 2003, only ten percent of couples nationwide in China still go for such a check-up. Without this preventative measure, a Beijing health official says birth defects now reach 13.5 percent of all births. For believers, premarital counseling is a luxury found only in urban churches. Let us pray for all who are getting married this year that they will model Christ's love in their new families.

Wednesday
“The Great Changjin”, the Korean TV drama which contains obsolete plot-lines, formulaic characters and dogmatic values, has been the most feverishly watched show in China. Its theme of struggling for success meets people's desires for success. The subtle and positive moral lesson by such show is valuable. Let us pray for many young Christians who struggle with the pull to be rich versus a life which focuses on God and family.

Thursday
After college graduation, work for a year and take a long break to enjoy life has become a trend. Seeking personal financial independence is not a big desire for young people today. Instead, they continue to depend on parental support. Young believers have yet to learn to give financially to churches. Let us pray for the needs of many house churches, paying rent, supporting workers and even supporting missionaries.

Friday
More than 600,000 have flocked to virtual cohabitation in online apartments. A kind of cheap, commitment-free practice for domestic life, it attracts college students and young white-collar workers, the two groups perhaps most likely to live in dorms. Cohabitation and premarital sex have been such a common practice, carrying little shame or second thoughts. Let us pray for many believers who are often tempted to follow the ways of the world.

Saturday
China’s “angry youth”, fenqing, is becoming an increasingly influential slice of society. They are highly nationalistic, fighting for China’s glory and very verbal online. They have been most vocal against Japan’s militarism and American’s interferences. The title can mean "striving youth" or "idiotic youth," depending on the context, underscoring a deepening divide over this unpredictable generation. Let us pray for a new generation of Chinese passionate for evangelism and being used by God.

Sunday
Chinese college students get their knowledge of sex from magazines (20%), movies (21%), romance novels (13%), health-related books (25%), and pornography (20%). Another study in Sichuan shows that 58% of students get their sex knowledge from pornography. Biblical view of sex is rarely discussed or mentioned among Chinese churches. Let us pray for ministries that will focus on providing Biblical teaching on marriage, family and sex.

Monday
As colleges expand their enrollments, there will be a glut of graduates for the job market, inevitably driving down the starting salaries. In Guangzhou and Shenzhen and larger cities in particular, there is an oversupply of college graduates. It is encouraging to see more young professionals attending the one-time urban churches. Let us pray for their involvement in ministry that they may infuse much needed new blood into the open-churches .

星期二
自從2003年底取消強制婚前檢查制度後， 2004年頭初全國婚檢工作量不到往年同期的10%，據北京衛生局的統計，2004全年北京市缺陷兒童出生率達到13.5%。即使在城市教會，仍相當少有基督徒的婚前輔導，讓我們特別為今年要結婚的基督徒，能夠以基督的愛來建立新的家庭禱告。

星期三
「大長今」，一部描寫古代宮廷的韓國電視劇，看似過時的劇情、刻板的人物角色及教條式的典型價值，卻成為全中國最熱門、創下許多收視新高的節目，戲劇中具有淺移默化的道德教導，主角為追求成功努力不懈與堅韌不拔的精神是有相當教育價值。讓我們為著正在賺大錢與專注服事神間拔河的年輕基督徒禱告。

星期四
年輕大學生畢業、工作一年後，讓自己放大假，背起行囊到天涯海角去流浪，已蔚為風潮；他們追求個性，崇尚獨立，卻不再把“經濟自給自足”看作獨立的前提條件，經濟上仍仰賴父母。年輕基督徒須學習操練信心奉獻來支持事工，讓我們為著所有教會的需要，不論是在房租、同工薪資、宣教經費等來禱告，求主親自預備供應一切所需。

星期五
模擬同居生活的線上「愛情公寓」已吸引超過六十萬名會員加入，不需承諾、僅需支付低廉的網路開支即可體驗家庭生活，擄獲許多大學生及年輕白領階級的目光，實際生活中最有可能在外頭承租公寓的，正是這兩群人。在現實生活裡，年輕男女以同居與婚前性行為來體驗愛情已相當普遍。不會感到羞恥，也不會有任何掙扎，讓我們容易受試探跟隨世界的風俗搖動的信徒禱告。

星期六
「憤青」，憤怒青年，已成為社會上一股逐漸強大、不可忽視的影響力，這是網路語言中的特有辭彙，來形容民族主義和愛國情緒高漲的年輕人。日本軍國主義與美國對中國的干預政策為憤青主要攻擊對象。讓我們為著新世代的中國人能夠對福音大發熱心，大大被神使用來禱告。

星期日
大學生性知識的主要來源是：從報刊雜誌占20%；從國內外影視占21%；從醫藥衛生書籍占25%；從“色情文學”（包括色情讀物、色情網頁、黃色影碟）獲得的共占20%。《重慶市大學生性知識、性行爲調查研究》顯示，從色情文學等獲得性知識的大學生比例高達58.4%。在中國教會裡，極少會提及甚至討論聖經對於性的觀點，讓我們為著以提供在婚姻、家庭與性關係上的聖經教導的事工禱告。

星期一
大學擴招造成高校畢業生逐年猛增，造成就業市場供過於求，應屆畢業生的身價也逐年下滑。在廣州、深圳與其他大城市的畢業生的供需狀況，更是嚴重不均衡。能夠有更多專精於各領域的年輕學子參與教會事工，是令人興奮與值得鼓勵的，讓我們紀念他們的服事，能夠為教會注入新血與活力來禱告。