Prayer Request 1/30 -- 2/5

Tuesday
Up until 2005, people who have Hepatitis B are not eligible to apply as government employees at any level. According to data 10 years ago, more than 120-150 millions Chinese are infected with the Hepatitis B virus. Social stigma and the lack of cure make Hepatitis B an effective walking death-sentence. Let us pray for all the believers who suffer from this disease. May the Lord comfort and sustain them, so they may live for Him with faith, hope and love .

Wednesday
Few would ever think coffee drinking would have caught on so well among Chinese. Foreign-chain specialty cafés are extremely popular, especially among the young professionals and college students, who happily pay for their Western price tag. Chinese churches basically have not changed much since the last century and few churches even target the “younger crowd”. Let us pray for vision to reach the younger generation, through music, worship style, and “connecting ”.

Thursday
Since 2001, Taiwan started to have a full 2-day weekend (prior to this was only half-day on Saturday). Such implementation led to a boom in the weekend tourism and sprouting up of resorts all over the islands.Two-day weekends are double-edged swords for churches as more people are traveling and on also, churches can host more weekend events. We need to pray for the nearly 4,000 churches in Taiwan, for renewal, awakening from material abundance, and disunity resulting from political issues .

Friday
Government restricts pregnant Mainland women to give birth in Hong Kong which now accounts for half of all births on the island. Such popularity are caused by the generous medical benefits, children are born as HK citizenship and to escape the one-child limits. Hong Kong continues to play an important role in providing resources for the children’s Sunday School in China, both in resources and training. Let us pray for all the HK churches that are supporting Mainland churches and those who receive them .

Saturday
Being the only child does not mean a happy kid! A survey of high school kids from China, Japan, South Korea and the US reveals Chinese kids are least happy with their parents around. In China, kids quickly stop attending church with their parents when they attend elementary school, especially when there are no programs for them. Let us pray for all believer parents who are in such a predicament and churches are willing to do everything to keep the young ones in church .

Sunday
For millions of Chinese high school kids, having parental attention does not translate to happiness. “Chinese parents care too much about their school performance, their future and to get a college education,” educational experts say. Most Christian parents are out-of-their-wits when their only darling child refuses to go to church once they grow up. We remember all the parents who will not stop praying for their wayward children, those who lost interest in faith and are going through rebellion .

Monday
68% of Chinese high school kids enjoy their mother around them and only 59% say the same about their father. While in the same survey, 91% of Korean enjoys having their mother around them. “Stern father and affable mother” seems to be Chinese parental stereotype. Let us pray for all the believing Chinese fathers who must assert their spiritual leadership at home, without angering their child, provide godly example, be considerate and serve in church .

星期二
中國在2005年之前，所有乙肝病毒（B型肝炎）攜帶者都不能擔任公務員。而根據十年前的統計，中國的「乙肝病毒攜帶者」已有1.2億到1.5億人。來自社會的歧視和無葯可愈，使患上「乙肝」的人猶如被判了死刑。讓我們為有此疾病的信徒禱告，求神安慰扶持他們，爲主的緣故，活出滿有信、望、愛的豐盛生命。

星期三
中國這個喝茶的民族，竟漸漸轉而喝咖啡了。外國咖啡連鎖店在中國掀起熱潮，尤其受年輕白領階級及學生歡迎。他們樂於支付等同西方的昂貴價格來喝一杯咖啡。相對於社會的轉變，今天的中國教會基本上跟上世紀沒什麽兩樣，很少教會肯爲吸引年輕一代而做出改變。讓我們為教會能看到年輕一代的需要來禱告，願意透過調整敬拜讚美等方式，拉近與年輕人的距離，把他們帶到神的真理當中。

星期四
臺灣自2001年始全面實施週休二日（過去周六只有半日休。）大大興旺了假日觀光旅遊事業，連帶的也刺激風景區的旅館民宿、餐飲和交通業的發展。長週末對教會來説是一把兩刃的劍：教會能夠藉此舉辦更多節目，但很多人也可能去渡假旅遊。讓我們為臺灣近4千家教會的復興禱告。求神喚醒人們從物質的豐裕裏保持屬靈的渴慕。同時也求主讓教會不因政治立場而對立，因著耶穌而得合一的心。

星期五
赴港生産的內地孕婦從去年開始劇增，現已佔香港新生兒數量的一半。最近香港政府開始立法限制。中國孕婦赴港生産的原因，有的爲讓孩子獲得香港身份證，有的為圖香港低廉的緊急醫療福利，有的則是到港超額生育。香港一直扮演著提供國內基督教育資訊和訓練，及主日學教材的重要角色。讓我們在禱告中記念這些港教會和受支助的教會，求神讓施與受者皆蒙祝福和造就。

星期六
中國的孩子大部分是都獨子，獨子或許是天之驕子卻未必是快樂的孩子。從一項對7000名中、日、韓及美國中學生所作的調查中發現：中國孩子比起其他國家的，對於父母在身邊感到最不開心。中國的孩子入小學之後，很快地就不再跟父母到教會敬拜了，尤其當教會沒有適合他們的節目。讓我們為這些信徒家長和孩子來禱告，求神讓教會有能力與智慧而且願意設法吸引和留住這些孩子。

星期日
對於父母親的關切，中國數百萬中學生並不感覺到高興。專家解釋這是由於面對獨生子女，家長們特別關注他們的學業成績，要他們上大學有好前途。當唯一的寶貝孩子長大後不願再到教會，基督徒父母多數都會感到不知所措。讓我們記念這些父母，能不斷地為孩子禱告，當孩子任性或對信仰失去興趣，抑或處於叛逆期，求神賜下智慧與耐心，陪伴的子女人生最重要的階段。

星期一
中國的中學生當中，68%喜歡母親陪在他們身邊，只有59%喜歡父親相伴。根據同一調查，喜歡母親陪伴的韓國學生高達91%。「父嚴母慈」似乎是中國父母不變的模式。讓我們特別記念到基督徒父親，求神教導他們知道如何成爲家中的屬靈領袖，體貼家人、不惹兒女的氣且有敬虔的榜樣，並在教會裡熱心服事。