Prayer Request 7/3 -- 7/9

Tuesday
The scandal of hundreds of teens enslaved to work in brutal conditions in the brick kilns of Shanxi rocked the nation. The government responded with unusual candidness to condemn the kilns and offered the freed workers 1,000 yuan ($130) each as "sympathy" money. Unfair and unethical labor practices still abound in many parts of China. Let us pray specifically for the 3 million farm laborers in the Shanxi province alone, especially for the relatively weak churches there as many have suffered the attack of cults in the past.

Wednesday
The price of real estate in the top seventy large and midsize cities in China jumped an average of 5.5% during 2006. In 2007 it has already increased another 5.9% with cities like Beijing, Guangzhou and Shenzhen increasing ten percent. For Chinese believers, buying a house for themselves or for their children has become the number one consideration. May the Lord move all of us to keep the need of His house in our minds and give generous and faithful offerings to Him.

Thursday
In an historical move, Nanjing held a secret ballot for a municipal election of Party officials. Whether or not this signals a trend to come is not yet clear. However, it has a great implication for the Communist Party with its boasted membership of seventy million people. Voting by church members is almost unheard of in Chinese house churches except in Wenzhou where delegates are allowed to vote in the churches' control structure. Let us pray for a Biblical governing system in China's churches today.

Friday
Businessmen who have worked for years in China say, "If you do not work with the officials, it is difficult to do business in China." For many church leaders, it is necessary to maintain a cordial relationship with local police to avoid unnecessary troubles under the present political situation. We pray for favor in the eyes of officials and that police will turn to Jesus because of the good testimony of believers.

Saturday
The Guangzhou-Shenzhen railroad is only 147 kilometers long but it is a major artery of transport serving the four large cities of Hong Kong, Macau, Guangzhou and Shenzhen. These four cities are also the key cities in mission efforts in China where teachers hold training sessions and travel through. Let us pray for all the Bible and theological training being held in southern China in the second half of the year, for the preparation of the students and teachers too.

Sunday
This year the Chinese railroad system made its sixth system-wide increase in speed so the travel distance between Beijing and Shanghai has been cut from twelve to ten hours. On some lines trains have been able to reach a speed of 200 kilometers an hour. Church workers spend much time on the train since it still is their main mode of transportation. Let us pray for traveling mercies for all church workers, especially for deliverance from sexual temptations that are so rampant in China.

Monday
In Singapore world-class medical care costs only about a third or half the amount it costs in the United States and many Chinese in Southeast Asia and Indonesia stream there for medical needs. Multitudes of believers and church workers in China face exorbitant medical costs which they cannot pay. We need to pray for those believers with chronic illnesses or cancer who face huge medical bills.

星期二
震驚全國的山西“黑磚窯”事件，揭發了不法雇主在惡劣工作環境下，剝削勞工權益，非法奴役數百童工等問題。政府不尋常地公開譴責，並予每位工人人民幣1000圓（130美元）安慰金。許多勞工往往受到不公平和不人道的欺壓，單山西省就有近3百萬農民工。當地教會曾受異端攻擊，因此在各方面都比較軟弱。讓我們為山西的教會和同工禱告，求神重新復興教會，幫助和接觸廣大民工。

星期三
在2006年，中國70個大、中城市的房屋售價平均漲幅高達5.5%。但在2007年第一季，這些城市與去年相比，又上漲了5.9%。北京、廣州、深圳等地區漲幅更高達10%。自己買房子，或為孩子買房子，現已成為信徒最關心的事情之一。但願神感動每一位弟兄姊妹，為教會-神的家裡的需要來代禱及奉獻。

星期四
南京社區舉辦了黨幹部的投票，這是否意味著中國政治的演變呢？擁有七千萬黨員的共產黨，是否先在黨內實行民主選舉？在家庭教會中，由會友投票作決定幾乎聞所未聞。但在溫州教會中有議員制度，會員能參與教會的決定。讓我們爲著中國教會能有合乎聖經的行政和管理架構來禱告。

星期五
生意人都知道，「在中國做生意，不官商結合很難做成。」中國教會的牧者領袖們在這樣的社會和政治環境下，也必須與當地公安保持良好的關係，以避免不必要的麻煩。我們祈求神讓信徒在當地執政掌權者眼中蒙恩，讓公安和官長們也能因著教會信徒的好見證，得識耶穌和福音。

星期六
「廣深鐵路」只有147公里長，因為靠近香港，澳門、廣州、深圳四個大城市，成為中國鐵路最繁忙和最賺錢的重要運輸要道」。這四個城市也是教會及宣教的要津。所有內地的培訓，多少都要經過這四個城市。讓我們為今年下半年所有的聖經及神學培訓活動，並老師及學生的預備來代禱。

星期日
今年，中國鐵路第六次全面提速，火車從北京到上海的時間從原來的12小時，縮短到10小時。部份幹線旅客列車的最高速，增加到200公里。國內傳道人仍以火車為主要的交通工具，許多時間皆花在火車上。我們禱告所有信徒在外出時，都有主的保守，特別是購票和來回旅程能順利平安。也求主幫助他們勝過各樣的誘惑和試探，榮耀主名。

星期一
新加坡的醫療費用是美國的三分一或一半，卻有同等級的國際水準，成了東南亞、印尼地區許多華人就醫的首選。許多中國信徒和傳道人都無法負擔高昂的醫療費用。我們為所有信徒的醫療需要來禱告，尤其是那些患有長年疾病，以及患癌症需要巨額醫療費用的肢體，求主施恩憐恤，充分供應、幫助。