Prayer Requesr 4/15 -- 4/21

Tuesday
"The Remote Mountains" is a documentary film depicting the primitive working conditions of China's coal miners. There is an unwritten rule of compensation that the family will get 5,000 yuan ($700 US) if the worker dies on the job. Coal is the major source of energy in China but mining accidents continue to claim thousands of lives yearly. It is no wonder that miners have a fatalistic view of life so let us pray for opportunities for believers to share the gospel with them and their families.

Wednesday
The three most common Chinese surnames are Li, Wong, and Chang. Together they account for 22.4 percent of the population of China. In the North, Wang is most common, Chang leads in the South, and Li in the middle of China along the Yangtze River. Chinese people regard those who have the same last name as distant relatives and offer them a special friendship. As we pray for tens of thousands of church workers in China weekly, God knows each of them by name so let's not give up praying for each of them.

Thursday
It is estimated that by the end of 2007 there were 11.6 percent or 153 million people in China who were sixty years old or older. This brings a huge burden on the government for their retirement pay and medical care. It is an enormous challenge to care for those seniors who are childless and need assistance. Again, we uplift every elderly saint and put them into God's hands. May they have the joy of the Lord daily. We also remember those who continue to serve the Lord by teaching, visitation, caring for others, and sharing the gospel with their grandchildren.

Friday
The Silk Road was never a road, only a shifting network of routes which started in China and crises-crossed central Asia. It was named in the 19th century but it was not used for silk--only for iron, bronze, lacquer, and ceramics exported from China. The desire of Chinese missionaries to evangelize Muslims in Central Asia is not based on romanticism but it has encountered great difficulties in recent years. Let us continue to pray that the vision the Chinese church has to reach the Muslims, especially those who live in China, will expand.

Saturday
Shanghai is the perfect place for China's young fashion designers to ply their trade. It is far enough from Beijing and Hong Kong to have its own styles and creativity. Shanghai offers rich history and contemporary cultures and is close to factories in the Yangtze Delta. We thank the Lord the unprecedented prosperity in cities but we need to redouble our efforts and pray for urban Chinese believers that they will not be distracted by material wealth and lose their spiritual appetite.

Sunday
In an attempt to stem corruption among high officials, there are proposals to require Party members to make a public statement of their assets. It is highly unlikely that this will ever be made into law since paying and accepting brides is considered a necessity in doing business in China. There is a great temptation for all believers to compromise on Biblical ethics. There is also a general lacking of financial transparency and accountability in churches. Let us pray for godliness and integrity of all believers and especially church workers.

Monday
Traditional Chinese churches whether the Three-self or House Churches are not appealing to this new generation of Chinese Christian intellectuals. They have a unique educational and cultural background along with a particular need for discipleship. Churches that cater to these scholars are called "The Third Field". We thank the Lord for these new believers who are highly educated and thirst for the truth.

星期二
「遠山」是一部描述中國煤礦工人「原始時代」般工作環境的紀錄片。這些勞工並無合約，但有個不成文的規定：死於工作的礦工，其家庭將獲得5,000元(700美金)的慰問金。煤礦是中國主要的能源，但頻發的礦場意外每年奪取數千條人命，無怪乎礦工都相信宿命。讓我們為基督徒能夠有機會把福音帶給他們和他們的家人來禱告。

星期三
中國最普遍的姓氏要屬李、王、張。這三者就佔了中國人口的22.4%。其中王氏在北方最爲普遍，張和李分別在南部和中部楊子江流域各領風騷。中國人認爲同姓者五百年前是一家，因此會彼此特別關照。當我們每週為中國數以萬計無名的傳道人代禱時，神知道他們每一個人的名字。讓我們持續為神的僕人的需要禱告。

星期四
據估計，2007年底中國60歲以上老年人口已達到1.53億人，佔總人口的11.6%。快速的人口老化成爲中國很大的經濟負擔。照料高齡、空超、失能老人更是極大的挑戰。讓我們再次把所有老齡聖徒禱告，將他們交托神，祈願他們都能享受每日與主同在的喜樂，我們也要為那些持續透過教導、探訪和關懷，以及與兒孫分享福音，來服侍主的老人們禱告。

星期五
所謂「絲綢之路」其實並無其路，指的只是一個從中國啓程橫渡中亞移動的網絡。而且也並非專門運輸絲綢，而是向外輸出中國的銅、鉄、漆器和瓷器。浪漫的絲路名稱始於19世紀。現今宣教士向中亞的穆斯林宣教的意願絕非出於浪漫，回宣事工近年來更是艱鉅非常。讓我們繼續為中國教會向（特別是國內的）穆斯林族群宣教禱告。

星期六
上海市—與北京和香港的距離足以讓她有自己的風格和創意，兼具悠久的歷史和現代文化，又臨近長江三角洲的工業區，因而成爲中國年輕時裝設計師經營銷售產品的天堂。我們為這城市空前的繁榮感恩，但這也意味著我們更需加倍為中國的城市信徒守望代禱，求主保守他們靈裏的渴慕不被世俗的物質財富所填塞。

星期日
為取締高官貪汙行賄，有人倡議黨員必須公開他們的產業。但要在中國經商幾乎不得不行賄，因此這項建議不太可能定位成條例。所有信徒在持守聖經的道德標準時，總會面對極大的試探，教會的財政管理一般而言也缺乏透明度和責任感，讓我們禱告所有信徒，尤其是教會的同工，對神、對人都能夠堅守敬虔正直，聖潔無瑕。

星期一
高知識分子群體中的信徒們已漸形成一新類型的「福音禾場」。由於背景、文化水平及培訓策略等的差異，導致他們較難融入「家庭教會」和「三自教會」等傳統的中國教會體系，於是針對自己的需要，他們組成另一種城市裡新興的教會，稱之「第三工場」。感謝主興起這些渴慕主的知識分子信徒，也求主繼續擴張他們的境界。