Prayer Ruquest 12/9-12/15

Tuesday
There are now 70 million people of the "only child" generation in colleges or working in society in China. When they were surveyed, nearly half of the college students reported a lack of close friendships in spite of having a large social circle. Many feel the "only child" generation struggles with forming healthy relationships. We pray for all of the young and newly-converted believers, especially those in the urban churches. May the Holy Spirit transform their lives teaching them to be humble and not self-centered in their fellowship with other believers.

Wednesday
Shanxi province provides nearly 70% of the coal for China and nearly 40% of the electricity. About 3 million people work in coal mines and related industries there. The recent economic downturn has hit Shanxi hard and 100,000 miners have been laid off. Let us pray for the churches in Shanxi where many of their family members are miners. Some churches are vibrant but many do not have shepherds and have been badly hurt from attacks by cults in the past.

Thursday
In 2008 a total of 200 million Chinese people went online and of these, nearly ninety percent were under thirty-five years of age. About forty percent are 18-24 years old. The government has attempted to clean up online pornography but with little success. Nearly all parents complain that their children spend too much time playing online games. Let us pray for Christian parents who are concerned about their children' s internet and online pornography addiction.

Friday
The government has always kept the food prices artificially low with subsidies. The "Low Grain Price" policy has hurt the income of farmers but the government is now abandoning these subsidies and allowing regular market pricing for grains, thus increasing the farmers' income. Rural churches in China are known for their love for God in spite of their poverty. We pray for a more abundant growth and joy in the harvest.

Saturday
The population of China has jumped from less than one billion to 1.23 billion since the economic reform thirty years ago. In the meantime disposable income has shot up forty times to 13,786 yuan ($1970. US). Both of these situations contribute to the rapid rise of food prices there. For many churches, the giving of believers for ministry has not kept up with church growth. Let us pray for a generous and cheerful heart for all believers, even in the economic downturn.

Sunday
Yunnan. Guangxi, Henan, Xingjian and Guangdong are the Chinese provinces with the highest number of HIV patients. In Xingjian, one in a thousand people is infected and eighty-eight percent of the counties in China have reported cases of HIV. We put the churches of Xingjian into God's hand. There are many restrictions there particularly among the Muslims. We beseech the Lord for believers willing to share the Good News with those who are affected with HIV/AIDS.

Monday
There are four common causes for the spread of HIV in China: drug abuse, the constant movement of the population, unsafe sex, and a lack of knowledge about HIV. There is a tremendous amount of discrimination toward those affected with HIV and their families. There are churches formed by the HIV patients because they are not welcomed in regular churches. We pray for comfort and God's grace for all the sufferers.


星期二
目前中國已有7000萬獨生子女，進入社會工作或大專院校就讀。調查發現，在校大學生中，接近一半的獨生子女交友雖廣，可推心致腹的朋友卻寥寥可數。大部份人認為，獨生子女往往不曉得如何與人建立正常關係。讓我們為年輕新信徒，尤其城市教會內的年輕人禱告。願聖靈更新他們的生命，教導他們如何摒除自我中心，謙卑地與其他信徒相交。

星期三
山西省供應全國七成以上的煤焦炭和四成電力。從事煤礦廠業及相關工業約有三百萬人。近期國際金融風暴直擊山西，十萬煤礦工人頓時失業。 山西教會信徒家庭中有許多是礦工。雖然一些教會活力處處，但一般都缺少牧人照顧。過去異端襲擊教會，很多教會嚴重受創，讓我們為山西的信徒禱告，求主保守堅固他們的信心，也在經濟上供應充足。

星期四
2008年，中國網民總數已突破2億。其中接近九成為35歲以下的用戶，尤以18-24歲的用戶比例最高，達到總網民人數四成左右。政府雖嘗試打擊網上色情活動，可惜成效不大。大多數父母都抱怨子女過份沉迷網上遊戲。讓我們在禱告中記念這班為子女沉溺上網及網上色情活動而日夜操心的基督徒父母，能以有益身心靈健康的活動轉移子女的注意力。

星期五
中國一直奉行低糧價政策，為了穩定物價，政府實際補貼著消費者。然而，糧食價格持續偏低必然導致出現「穀賤傷農」現象，今年中國將告別「低糧價時代」，讓糧價自由反應實际的市埸機制，目的在增加農民的收入。過去中國農村教會信徒愛主的心志堅定，貧困不能移，是眾教會的最佳榜樣。我們向神祈求，讓他們加倍穫得增長和豐盛收割的喜悅。

星期六
中國改革開放30年，人口從9.6億升至13.2億。城鎮居民收入也從343人民幣上升到13,786人民幣($1970美元)，增加逾40倍。收入的提高使其糧食購買力增加，也是糧價上漲趨勢的動因。 在很多教會裏，信徒人數的增長往往與奉獻的數量不成正比。讓我們為所有信徒，即使在經濟衰退的大環境下，仍能懷著感恩之心，慷慨和樂意地奉獻來禱告。

星期日
中國感染艾滋病人數，名列前五位的省份是雲南、廣西、河南、新疆、廣東。其中感染率最高的是新疆，接近千分之一。新疆88%的縣區都有艾滋病患者。我們將新疆的教會和信徒們，仰望在神的手中。雖然他們面臨種種的限制，尤其是在穆斯林區域的事工，求神親自保守引領；也懇求神感動信徒願意向那些艾滋病毒感染群體，分享祂的好消息。

星期一
艾滋病在中國流行的因素主要有四個：吸毒，人口頻繁流動，不安全性行為及大眾缺乏艾滋病知識。對艾滋病知識的缺乏，造成一般民眾對艾滋病感染者和其家庭存有極大的歧視，艾滋病患是不受一般教會所歡迎和接納的。但是目前神也興起了由艾滋病患者組成的教會，讓我們為所有患者得蒙神的恩典及安慰來祈求，也求主装備衆信徒能在愛心、恩慈上更有智慧回應艾滋病患及其家庭的需要。