Prayer Request 2/23 - 3/1

Tuesday
This year many young people have chosen to spend their Spring Festival at home. Instead of the traditional personal New Year greeting they use the internet, SMS, or make a phone call. Couples, especially, like to stay at home. Many literally spend the whole holiday playing mahjong and few people venture out on the streets. Many churches hold their annual evangelistic meeting during the Spring Festival time. We thank the Lord for all of these efforts and pray that the Holy Spirit will cause all the seeds that are sown to grow. May the Lord grant these churches the growth they desire.

Wednesday
Experts say the chief reason for China's high rate of saving is the imbalance in the ratio of males and females. With more boys than girls being born, parents of boys tend to save more to make their son more competitive in the marriage market. Finding a Christian mate is not easy for believers in China. As a result, many parents are not able to "insist" that their children marry within the faith fearing they will be single for life. We pray that all Christian parents would not only pray but also trust God to provide the right companion for their only child.

Thursday
This year there will be 6.3 million college graduates looking for work compared with the 190,000 in 2009. From now until June is the season for fierce and stressful competition in job hunting in China. Let us pray for Christian college students as they start to search for employment. May the Lord give them peace and confidence that He will provide for them. We pray, too, that those who lead them in college ministries will equip them well in their faith during these last six months before they leave the campus setting.

Friday
The president of Taiwan praised the Buddhist charity groups for doing a better job than the government itself by being willing to get involved socially. These charities movilize a large army of volunteers complete with well-publicized strategies that runs as efficiently as enterprises. Many churches are involved with relief and community-based work without getting much publicity. We pray that all churches will be light and salt in the community. We pray, too, that believers will not be discouraged in doing good deeds in the name of Jesus. And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up （Gal 6:9 ）.

Saturday
It is estimated that by 2012 the number of wealthy Chinese should reach 1.3 million and that 92.6 percent of them will spend up to $10,000 USD yearly on family recreation or entertainment. The top favorite destinations are Hong Kong, Macao, Thailand, Singapore, and Japan (in this descending order). Many have observed that urban churches in China are now materially rich but spiritually lukewarm like the Laodicea church in the book of Revelation. We pray for God's mercy in helping us all to see our own spiritual destitution and the desperate need to evangelize. We all need to return to our first love and regain our passion for evangelism.

Sunday
"Meeting enemies opens old wounds." is a phrase commonly used by Chinese people. Putting it bluntly, Chinese are taught that they must avenge their enemies before they die no matter how long it takes. There is a saying, "Ten years is not long for a gentleman to get revenge." As long as vengeance is on one's mind, one can take as much time as is necessary to get it done right. It is hard for Chinese people to truly forgive others. Culturally, it is shameful to let the enemy, the person who hurt us, get away without punishment. May the Lord grant us mercy and help each believer to understand that God forgives us as we forgive our debtors.

Monday
Workers returned to Guangdong early because they were worried about not being able to get train tickets after the Lunar New Year. Some have found better-paying factory jobs in the Zhejiang province and not going back to Guangdong. Factory owners have resorted to withholding salaries or giving bonuses to entice their workers to return. We pray for all those believers who are separated from their families because of work. May the Lord give them a great desire to walk closely with Jesus even when they are away from their home and church. We also pray that they will keep their relationships with their children strong.


星期二
越來越多的年輕人過年不出門，選擇「宅居」在家，透過網路、簡訊、電話拜年，甚至剛結婚的也變成「雙宅夫妻」。不少人的春節就是上麻將桌不想下來，社區幾乎看不到幾個人。許多教會在春節期間舉行了佈道與人分享耶穌的救恩。我們為此感謝上帝，願聖靈繼續動工讓褔音種子能茁壯成長。也願神使教會親嘗自己勞苦果效的甘甜。

星期三
中國高儲蓄率的主要原因，專家指出是因男女比例嚴重失衡所造成。男女比例失衡導致婚姻市場的競爭壓力升高，迫使男方的父母增加儲蓄，提高競爭實力。中國信徒要找個基督徒伴侶並不容易。許多父母深怕子女要一輩子獨身，已不再堅持兒女一定要找到相同信仰的人結婚，讓我們禱告父母們不止為獨生子女的婚姻仰望主，能信靠主會為他們孩子預備合適的另一半。

星期四
2010年全國高校畢業生為630萬人，比去年多19萬人，因著經濟不景氣就業形勢非常嚴峻。春節後至6月將持續出現畢業生求職高峰，人才市場上的就業壓力會更大。我們為求職在即的大學生禱告，願上帝賜他們平安信心，相信神能豐富預備。也為那些主領校園事工的領袖禱告，願神使他們能在大學生畢業前的半年，盡最後努力建造好他們信仰的根基。

星期五
台灣總統大力讚揚佛教團體「很多工作做得比政府還好」，具有「入世性」行動、「志工化」體制，還訂定「策略」，徹底執行。台灣宗教團體的運作其實很「企業化」。相對的很多教會雖大力參與救援及社區慈善工作，卻沒有獲得廣泛報導。讓我們禱告教會都能在社區作鹽作光，信徒奉耶穌的名行善時，能堅持「我們行善，不可喪志；若不灰心，到了時候就要收成。」 (加拉太 6:9 ）

星期六
預計2012年中國富裕人口將增約500萬，達1370萬人。有92.6%的富裕家庭其休閑和娛樂方面的花費高達1萬美元。最大的消費項目是旅遊，而香港仍是首選，其次?澳門、泰國、新加坡及日本。 富裕的城市教會一旦習於處在不冷不熱的溫吞水狀態，難免同樣受到主對老底嘉教會的責備，尤其是失去了當初愛主及傳福音的熱心。求助憐憫人們靈性貧窮，需要主耶穌的救恩，也幫助我們更能看到自己的責任。

星期日
諺語「仇人相見，分外眼紅」，個人存「報仇心切」的心態是合理的。「大仇未報，不敢言死」甚至連生存的義意都是為了報仇。「君子報仇，十年不晚」更具體說明只要有仇待報，「君子」允許在時間上長期準備，還默許不擇手段。要中國人真正饒恕得罪自己的人，實在很難。讓仇敵逍遙法外、讓作惡傷害我們的人免除懲罰，在文化上，這是恥辱。願上帝憐憫、幫助每個信徒真正明白神捨己救贖的大愛，何謂「免我們的債，如同我們饒恕欠我們債的人」。

星期一
返鄉過年的民工擔心節後一票難求，許多紛紛選擇提前返回廣東。不少人移轉浙江打工，找到福利、待遇均比東莞好的工作。老板們為了讓工人節後準時回來上班，有的強行扣工資，有的加發開工利市。 我們記念所有因工作與家人分離的信徒，求主保守他們雖遠離家和教會，仍然緊緊跟隨著主。也為他們能保持與家人，尤其跟孩子有良好的親子關係來代禱。