Prayer Request 8/24 - 8/30

Tuesday
China is the only place in the world that has independent mosques for women along with their own ahong, or imam who leads prayers and teaches the Quran to them. Older ladies report, however, that the low pay and few economic opportunities which this profession offers mean that not many women are drawn to it. Churches in China also have a large number of female pastors. We remember their labor and faithful dedication to God and His people. May the Lord grant them strength to serve, courage to preach the word and may He bless their spouses and their children.
Wednesday
Many overseas Chinese who wish to donate support to their hometown in China often encounter the problem of finding a trustworthy person to receive and use the money properly. They frequently find that the funds were mishandled. Recently officials have revealed scandals involved in the funds sent for earthquake relief. Unfortunately, it is difficult to find people who are truly accountable for the money meant for church ministries. We pray for people of integrity to manage monies that are sent for helping the churches. May the Lord guard our hearts from greed and keep us all from temptation on those lines.
Thursday
The government of China tries to clean up the vulgar, low-class, and sexy things which are so prevalent in all forms of media there now. One example is the media fixation on big-breasted foreign soccer fans and images of such women everywhere. Believers cannot possibly avoid all the tempting media but we do need to keep ourselves pure. We pray the Lord will keep us all of us from degrading thoughts and that our minds and bodies may be pure as we conform to the image of our Lord Jesus.
Friday
Officials in China have declared that in the coming fifteen to twenty years half of the apartment buildings in China will need to be torn down and re-built. China is the country in which there is the most construction in the world even though all of the buildings can be used for twenty-five to thirty years.This statistic helps us realize that within the next two decades, half of the urban churches in China will have to re-locate. Let us pray for the congregations facing this problem. May the Lord give them wisdom, a vision to broaden their scope of ministry, and a willingness to reach out to their neighbors.
Saturday
An official newspaper in China reports that only 8% of residents surveyed in the cities are satisfied with way their cities are planned. Many grumble about the tearing down of buildings to make way for new ones and 83.5% said that the city leaders are merely trying to make a name for themselves.Many churches in China face relocation and repair each year. Building a new church or remodeling the old buildings can be divisive for any congregation. We pray for unity in all of these churches and may their new buildings bring a new beginning to their churches.
Sunday
The number of Christians in China has grown but it varies by the regions. Almost a quarter of the populaton of Henan is reported to be Christian. Seventy-five percent of the believers in China are in seven provinces: Henan, Anhui, Yunnan, Shangdong, Fujian, Jiangsu,and Zhejian. We praise the Lord for adding to the numbers who are saved and we lift up the people in the churches in those seven provinces as we pray. We can think that the people in these places are much like those in the seven churches in Revelation and the Lord is pleased by our prayers for them.
Monday
Guangdong province has 7% of China's population but has relatively few Christians. In 1918, 18% of the believers in China were in Guangdong. Historically a majority of the believers have been in the costal provinces but now they are mostly inland. We pray for all the believers in Guangdong which has been called "the soil turned hard by prosperity". May the Spirit come in revival power on them. We also lift up the difficult but fruitful ministry of reaching young believers who go there for work from the inland provinces.

星期二
中國是世界上唯一有為女性提供獨立清真寺的國家，女阿訇（教長）負責帶領朝拜，教可蘭經。但年老的女阿訇們說，低薪和其他就業機會增多，使得願意在清真寺全職侍奉的女性越來越少了。中國教會也有許多女傳道。讓我們以禱告記念她們在主裏的勞苦及侍主愛人的忠心。求主賜她們服事的力量和傳講主道的勇氣，同時也賜福保守她們的家庭、配偶和小孩。
星期三
許多海外華人都曾有過類似感受：當他們想要回饋鄉梓時，往往遇到捐贈無門或是對所捐款項去向存疑等問題。近日中國審計署的報告就爆出青海玉樹地震的億元善款陷入匯繳爭議的事端。很遺憾，就連在教會也難找到可靠的人來託付用於事工的金錢。我們禱告教會中有誠信的理財者來掌管資助教會的贈款。也求主保守我們的心不陷入貪婪的誘惑，遠離試探。
星期四
中國政府極力清理新聞網路各樣媒體內容中的「三俗」，就是所謂的庸俗，低俗，媚俗。目前幾乎每個版面都有酥胸的照片。尤以世界足球杯後，更是熱衷乳房，「「乳神」已成性感、意淫的代名詞。基督徒不可能避得開所有誘惑性的媒介，然而我們要致力追求聖潔。求神保守我們身體和思想上的純潔，不產生低俗的意念，時時反映我們主耶穌基督榮美的形象。
星期五
「未來15年到20年內，中國城鎮現有住房約有一半需拆了重建」。官員曾有過類似表述：目前中國是世界上每年增蓋新建築物量最大的國家，但這些建築只能持續25至30年。這些數據讓我們意識到，未來二十年內，中國有半數的城市教會將須搬遷。我們為面臨此難處的信徒們禱告，求神賜下智慧和異象，為他們開拓更廣大的事工範圍和方向，並使信徒受催逼願關懷自己的鄰舍向他們傳揚福音。
星期六
據官方報紙調查顯示，僅8%的中國人對所在地的城市規劃表示滿意。更多人抱怨城市建築「短命」的主因就是不合理的拆遷。有83.5%的人認為「地方領導片面追求個人形象和政績」。中國每年都有許多教會面臨被迫搬遷重建或重修的問題。無論是重建或整修舊教會建築，都難免令教會內部醞釀分裂情緒。讓我們為所有面對上述問題的教會禱告，求神賜下合一的靈，讓教會上下一心，同心展望教會新面貌會帶來新氣象，使事工發展更蓬勃。
星期日
整體基督徒人口雖大幅增長，但區域增長卻出現差異。河南基督徒人口佔全國基督徒人口百分之廿三，中國基督徒人口四分之三在河南，安徽，雲南，山東，福建，江蘇和浙江七省。我們要為中國得救人數不斷加添來贊美我們的主，並在禱告中記念這七省的教會和信徒，他們就像聖經啟示錄所說的七間教會，有各種的屬靈光景和需要。神會喜悅和垂聽我們為眾教會的禱告。
星期一
廣東省是中國的大省之一，但是基督徒人口遠遠落後，但回溯在1918年時，百分之十八的基督徒人口在廣東省。同樣有調查數據顯示，1918年基督徒人口集中在沿海各省份，反觀今日，基督徒人口以內陸省份佔最多。廣東省堪稱「繁華之下的福音硬土」」，我們要為當地的信徒禱告，求聖靈使他們靈裏蘇醒，得著復興的能力。求主為艱難而影響深遠的年輕人事工加力，使來自內陸年輕工人亦能夠得到全備的牧養。