Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Prayer Request 1/29 - 2/4


Tuesday
As early as 2009 there were 100 million cases of mental illness of varying degrees in China and sixteen million of them were severe. That means that one out of thirteen people in China has mental illness. The label “Mentally ill” is a unique phenomenon in China and actually inflates the true number of mental cases. In every church there are a few cases but no one really knows how to help them or deal with them. It is rather shameful for the family also. We ask the Lord for believers who are willing to reach out and help. Let us pray for those who suffer from this problem and their families.
Wednesday
In China many are labeled as “Mentally ill” not by doctors but merely because they have been seeking reprieve for injustice. Once they have been so labeled, they are locked up and receive long term treatment against their will. Let us pray for all the believers who care for family members with mental illness, mental retardation, and other handicaps. Unfortunately, these people are not accepted or even welcomed in churches. May each of us appreciate the heart of Jesus even more than we have before.
Thursday
The severity of mental health problems in China is particularly acute. Mental illness ranks first in the total burden of all illnesses and accounts for twenty percent of the total public expenditures for illness. About sixteen million Chinese have been diagnosed with severe mental illness at the present time.The lack of access to medical help for patients with mental illness is a huge problem, especially in rural areas. It also seems that poverty and mental illness go together. May the Lord have mercy and grant healing as well as helping others to share the love of Jesus with them.
Friday
There are one hundred million people in China who have mental illness of varying degrees but fewer than half of the people there have a basic awareness of mental illness and even fewer people get the medical care needed. China lacks the infrastructure and personnel to care for mental illness since there is only one psychologist for every 100,000 people. The majority of pastors in China do not have any training to know how to help their flocks with emotional or psychological issues. We ask the Lord to give each of the shepherds who must care for those who suffer depression (a very common illness) wisdom and compassion.
Saturday
At the present time China really lacks medical care and management for all of her mentally ill patients. Most of the cases of mental disorders are still in the “Laissez-faire” state and it is nearly impossible to prevent them from injuring themselves, committing suicide, murder, assault, or running into other unforeseen circumstances. Family members of those who have mental illness feel they are helpless and that no one really cares about them. We pray that churches will be the first to be sensitive to those who are ill mentally and not despise them but be willing to help the families who struggle with caring for those who are mentally ill.
Sunday
Even among those who have found work in China, job satisfaction is low with about two-thirds of 2011 graduates saying they have worked at least one to two different jobs since they graduated. Job-hopping is common and only 1.6 percent of the university graduates were satisfied with their jobs. There are always believers who change churches because they are not happy with the teaching or the fellowship. This has become even more common now in China. We pray for spiritual growth for all who have not been able to stay long, get involved, or stay committed in a church.
Monday
Since the price of property has become so high, owning a home is increasingly more difficult and more than seventy percent of college students in China now feel as if they belong to the “lower” or “lower-middle” class of people. It is sad that young people feel they belong to the lower classes but even in their churches many of them feel the same way because they have little “say” in the churches or their needs are not really met. We pray again that churches will reach out and embrace young people, value their presence and their input.
星期二
在中國被視為患有精神病的人數,早在2009 已超過1億,其中列為重度精神病患者至少有1,600萬人。以此類推,每13個中國人就有一個是精神病人。「精神病」在中國是個特殊的現象,精神病人數有被浮報的情形。每個教會總會有幾位精神病患,但卻沒有人真正知道該如何去幫助他們,甚至把他們當瘋子看待。讓我們為那些有精神病的信徒代求,更紀念他們的家人,願主的憐憫、醫治臨到他們。
星期三
在中國對於「精神病人」的認定,長期以來都沒有一個明確的說法,以至於許多地方以「精神病人」為幌子,把一些上訪人士,冤假錯案的受害者當成「精神病人」,長期關押強迫治療家中有精神病,智力低下或心靈障礙的信徒都需要我們的代禱。可惜的是,他們常常不被接納,甚至在聚會中亦不受歡迎,求主賜給我們都能有耶穌慈悲愛人的心腸,成為神愛和恩典的管道及合用的器皿,去彰顯福音的大能。
星期四
精神衛生問題的嚴重性在中國十分突出。 精神疾病在中國疾病總負擔中排名居首位,約佔疾病總負擔的20%,其中有嚴重精神障礙患者約1600萬人。精神病患者得不著醫療幫助是一個龐大的問題,特別是在農村地區。精神病與貧窮似乎共生存在著。我們祈求神的憐憫與醫治臨到這些病患和他們的家人,也希望有更多基督徒與他們分享耶穌的愛。
星期五
中國各類精神疾病患者人數超過1億,但民眾對精神疾病的認知率不足5成,就診率更低。現有的防治體系十分薄弱,專業機構及人員也嚴重匱乏。平均每10萬人中才有1位精神科醫師。絕大多數的傳道人對精神病一知半解,也缺乏適當處理情緒或心理問題的訓練及裝備。現今教會中信徒有抑鬱症並非少數,我們求主賜給牧者能有智慧與愛心來關心幫助這些信徒的需要。
星期六
中國官方當前對於精神病患的救助、管理機制存在嚴重的缺失。大多數精神障礙患者仍處於「放任」狀態,個別患者出現自戕、自殺、殺人、傷人等意外情況更是難以防範。家中有精神病患很是無奈,因為很難解釋清楚,也沒有人能真正了解、幫助他們。讓我們來為教會能去關心這些家庭來祈求神,願弟兄姐妹們,對他們不是避而遠之,也不是看輕他們,而是因著神的愛來關懷、代禱、援助這些精神病人及其家庭。
星期日
對許多八十後、九十後的畢業生來說,頻繁跳槽只是家常便飯。在2011年畢業的本科生中,超過六成已換過一至兩次工作。只有1.6%的大學畢業生,滿意自己的就業情況。總會有部份信徒對自己教會的教導不滿意或覺得弟兄姊妹不夠屬靈,需要改革,再不然就是頻頻轉去別處聚會。我們要為這些信徒靈命的成長禱告,求主幫助他們學習與主同心,更多為神的家禱告和守望,並且能委身投入事奉,好讓自己能首先成為神賜福的管道。
星期一
目前中國有許多大學生都買不起房子,對自身社會、經濟地位的評價正不斷降低。約有七成的大學生認為自己是屬於社會的下層中下層。許多教會中的年輕人也有類同的感受,覺得自己不被重視,沒有參與及發表的機會,甚至認為教會不能滿足他們的需要。求主恩待眾教會,能更倚靠神的智慧和旨意來接納、牧養年輕的一代,聆聽並珍惜他們的意見,幫助他們專心尋求神的旨意,堅定的走屬靈的道路。

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