Tuesday, March 04, 2014

Prayer Request 3/4 - 3/10

TuesdayChina’s new high-speed trains first started five years ago, now practically every train is sold out, with trains leaving for cities all over the country every several minutes. There is always a long lines snake back from ticket windows. We praise God for the sprouting up of new churches in large and midsize cities, currently, a church of less than 150 is tolerated by officials. So, we pray for protection for all these churches, so they will be bold in sharing their faith and lead them to Jesus.
Wednesday
The high-speed rail system carries nearly twice as many passengers each month as the country’s domestic airlines and increases 28% a year. A 430-mile trip from Guangzhou to Changsha, took a full day by regular trains, now takes only 2 hours 20 minutes. Young people, well-educated and professionals are flocking to churches in the cities. We pray for spiritual growth for these "cream of the crops", so they would used mightily by the Lord, serving with humility and exercise their spiritual gift.
Thursday
As a hundred cities are connected by the high-speed rail system, efficiency of workers grew. And, companies find themselves within a couple of hours’ train ride, there are now tens of millions of potential customers, employees and rivals. We thank the Lord for His grace for the red hot growth among all the college ministries. We pray that these college fellowship will connect with local churches, so new believers are plug into serving in churches and many will answer the call to serve the Lord full time.
Friday
Companies usually open research and development centers in more glamorous cities like Beijing and Shenzhen with abundant young, highly educated workers, but use them to take frequent day trips to factories in cities with lower wages and land costs, like Tianjin and Changsha. More colleges graduates are able to find work in the cities they graduate without moving to bigger cities. This allows better follow up of graduates in the college ministries too. We pray that young believers will continue to attend church and grow in Christ.
Saturday
Some Christian couples live apart—one in one city and the other in a different city. Some husbands work in cities while their families remain in the villages. While these things are not ideal and weaken the marriages, this kind of arrangement is quite common in the rural churches of China. We pray for the strengthening of the marriages of all believers and that the Lord will guard the hearts and thoughts of all of us. May the Holy Spirit empower us so we will not be tempted. We pray for the parent-child relationship in these “separated families”.
Sunday
Historically, in the churches in China women are in the majority and many of them are married to unbelieving husbands. Many of the sisters are single and looking for mates. They are pressured to marry unbelievers and many succumb experiencing more problems after marriage. We beseech God to have mercy on those sisters who are married to unbelievers and face opposition, even persecution. Unfortunately, some have totally given up attending church. May the Lord help them and protect their desire to serve Him.
Monday
Many women become Christians after they are married. They experience much pressure from their unbelieving husbands. Some husbands even go to church but demand their wives stay at home rather than going with them. Let us pray for these sisters that the Lord will give them comfort from above. We pray that the difference in their value systems will not be an obstacle or a source of misery but rather, a great opportunity to live out God’s love.

星期二
高鐵系統投入使用僅僅五年,儘管開往全國各城市的火車每隔幾分鐘就有一班,現在幾乎每列火車都是客滿。售票窗口總是排有很長的長龍。感謝神在中國各大、中城市帶領教會如雨後春筍般的增長,目前100~150人的聚會已不難見。我們特別為城市中的的教會禱告,求主保守、使用他們大膽地廣傳福音領人歸主。
星期三
高鐵旅客量已是航空業的兩倍,並且每年增長達28%。 從廣州到430英里外(約合690公里)的長沙,傳統火車需要坐一整天, 高鐵現在只需2小時20分鐘。中大城市中的教會增多了,成員也多為知識份子、青年、青年家庭,都是社會精英。我們為這些新信徒靈命長進祈求,願他們被主大大得著,有謙卑服事的心智,靠者主發揮恩賜。
星期四
超過100座城市因為高鐵網絡更緊密的連接在一起,無疑地提高了效能。企業在只有幾個小時的車程範圍內,增加了數以千萬計的潛在消費者、僱員和競爭對手。感謝神! 近來大學生歸主是最火紅的事工,這是神特別的恩典。我們禱告各地大學生事工能與當地教會配搭,不僅僅是團契,更是能建立學生為主體的教會,並能回應神的選召跟隨主。
星期五
大企業通常在北京、深圳等繁華的城市設立研發中心,因為該地受高等教育的年輕人多,然後讓他們頻繁地出差往返建在薪資和土地成本較低城市的工廠,如天津和長沙。更多的大學生畢業在當地就能找到工作,不必為工作搬移到大城市。這對校園事工和畢業生的跟進大有幫助,我們為剛信主的畢業生能快快與教會鏈接,繼續在基督裡成長來禱告。
星期六
有些信徒夫婦為了謀生,分隔兩地工作,弟兄到城市工作,把妻子及家人留在家鄉。夫婦長期分隔兩地,容易造成婚姻問題,這種情況在鄉鎮教會更是常見。我們來為弟兄姊妹的婚姻、家人關係禱告,求神憐憫加添他們力量,保守他們的心懷意念,緊緊抓住神的應許,靠著聖靈所賜的力量,勝過引誘試探。也特別為他們的親子關係禱告,雖然分處異地,但靠主卻一家人心緊密相連。
星期日
教會女多男少,許多姊妹到了適婚年齡仍未有結婚的對象。有些姊妹在等候神帶領的同時,承受很大的家庭和社會壓力;有些姊妹則礙於家人的壓力而被逼嫁給未信者,婚後面對更大的困境。我們為面對不信的丈夫及夫家,受到極大考驗的家庭禱告,有些姊妹因堅持信仰而被「逼迫」;有些姊妹卻「回到世界去」,求主幫助、保守她們跟隨主、服事主的信心堅定。
星期一
婚後才信主的姊妹要面對未信主的丈夫,會有頗大的壓力。有些未信的丈夫甚至會跑到妻子的教會吵鬧,要求妻子待在家裡,不要經常往教會跑。我們為這些姊妹祈求,願主親自安慰、幫助她們。也求主幫助信仰步伐不一致的夫妻,不要灰心氣餒,儘管有不少矛盾,但也是活出主愛的良機,也都有主恩典滿滿的手牽引和加力。

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