Prayer Request 6/17 - 6/23

Tuesday
Urumqi is emblematic of the challenges facing Beijing of ethnic conflicts. This city of three million remains on edge. The authorities fear revenge attacks by Han citizens and deploy heavy guards in front of Uighur schools and neighborhoods. We pray for peace in this troubled region, especially for the believers there. The Lord break down our prejudice and the wall of animosity which have hindered China churches from sharing the Gospel with Muslims for so long.
Wednesday
Urumqi is a booming city that is more than 75 percent Han, it is home to a large Uighur middle class that has mastered the Mandarin language and prospered by landing secure government jobs. We lift up our supplication for all Muslim converts living in the Western China where there are large population of ethnic minorities. God give them peace and endurance as they face many difficulties and even threat of death.
Thursday
Just south of the ritzy area near the People’s Square in Urumqi, thousands of poor Uighurs, mostly rural migrants, live in ramshackle tenements. Most are young men from the Uighur heartland in the south, with little skills and speak only Uyghur. We pray for wisdom for local authorities in managing ethnic tension and preventing conflicts. We pray specially for the Han Christians there, through their good testimony, they will be true peacemaker.
Friday
For Chinese believers, they find it difficult to reach out to Chinese Muslims, partly because difference in culture and languages, and the long history of mutual distrust. They are more willing to evangelize to Buddhists or Taoist. We pray none of us will have the resistant attitude of prophet Jonah refusing to share Jesus with certain ethnic group because of our ethnic pride. May the Lord soften our hearts and stir our passion to share the Gospel.
Saturday
In the past, Hong Kong churches took it upon themselves as mission to China churches, in providing financial assistance or pastor training, they did contribute greatly and achieved much, but many China churches are very self-sufficient in many aspects. In the past decade, some Hong Kong churches have stopped their supporting China churches, although there are still some people serving inside China but that number is dwindling fast. We pray for more younger leaders and workers with passion and burden for church works in China.
Sunday
A record 40.7 million mainland Chinese crossed the border to Hong Kong last year. That is up 16.7 percent from the previous year, and nearly ten times the 2001 number. And it means Hong Kong remains by far the most popular destination for Chinese travelers. Young people in Hong Kong have certain antagonism toward China, this is reflected in waning of China mission among Hong Kong churches. We praise God for the wonderful and exemplary mission work by them, may the Lord stir up their fervor for China once more.
Monday
Mainland Chinese go shop in Hong Kong mainly for daily use products, rather than just buying big-ticket or luxury items. Because of favorable exchange rate, clothing in Hong Kong is considered cheap and with great selection. As the political integration increases between the island and Mainland, so does the tension between the two. We pray for Hong Kong churches as in this transition of mission support for churches in the Mainland, the Lord raise up more pastors and young people who love the Lord and China churches.


星期二
烏魯木齊目前的局面突顯著北京在努力遏制種族衝突時所面臨的挑戰。這座有300萬人口的城市局勢緊張。由於害怕漢族報復性襲擊，當局在維族學校和社區出入口布下了嚴密的警戒。求主賜下平安，也感動漢族基督徒的心，拆毀成見和仇恨的牆，因為這座高牆已經多年攔阻教會向穆斯林分享福音。
星期三
烏魯木齊市近年來呈現出一派繁榮景象，漢族人口比例超過75%，同時維吾爾族中產階級也在在這占多數。這些維族人掌握了普通話，因為獲得了穩定的政府工作而取得了成功。願主施恩與脫離接受耶穌的維族人，幫助他們面對各種艱難困苦，甚至遭死亡威脅的時候，求主賜屬天的平安與堅忍給他們。
星期四
就在烏魯木齊市繁榮的「人民廣場」南面，數以千計的貧窮維族人擠在破敗的廉價公寓裡，其中許多人是民工。不少是來自南疆維族腹地的年輕小伙子。他們沒有賴以謀生的專業技能，且不諳普通話只會說維語。求主賜給當地官員智慧，避免種族之間的不合與衝突，特別為漢人基督徒禱告。求主幫助他們在穆斯林當中，有美好的見證，成為使人真正和睦的神國大使。
星期五
由於根深蒂固的成見和文化、語言的差異，向穆斯林傳福音的漢人很少有成功的案例。信徒一般認為向佛教徒或道教徒會多容易一些。求主挪去我們自義的優越感，不像先知約拿般去拒絕對尼尼微城的居民傳講神的救恩。但願神軟化我們的心，挑旺我們應該向「地極」和「萬民」傳福音的熱忱。
星期六
過去諸如財力和培訓等方面的資源，香港教會曾視為上帝所託付的「使命」，並竭力作出貢獻；但現今中國教會已能在不少方面自立。雖然現時仍有熱心於中國事工的前線人員，但好些香港教會在財務上的支援幾乎停止，求主不斷興起關心內地的年輕弟兄姊妹，也賜給教會繼續對內地的福音事工有負擔。
星期日
香港是中國旅客最多的國家，跨界到香港的中國旅客人數去年創下新紀錄，達到4070萬人，比上一年增長16.7%，是2001年旅港人數的近10倍。新一代的香港年輕人對大陸人有抗拒心理，很明顯地，香港教會的中國事工潮亦已褪去。我們為香過去港教會宣教的熱忱與投入感恩，他們是華人教會的榜樣，求主再次挑旺普世的教會對支持中國教會的熱忱。
星期一
很多中國遊客來香港主要是為購物（日常用品和沐浴用品），不僅購買昂貴的奢侈品，一般性用品也是目標選項。因人民幣匯率持續攀升，香港的衣服、食物與日用品相對地更便宜，且選擇更多。香港的中國教會事工出現青黃不接的現象，中港來往越來越緊密之際，社會產生的張力亦越見嚴重。願神興起更多愛主、對內地教會有負擔的傳道人及年輕愛主的信徒。