Prayer Request 9/23 - 9/29

TuesdayIn the coming years the phenomenon of ghost towns in China will be even more scary than in the past, especially in the smaller cities in the remote areas. A ghost town is a completely built ​ community which lacks residents or buyers. The vacancies have been created by excess investment in real estate, especially in China’s third-tier cities. Many Christians are worried about the cost of living and not having enough money when illness hits, the stock market goes down, or home prices become stagnant. We pray for peace and joy from God as we all learn to fix our eyes on the Heavenly Father Who provides everything we need.
Wednesday
​Third-tier cities such as Tangshan and Wenzhou have a high rate of vacancy (about 16%) while in Beijing and Shanghai​, it is only at 10%. Nanjing, Chongqing and Shenyang are considered second-tier cities with an average rate of vacancy at about 13%. Due to over-investment these rates are expected to rise still higher. In China, it is hard to resist buying a second home for investment so many believers are saddled with mortgage payments. May the Lord help us each to be a good and faithful steward of what He gives us. We need to trust God to provide and then we do not have to worry.
Thursday
Suicide​ is the leading cause of death in people 15-34 years old in China. About 250,000 die yearly from suicide and the rate is higher in rural areas but the government is very reluctant to disclose any specific figures regarding suicides among adolescents. Unfortunately, most churches lose their young people because the youth are busy with school or their parents stop insisting that they attend church. We pray for wisdom and faith in God for Christian parents that they will remember "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom".
Friday
​It​ is still considered taboo to talk about suicide among youth in China. Of the seventy-nine cases of suicide among students in 2013, nearly all in elementary school occurred after the child had a quarrel with the teacher. In high school, the suicides were mostly related to examinations. Parents put a great deal of pressure on their children to get high grades. We pray that Christian parents will have wisdom to rear not only good but godly children and that they will not feel frustrated and like they are failures if their children do not do well academically.
Saturday
Recently many of the churches in Wenzhou have faced the demolishing of their church buildings that had not been built according to code.​ On some they have removed the crosses and others still face these things. Let us pray for the leaders of the churches in Wenzhou and ask the Lord to give them wisdom to know how to deal with these rashes of demolition even while they are in a series of meetings and negotiations trying to find solutions to stave off the demolitions.
Sunday
​In China, many church workers believe that since the cross is the symbol of Christianity, we must not allow officials to demolish it.​ Others believe that the church building is not the church per se so they can accept the demolitions as long as the church is allowed to continue to function as a body. Let us pray for the development of all the house churches in China and for an even stronger faith in the Lord as well as unity for the entire church as they face increasing restrictions and attacks.
Monday
​The government of China requires every university to establish a monitoring system to take swift measures to curb "negative speech" online or other dangerous tendencies among the students, including their​ calls to have outdoor gatherings. Christian gatherings of college students are often monitored closely and faculty leaders are admonished not to participate or risk losing their jobs. We pray for the growth and safety of both students and leaders in all of the Bible study groups near college campuses.

星期二
鬼城是指蓋好的社區，卻賣不出去或是沒有買主搬進。三、四線城市住宅嚴重過剩，多餘的空置住宅表明房地產投資過度未來幾年，中國的鬼城，尤其在是更小、更偏遠地方會更普遍。 不少信徒天天為生活費用高漲，不夠錢養病，股市與房價低靡而擔憂。 我們禱告求神幫助我們有來自祂的平安和喜樂，學習信靠神的信實，定在天父會供應我們的需要。
星期三
北京和上海的空置率約在10%，南京、重慶和瀋陽這樣的二線城市的空置率為13%，三線城市房屋空置率更高，平均達到16%。由於過度投資，這一比例還在不斷上升。看著房價大漲，人們總會有多購屋投資的念頭，因此許多信徒都要背負銀行貸款的壓力。願主幫助我們都成為神良善又忠心的管家，能善用時間、精力與金錢專注在永恒的事上。我們相信神的祝福必不加上憂慮。
星期四
自殺在中國已是導致15至34歲群體的人的第一大死亡原因。中國每年約有25萬死於自殺，農村自殺率之高尤為突出，政府通常不披露青少年自殺案件的具體數字。非常可惜的是，信徒的孩子一旦進了初中就停止上教會。因為他們忙著課業學習，家長也擔心孩子趕不上，就不再堅持他們參加聚會。願主幫助我們對祂有信心，真知道「敬畏耶和華是智慧的開端。」先求神的國與義，青年人一生蒙保守與引領。
星期五
中國青少年自殺問題通常是一個禁忌話題。2013年共有79起中小學學生自殺，幾乎所有案件多發生在青少年與老師發生爭吵，或面臨中考或高考壓力。為了有好成績，家長確實給孩子不少壓力。我們為基督徒父母，有智慧養育不單單是聽話的孩子，更是敬虔的子女來禱告。同時，求主幫助信徒家長不因子女成績不夠好，而感到沮喪或是覺得失敗，深信造他們的主，對每個人都有獨特的美好計劃。
星期六
近來溫州教會所面對的政府拆教堂(都有違章的建築）和十字架的壓力並未減少。原來不受影響的地區也陸續收到拆十字架的告示，不僅要求清拆違章建築的，也包括十字架 。繼續為教會領袖禱告，求神給他們智慧，明白如何面對壓力，在一系列的會議及協商中能找到合神心意的方案。
星期日
不少同工認為，十字架是基督教的象徵，要堅持到底不能拆除。也有同工認為教堂建築並不是教會，若要強拆也得無可奈何地接受，只要教會能繼續現有的活動空間便可以了。求主保守中國教會的發展，縱然受到衝擊，也有堅固的信心及合一的團隊繼續面對挑戰。
星期一
中國大學都必需建立24小時輿情報送制度，以對「負面言論」儘早採取措施，禁止學生煽動性的言論或通知戶外聚集。大學生團契近來也面臨更多的監視，不少參與帶領的教職員也受到警告，甚至不續聘的威脅。我們為大學學生事工的成長和帶領人的靈命祈求，願神賜給他們多有收割和膽量將福音傳播出去。