Prayer Request 10/14 - 10/20

TuesdayAlthough the general population of China has many more males than females, the situation in churches there is the opposite with over sixty percent of the members being women while among all believers, women comprise more than eighty percent of the church. This imbalance between men and women in the churches in China is alarmingly high and many of the sisters find it difficult to get a mate of the same faith. Let us pray for godly spouses for the sisters and all who want to know God's will for their lives and even those who need to know how to enjoy being single.
Wednesday
​In China there is a saying, "Marrying early is more important than marrying well". It is difficult for sisters who are over thirty​ to find a husband. Those who married unbelievers. even if they have persisted in their faith, still face many tough issues in marriage. Frustration and conflicts persist in these unevenly yoked marriages and it is even worse when children are involved because of the serious differences in the value system of the parents. We pray for single sisters in China that they will wait patiently for God's choice of a spouse for them.
Thursday
According to official claims,​ over sixty million children are left with grandparents while the parents go to work in the cities the year around, returning home only once or twice a year. The grandparents then bear the responsibility of rearing and educating the children. We pray that rural churches will see this great need to help with the education of this group of "left-behind" children. We know that rural churches lack resources and manpower but pray they will not miss out on this great ministry opportunity to reach these "left-behind" children and will teach them about Jesus.
Friday
The "left-behind"​ children in China have no parental supervision and they do not like to stay at home so they invariably mix with other children who have no parents and they all become delinquents. These children know little about protecting themselves or personal safety so they are often victims of abuse. We pray for those who serve as teachers in the Sunday schools of rural churches. May they have a burden for these children who have no parents with them in the village, and may they teach them about Jesus' love and show them that God has a purpose for them in their lives.
Saturday
Churches in Jiangsu and Zhejiang are deeply influenced by those in Shanghai and are usually organized as regional federations because their members are well educated so they will not tolerate the dictatorial leadership style of those lead in team fashion. Churches in China need a new generation of godly leaders with a vision of how churches should engage their communities as well as a great passion for evangelism. We pray that older leaders will intentionally train those​ who are younger.
Sunday
Many of the core workers In the rural churches of China have gone to the city for work and found they could no longer accept the dictatorial style of leadership in the team-led churches. Team-led churches are more likely to become extreme or even heretical in their teachings and are very unpopular in the big cities.​ We pray for churches rooted in Biblical truth, along with believers who are mature and able to discern between the work of men and that of God. May the Lord have mercy on the churches in China so they will be able to survive the vicious attacks of the cults.
Monday
China has experienced an unprecedented migration of people to three regions.​ First, millions of former farmers moved to Beijing and Tianjing. The next move was to Shanghai, the center of the Yangtze River delta and the third was to Guangzhou, the center of the Pearl River delta. Let us pray for pastors and especially for the seemingly countless seminaries in these three regions, whether open or "underground" training centers and programs, whether long term or short term. May the Lord provide workers to fill the need since there is a very great shortage of workers.

星期二
雖然中國人口男多女少，但教會內卻相反，姊妹比例往往超過六成，有些地區教會甚至超過八成 。教會男女比例嚴重失衡，已亮起警訊，因為許多姊妹在教會裡不易找到同奔天路的婚配對象。讓我們來為內地教會的姊妹們祈禱，求主為她們預備合適的配偶，也幫助願意順服神旨意，引領她們一生道路的姊妹，懂得享受單身時的日子。
星期三
中國有句話：「嫁得好，不如嫁得早」。在教會裡年過三十的姊妹更難找對象，致於有些姊妹與不信的人結婚， 即使自己在信仰上能堅持，在生活上也會面對不少的困難。由於彼此價值觀的差異會引發許多的衝突 ，這種無奈和矛盾在婚後處理金錢，家人關係和育兒時更顯嚴重。除非伴侶歸主或姊妹妥協，否則會成為婚姻出現危機的隱患。我們為單身姊妹禱告，求主堅立她們的信心，耐心等候主的預備！
星期四
根據官方資料估計，農村留守兒童數量超過六千萬。這群兒童的父母長期在外工作，一年只有在過節時才回家，所以照顧的責任完全交由祖父母輩。這些兒童大多未曾到過教會。求主感動農村教會，能看到廣大留守兒童的迫切需要，雖然當地資源薄弱，人手亦不足，但仍倚靠神的帶領，願意打開大門，為主接待這些小子們。
星期五
農村留守兒童長期缺乏父母照顧，因怕悶而不喜歡留在家中，常與其他留守兒童流連在外。他們缺少保護自己的意識，人身安全、性安全皆得不到正當的教導和保護，也常面臨被壞分子利用的危險。求主興起兒童主日學事工，讓教會的導師學習如何培育這群缺乏父母引導成長的孩童，使他們從小認識主，明白真理，不偏離主的道路，一生蒙福。
星期六
江浙一帶的教會深受上海影響，信徒的教育水平高，發展出地方性聯邦制雛形的「家庭教會」 十分普遍。在這些地區，不大可能產生所謂的團隊教會- 領袖擁有獨裁制的帶領方式。目前的中國教會需要有新一代的領袖，擁有美好的靈性，並有將福音帶入社區的異象，更是滿有傳福音的熱忱。我們為老一輩的教會領袖禱告，求主幫助他們願意薪火相傳，刻意為主栽培年輕有活力的接班人。
星期日
中國城市化的興起，使得許多農村教會的骨幹力量遷徒到城市打工，他們看到城市教會與農村教會運作的情況截然不同，以前的團隊觀念自然而然瓦解了。集權式團隊型教會很容易落入極端或異端，在大城市非常不受歡迎。求主賜教會有更多真理教導，信徒靈命越趨成熟，能看出人的作為與主的方式，敗壞異端的影響與攪擾。
星期一
今日中國正經歷著前所未有的人口大遷移。所謂的「三大漂」現象：一是大量農村人口向北京、天津等地移動，二是向長江三角洲中心的上海聚集，三是朝廣州為中心的珠江三角洲遷徙。我們來為這三個區域的傳道人禱告，雖然似乎存有許多公開或是「地下」的神學院，還有各式各樣長、短期的培訓班，但廣袤禾場的需要甚大。我們呼求莊稼的主繼續賜下工人，餵養許多仍無牧人的羊群。