Prayer Request 1/5 - 1/11

Tuesday
The massive and tragic landslide in Shenzhen tells the dark side of the story of migrant workers in China who seek better lives in the cities. Often they become casualties in their pursuit of survival and hope for a brighter future. It is a fact that rural churches there are declining rapidly because of the exodus of young people. We pray for God's mercy for all rural believers that they will not lose faith but will redouble their efforts to teach youth to know and love the Lord from a very young age.
Wednesday
Guangdong Province, including Shenzhen, has for decades drawn its blue collar work force from migrants from villages and small towns in poor areas in China. Many of the victims in China's urban disasters were migrant workers. The large number of migrant workers in Guangdong presents new opportunities for ministry since they are generally poor and poorly-educated people. We pray for those churches that target migrants and their families that the Lord will bless them with much fruit.
Thursday
Shenzhen has a population of more than eighteen million and more than eighty percent of them are migrants from the countryside who do not have local permanent residence permits. We pray for the physical and psychological needs of hundreds of millions of migrant workers in China as well as their poor relationships with their children since many of them are separated for long periods. May the Lord have mercy on on those who are believers.
Friday
Many restless Chinese teenagers from rural areas leave their homes to look for work elsewhere and as a consequence lose touch with their families or see them only rarely, such as during the Lunar New Year holiday. We pray specifically for young people who have grown up in rural churches but no longer practice their faith in the cities. May the Lord have mercy on them, answer their prayers, and bring them back into the fellowship of believers.
Saturday
Although factory jobs are still easy to find in China, the cost of living has been rising steadily. Many workers are unable to return home even during the holidays because their employers owe them back wages. There have been numerous incidences of migrant workers protesting to demand reasonable and better working conditions. We pray for the improvement of their plight but we also pray that churches will treat God's servants (their pastors) better as well.
Sunday
Many urban churches in China lack strong Biblical teaching​ so the believers do not know the truth well. These churches emphasize teachings on prayer and meditation and focus only on having a good personal relationship with Jesus. ​We pray for these churches that the Lord will grant them faith with a love, hunger, and thirst for His word so they will know how to discern the truths in the Bible.​
Monday
​Urban churches in China are small and loosely organized so believers meet as small groups. Many​ of the believers previously attended the Three-Self churches but they left and began meeting in homes and gradually became independent churches. This kind of church has no spiritual leader and no full-time workers to serve in it so it is in danger of becoming a club for believers. We pray that the emphasis will be on teaching God's word along with the preaching of the gospel, not merely fellowship.


星期二
深圳巨大山體滑坡事件，描述了上億中國農民工，離鄉背井，盼望在城市找到更美好未來故事的黑暗一面。他們往往成為災變中傷亡最慘重的一群。年輕一代進城，造成了中國農村教會快速大失血是個事實。求主恩待農村教會的信徒們，不致喪失信心，而是深刻知道更加倍把握時機，幫助他們的下一代從小就認識主，一生愛上帝。
星期三
廣東省,包括深圳，一直以來吸引著大批中國貧困地區的人們，遠離農村和小城鎮，到大都市從事藍領工作。但與中國最近的一些災難情況一樣，許多遇難者都是農民工。廣東省湧入的大量農民工，也是教會事工的大好機會。雖然一般他們的經濟及教育水平都偏低。我們要為向民工傳福音，關注民工家庭的教會和事工禱告，求神賜給他們美好的果子。
星期四
深圳1800多萬人口中80％以上是流動人口，沒有當地的永久居留證，其中包括許多來自農村的人。 我們為上億的民工流徙各地，他們生、心理的需要禱告，尤其要關懷身為基督徒的民工們。他們常年與子女、親人分離所帶來的種種心理和家庭問題，求主加倍施恩慈、憐悯和看顧。
星期五
許多外出找工作，不安寂寞的中國農村青少年，往往離家後就與家人失去聯繫。或甚少回家與親人見面，往往只在農曆新年假期才得短暫相聚。 我們特別為在農村教會長大，卻在城市中失落了信仰的年輕人禱告，願主憐憫他們，聆聽他們的祈求，將他們領回主的懷抱，與主內肢體相親，能在教會當中蒙神保守與祝福。
星期六
雖然工廠工作仍比較容易找到，但許多農民工所在城市的生活費用也在不斷上升。他們說還有加重他們困難的原因，而過年過節也不能回老家，因為他們的老闆拖欠工資。常有工人抗議報酬過低，要求改善工作環境的事件，我們為民工能得到合理待遇禱告，也同樣為教會中神的僕人，他們的待遇能得以改善來祈求、仰望神。
星期日
不少城市教會缺乏真理的教導，所以信徒對神的話一知半解。教會領袖認為信徒只要有恒常靈修、禱告生活，以及與神有比較好的個人關係，就已足夠了。我們為這些教會能追求靈命更成熟來禱告。求神將那賜人智慧和啟示的靈賞給他們，使他們真知道祂；又願主親自吸引他們，賜下渴慕神話語的心，使他們在真理上有根有基。
星期一
現時城市教會的特點就是規模小且分佈鬆散，信徒聚會以小組為單位。很多人離開三自教會後就開始自己在家中聚會，慢慢的就視自己為一個獨立的教會。這樣的教會通常沒有屬靈的領袖，也沒有全職的工人來主領服事，規畫發展。教會往往變得越來越「俱樂部化」。求主幫助他們追求聖經教導，也看重傳福音，而不是單單享受信徒間的團契生活而已 。