Prayer Request 9/18 - 9/24

Tuesday
Churches for migrant workers are a new phenomenon in China. They serve Christians from rural areas who have moved into the city but are unable to fit into the urban churches. They are established with a vision and burden to help rural believers retain their faith as they live in the cities. May the Lord have mercy on millions of rural young Christians who have some Biblical knowledge but have a rather shallow spiritual foundation and are the so-called "migrant workers" that they will be able to resist temptation and not stop attending church.
Wednesday
Churches for migrant workers are basically churches in the cities catering to rural believers who have moved there. These churches are not connected with rural nor those in the cities. We pray that churches in the villages will see the huge loss of their young believers once they move into cities. May the Lord raise up people to teach the youth what it meant to be like Daniel who was away from home but was still able to resist temptations and refuse to defile himself but continue to walk closely with Jesus.
Thursday
In theory, traditional rural churches can continue to minister to believers in the cities from these churches through migrant churches. However, the vast majority of migrant workers who go to the cities do not stay there permanently. Ninety percent of the migrant workers say they plan to return to their village homes eventually. Farmers and urban residents are inherently different and they do not mix well even in a church setting. We pray that people in churches will not look down on those who are poor and lowly but will be willing to accept them with God's love.
Friday
In reality, migrant workers in China cannot return to their homes in the villages for two reasons. First, their land is lost and with the extensive use of agricultural machinery, they will be penniless. Secondly, it is hard to revert back to the lifestyle of a villager once one has lived in the city. Migrant churches lack manpower and resources. We beseech the Lord for the vision to save the terrible fact of millions of rural believers drifting away from faith in cities and to stem the decline of rural churches in China.
Saturday
In China, migrants will most likely move back to towns near their village homes. When they return, they can function as God’s army landing in these smaller cities, equipped with a church and city-living experience. We should be excited for the prospect of Christians returning to smaller cities. We pray that they will provide the impetus to evangelize China as "returnees" from abroad have helped the city churches there.
Sunday
In China many of the urban believers work in factories and are potentially and logically the best people to invite others to come to church. We pray that God will move people in both the city and town churches to catch the vision and burden to share the gospel with migrant workers by being active in evangelizing and having strategies to preach and conduct services with them in mind as well as speaking at their level.
Monday
In China, migrant workers are perhaps the saddest segment of the population. They are basically trapped in cities, with little hope of a better future, unable to buy a home. We pray for Christian migrant workers in the cities in China that the Lord will help them to keep their faith, find a spiritual home, and not fall into temptation. We also pray that the Lord will hear their prayer to walk closely with Him and give them the desire to stay in the city.

星期二
在中國的民工教會是一種新興的教會。進城的農民信徒把故鄉的根拔起遷居城市，卻很難扎入城市教會的新土裡。為了不讓這些信徒流失，一些有異象和負擔的民工信徒開始建立自己的教會。求主恩待百萬農村青少年的靈命，他們在家鄉教會曾領受一些聖經知識，但靈命基礎初淺，一旦離家到了城裡工作，成為所謂農民工，就少有能持守信仰，抵擋引誘，且許多也不再參加聚會。求主引領他們找到屬靈的新家。
星期三
地點坐落在城市中的民工教會基本成員來自農村；民工教會的興起，與傳統農村家庭教會或新型城市家庭教會都沒什麼聯繫。求主幫助教會領袖看見青年信徒進城打工後易流失的問題，從而著重培育青年信徒的靈命；又求主打發工人教導年輕人，如同但以理一樣，在新環境裡諸多試探中不玷污自己，且持續與主保持親密交通，緊緊跟隨主。
星期四
理論上，透過民工教會，傳統農村家庭教會可以將自己的生命觸角伸進城市。但是，進入大城市的民工，絕大多數不會在城巿永久留居，九成民工表示最終要返回家鄉。農民與城市居民差異極大，就是在城鎮的教會中一起聚會，也難以深入交流。求主憐憫，幫助教會不輕看貧窮弱小的肢體，願意跨出自己的固有圈子，突破隔閡。
星期五
失和農業機械的廣泛使用，農村不再需要密集式人力耕作。其次，他們一旦過慣了城市的生活，很難重新適應農村生活形態 。民工教會基本成員來自農村，但他們的事工缺少人力和金錢。求主恩待中國教會，賜下異象，如何挽回百萬不再聚會的農村信徒，以及挽救傳統農村教會的沒落，大量信徒的流失。
星期六
返鄉農民最終很可能只能歸回接近故鄉的縣鎮，而他們從大都市獲得的福音與文化的優勢，會使他們成為縣鎮福音化運動中的空降兵。求主使用「城歸」信徒，在故鄉附近的城鎮帶動福音的工作，如同「海歸」基督徒在城市家庭教會中所起的作用。
星期日
在中國的城市教會中，有很多信徒是從事藍領工作的，他們是帶領其他工廠民工來教會的好助手。求主興起城鎮教會的信徒們，能回應神的大使命，有異象和心志向農民工傳福音。以健全的佈道策略，做好佈道的工作。特別是有活潑的聚會氣氛和愛心關懷能吸引他們，配合他們不同的背景和程度，幫助他們融入神的大家庭。
星期一
農民工或許是中國社會族群中最悲哀的一群，大部分人被迫滯留在城市裡，卻無法長期居留，也買不起城市的房子。我們為來廣大的農民工信徒祈求，在生活忙碌又人生地不熟的環境裡，盡快到找到能落腳的教會。也求主保守他們的信心，不落入各樣的試探，成就信徒的心願，不遠離神和祂的保守及祝福。