Tuesday
An American magazine asked the big question: "Is the China bubble about to pop?" It is very apparent that there are new airports and high-speed railroads being built there wherever one travels. There are also many apartment that are dark at night indicating that no one lives in them as well as beautiful roads and bridges that are seldom used. What is driving this building boom? We need to pray for the churches in China because the once fervent desire to serve Jesus and the willingness to pay the price to do so is fast becoming cold. There is an increasing number of workers who have been trained for the ministry but are abandoning their churches and seeking better paying jobs elsewhere.
Wednesday
Last year 2.4 million new invesetors began trading stocks in the Shanghai exchange--a 250% increase over 2009. That is an increase of about 7,000 san hu (as the Chinese call the small investors) daily. Experts say, "When you see shop assistants and taxi drivers racing out to borrow money to buy stocks you are in trouble. The market is sucking in a whole lot of neophytes just primed to get slaughtered." Prosperity has greatly dampened the spiritual life of many of the churches in China and this phenomenon is not in just the urban churches, such as Wenzhou, Shanghai, and Beijing but also in rural churches. The stock market is attracting even church workers. May the Lord quicken our hearts to trust Hm for all of our needs.
Thursday
CCTV, the government TV network recently aired a show warning citizens not to put their homes up as collateral for loans to buy stock. They banned banks from lending for stock purchases last month and regulators have temporarily halted the sale of new mutual funds. None of us likes the feeling that we are "missing the opportunity" to make easy money but as believers in Jesus, we all need to be thankful for what we have, content, and not greedy. We pray for the guarding of the hearts of all Chinese believers who are thinking of making easy and fast money in dangerous ways.
Friday
The China National Tobacco Corporation which is a state-owned cigarette monopoly and the largest tobacco company in the world is one reason why China cannot enforce the smoking ban there. In 2009 more than 7.5% of the government's revenue came from taxes and profits related to tobacco. Most churches insist that new believers must stop smoking as a sign of their true commitment to Jesus. Unfortunately, churches have very little to offer to help people rid themselves of their nicotine addiction. We pray for many believers who still struggle with addictions of all kinds: alcohol, gambling, smoking, and adultery.
Saturday
A survey shows that 12-18% of parents in China often resort to beating their children as a way to discipline them. Rural parents and especially fathers in general believe harsh beating is an effective way to educate their children. Child beating actually happens far more frequently in China than in other parts of the world. The churches in China lack material for teaching children's Sunday school and training teachers to do it. Let us pray for those involved in training Sunday school teachers, especially that they will see children as people Jesus loves and they will know they are more than just baby sitters or mere teachers of religious knowledge.
Sunday
Since the founding of the People's Republic, every school child has been familiar with the pocket publication which at the present has more than 700 pages. With the total number of copies exceeding 400 million (behind the Bible) this dictionary is one of the four best-selling books in the world. Getting a copy of the Bible is no longer a problem in all parts of China. In fact, there is an abundance of copies, and even luxury and study versions are available. Let us pray that all who read the word of God privately may open their eyes to see His wisdom and have a humble heart that is willing to live out what it says.
Monday
The word for slave (nu) has also been given a new modern usage—one that has long been in use in spoken Chinese. The terms “fang nu” and “che nu” are used to mean slaves to one’s home or car in the sense that one is a slave to the debt he or she has incurred to acquire that home or vehicle. Many young believers are indeed slaves of their material possessions including their only child. They often have many excuses for not having the time to attend church. May the Lord remind us all to really acknowledge Jesus as the Master of our lives and clearly know He is the One Who gives us all that we have. /font>
星期二
美國一篇關於「中國泡沫如果爆破」的文章，提到「無論到中國任何地方走走，都會看到建設中的新機場和高鐵，夜晚沒燈光的空置公寓樓，漂亮但未得到充分利用的公路和橋梁，新建鬼城…為何中國要維持建築繁榮呢？」中國教會也曾火熱地服事主，願意擺上自己；但現今已許多已經冷淡，甚至一些獻身並接受了培訓的傳道人轉身追求更高薪職業。懇求神再次挑旺祂兒女的心，能專一跟從祂，輕看今生短暫的名利，甘心揀選主，作永恒的投資。
星期三
去年上海證交所增加了240萬個「散戶」，相較於2009年，增加幾乎兩倍半，每天差不多有7000 名新投資者買進。一位金融專家說：「當小店員和出租車司機，都急著借錢買股票，麻煩就快來到，必定有許多新手要被屠宰。」物質豐富和經濟繁榮是教會最大的敵人，許多信徒把目光轉往世界，這種對神冷淡的現象不僅在溫州、上海、北京等城市教會，連農村教會也受影響，甚至有些傳道人亦被股票所擄。求主除去我們的貪心，認清「家主」快要回來，現今「豈是受銀子、衣裳、買橄欖園、葡萄園、牛羊、僕婢的時候呢？」
星期四
中央電視播出特別節目，警告老百姓不要將自己的房子抵押貸款去買股票。自上月起，銀行已不接受買股票的貸款項目，政府也暫停新合股投资基金的銷售。當我們看到別人賺了錢，而自己沒抓著機會時，是否也有酸溜溜的感受？求聖靈常提醒「貪財是萬惡之根，有人貪戀錢財，就被引誘離了真道，用許多愁苦把自己刺透了。」求主幫助我們以祂為滿足，今世有衣有食就當知足，並學習靠祂做一個有智慧的管家。
星期五
中國無法執行禁煙，是因「中國國家煙草公司」是國有捲菸壟斷企業和世界上最大的煙草公司。2009年政府財政收入的7.5％以上，達77.3億美元，來自與煙草有關的稅收和利潤。絕大多數中國教會堅持：若要信耶穌，停止吸煙就是生命改變的證據。可惜教會沒鮮少有資源能幫助信徒擺脫煙癮。我們特別為信徒及他們的家人禱告，求主釋放仍困在各種癮癖包括酗酒，賭博和姦淫的捆綁下，無力脫身的人。
星期六
中國有12％-18％的家長時常使用「打一頓」的方法教育孩子。相信「打一頓」管用的，農村高於城市，父親高於母親，「有時打孩子」和「偶爾打孩子」的，比率更高。中國教會缺乏主日學教材,培訓教導孩童師資的更是少之又少。我們要為兒童主日學事工禱告，求主提醒教會重視教養孩童，主日學並不是打發孩子，讓大人聚會的時間安心。願小孩子來到教會都能像提摩太，從小明白聖經，因信基督耶穌使他們有得救的智慧。
星期日
自從人民共和國建國以來，每個小學生都擁有一本《新華字典》。它已印行4億多冊，新的版本超過 700頁，是目前世界上發行量最大的工具書，與基督教的聖經是四大世界暢銷書。在中國各地，想要取得聖經已不再是難題。事實上，到處都能買到不同的版本，包括精裝及研讀版。讓我們在禱告中記念每一個打開聖經的人，求主打開他們屬靈的眼睛，看到祂的智慧，願意將神的教導活出來。
星期一
《新華字典》為「奴」字新增了 現代用法：「為了支付貸款等而不得不拚命工作的人」新意，譬如「房奴」，「車奴」。不少年輕信徒確實是物質、享受的奴隸，甚至被包括他們的獨生子女所奴役。他們往往有許多的藉口，沒有時間參與教會。求主時時提醒我們，我們當認定耶穌是我們生命的主，也清楚知道祂賜給我們一切，我們所擁有的都是來自神，當把心中的寶座還給主。
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