Prayer Request 12/6 - 12/12

Tuesday
The first group of China's "1990's generation" is nearly ready to graduate from college. The newly twenty-some youth are often labeled as "avant-garde, having a strong character, rebellious, and self-centered". The end of the calendar year and the beginning of the New Year constitute the traditional season for graduating college students to go out and hunt for jobs. They are interviewing in many places and feeling the pressure to find employment. Finding a good job in China often requires an inside connection (guanxi) and a "good background". We remember all the young Christians who are looking for work, especially those who are having difficulty finding it. It is our prayer that they do not lose faith in God and will continue to trust Him in every aspect of their lives.

Wednesday
In 2012 there will be 6.8 million college graduates in China, a whopping 200,000 more than there were last year. If one includes the two million college graduates who did not find a job in the last two years, there will be ten million of them looking for work. Many of them will be shocked to find that one who has graduated from college will often make less than a laborer with only a junior high education. In the student ministry in China, one big problem is a lack of follow-up for those who become believers. We pray for those who have become Christians in college but are now leaving for work in cities where they are not familiar with churches or know few Christians whom they can contact. May the Lord provide believers who will welcome them, make them feel at home, and help them continue to grow spiritually.

Thursday
A former top religious affairs official claimed, the atheist Communist Party can unite people with different religious beliefs under the party's policies that dictate freedom of worship. "As long as we are united politically and have mutual respect regarding spiritual beliefs, religion can play a positive role in social harmony."We lift up in prayers all the officials who are in charge of church matters at all levels of the government and polices who carry out the orders. Bible teaches us to pray for those who govern over us and so believers will find favor and able to worship unhindered.

Friday
In the house churches, the Low-key Christians are basically fundamentalists. They stress the power of the gospel to change people and all society. We pray for those believers who prefer not to engage in dialogue with the officials but instead, with their limited resources, devote themselves to evangelism. May the Lord give them an abundant harvest because of this quiet sharing of the gospel.

Saturday
There are 16 million smokers under the age of 15 in China, boys between age 13 to 15, a whopping 33% are smokers already. Even primary schools often have the names of Chinese cigarette brands, such as Zhongnanhai or Liqun, over their gates or have promotional slogans in the playground. Adolescents is the age group that is often missing in so many China churches. Churches do not have anything to offer to interest or retain kids growing up in churches. We pray for this sad phenomenon and ask the Lord to change how church leaders view about young people and willing to invest their time to inspire, involve and integrate the adolescents.

Sunday
China's state-owned tobacco corporation is so large and full of cash. It donates and helps build schools in Sichuan and Yunnan, these schools are typically named as Tobacco Hope School and carries cigarette advertisement. Many of them even prominent feature company's slogan; ” Talent comes from hard work – Tobacco helps you become talented.” Children smoke because their parents smoke or have friends who smoke. We pray for all the believers whose children are smokers and worse, losing spiritual interest or have long stopped attending the church. We have faith that God listen and answer earnest prayer of all parents who desire to see their children used by God.

Monday
There were 1.2 million tobacco-related deaths in 2005, and if this trend continues, it is estimated that 3.5 million Chinese will die of smoking in 2030, which accounts nearly half of all tobacco-attributable deaths in the world. The current smoking ban in public places was to take effect in 2011 but it is nearly impossible to enforce. It is not easy to live with a spouse who smokes and who is an unbeliever or one who have drifted away from God. Smoking and drinking almost always go hand in hand. We lift up all believers whose have not stopped praying for the salvation and transformation of their spouse. May the Lord grant them patience and faith in Him.



星期二
中國首批「90後」大學生即將畢業進入職場。這批被一些輿論貼上「前衛、個性、叛逆、自我」標簽的年輕人，在歲末的招聘季裡奔波於大小城市尋找崗位，首次感受到就業的龐大壓力。在中國要找個好工作往往需要拉關係或有好的背景及條件。許多年輕基督徒也正尋找工作，求主幫助他們不以工作來衡量一個人的生命價值，並且能夠懂得使用神所創造的環境和材料，培養並發揮祂所賜的才幹。

星期三
2012年大學畢業生規模達到680萬人，比上年增加20萬。再加上前兩年200萬沒有實現就業的人數，今年累計有近千萬人要找工作。不少畢業生震驚於寒窗十六年後，他們的工資可能還不及外出打工的初中同鄉。中國學生事工的一大問題是學生信了主，一旦離校就不再去教會。我們為所有將步入社會，尤其是前往沒有教會聯絡或無熟識基督徒的城市，求主預備教會及基督徒來跟進他們，使靈命繼續得著栽培，與弟兄姊妹在愛中彼此建立。

星期四
前國家宗教事務局長第一次聲稱，共產黨雖然不信神，但能管理實行宗教信仰自由政策團結信教群眾，發揮宗教在促進社會和諧中的積極作用。在各級政府階層，都有專門管理宗教的官員，地方的公安也要執行政策及管理教會。聖經教導我們要為執政掌權者禱告，好叫信徒能平安度日，崇拜不受阻礙。讓我們常常為他們有恩慈，行公義，有從神來的智慧治理邦國社會來祈求。

星期五
在中國家庭教會中，「低調派」的基督徒是屬於「基要真理」派。他們注重福音，與「三自」的低調派有類似的立場，相信惟獨福音能改變人心和社會。我們記念這些較為持守政教分離立場的信徒，因知道自己在實力上的限制，故不願與政府有太多交往。求主讓他們在熱心廣傳福音時，看見神給他們的豐盛果實。

星期六
政府統計顯示，中國年齡15歲以下吸煙者就有1600萬，年齡13到15歲間的男性少年吸煙率幾乎高達三分之一。中國有不少學校，包括小學也不難在學校操場或門墻上看到以中國名牌香煙命名捲菸如中南海或利群等，香煙品牌的宣傳口號。青少年是所謂中國教會遺失的一代，許多的教會無法吸引青少年來教會，在教會長大的孩子一旦到了青少年時期就消失了。這是多麼可惜可悲的事實，求主幫助教會領袖們願意投資在青少年靈命工程上，鼓勵激發全教會積極融入青少年的事工。

星期日
中國國營煙草公司常以慈善捐獻名義對偏遠學校提供大量贊助。尤其多集中在四川、雲南，主要是建立「煙草希望小學」，學校不但有煙草企業標誌，也有橫書標語：「天才出於勤奮，煙草助你成材。」 孩子們在家看爸媽吸煙，在外又有朋友吸煙，自然也學會吸煙。我們為信徒有孩子抽煙的來禱告，更傷心的是孩子失去屬靈的胃口，不願意去聚會，甚至早已遠離神。求神不但垂聽我們祈求，更幫助那些有信心認真地禱告求主使用他們孩子的父母。

星期一
在2005中國有120萬人因抽煙有關而死亡，如繼續此趨勢，在2030年中國每年將有350萬因吸煙而死，那時中國幾乎會佔全世界抽煙死亡人數的一半。中國2011年在全國公共場所禁煙，但根本無人力執行，罰款也毫無見效。對一個信徒而言, 配偶不願停止吸煙是難過的。煙酒不過是外表行為，配偶不信神或是早已遠離主，靈命停滯才是痛心的事。這些信徒天天為配偶得救禱告，我們記念他們，求主加添他們耐心和信心，不放棄繼續禱告。