Tuesday
A wealthy infertile couple in Guangzhou has successfully delivered eight babies through in vitro fertilization and the use of two surrogate mothers who have given birth to four boys and four girls. This has instantly become a huge sensation in a county that has a one-child policy. Government officials have vowed to investigate because, first of all it is illegal to be a surrogate mother, and secondly it is a violation of the family-planning policy to implant multiple fertilized eggs. The feeling that anyone who is rich can do any outrageous thing permeates all of the Chinese society. Let us pray for believers who find themselves feeling they are really unimportant and are resigned to feel that way. May the Lord help us all to see that we are greatly loved by our heavenly Father, that we are His chosen people and richly blessed because we belong to Jesus.
Wednesday
At the present time the cost of in vitro fertilization (IVF) is very high in China. This procedure usually involves implanting several embryos at the same time to ensure a high rate of success. Therefore, the possibility of a multiple-birth pregnancy is highly possible. The Ministry of Health in China has a guideline which says that women under the age of thirty-five should not have twins and for those over that age, the maximum is triplets. Once a young couple is married, there is always pressure or a high expectation to become pregnant so their parents can play with a grandchild. Let us pray for believers who are looking forward to being grandparents. May the Lord make them a true blessing to their grandchildren, not only in sharing the story of Jesus but also in showing the little ones how much they love and serve God.
Thursday
Incidences of infertility are rising in China for various reasons including the delayed age of having children. In order to have children some couples are resorting to surrogate parenthood. Some medical experts have suggested that giving birth is a natural right and the government must consider the legalization of surrogacy for these couples. Otherwise, surrogate parenting will flourish in the legal gray zone finding women who are willing to do so for money to meet the demand. Confucius taught that infertility was the greatest dishonor possible to one's parents and even to this day having no children carries a stigma in China. We lift up in prayer all couples who are believers and are waiting for their babies or have given up trying to conceive and ask the Holy Spirit to bring His own comfort to them, to renew their marital relationship, and to make them a blessing to many others in their churches.
Friday
Many Christian believers in the cities in China encounter financial hardship once they are laid off from their work. Those who have an unbelieving spouse find it easy to be critical and wonder why their wives still spend so much time in church rather than putting more effort into finding a job. These are special challenges for the sisters whose husbands are non-believers and we need to remember them often because they serve in the church with opposition from home and their marital relationship is often very tense. We pray for these Martha and Mary in the churches in China as they serve with tears but have joy within.
Saturday
Back in 2003, China's Three-self churches reported a grand total of 378 ordained women pastors and that 95% of them became pastors after 1980. Women pastors accounted for 24% of all ordained pastors (in 2003), in addition to that there were 2000 other female elders, teachers, and staff people in the open churches. Obviously this does not include the untold tens of thousands of volunteers and co-workers in those churches. The percentage of lady pastors and co-workers in the house churches is definitely higher than that of open churches. We pray for all the sisters who serve in all levels of church ministry. May the Lord bless and use them mightily. It is our prayer that God will use them in the area of visitation to show His love and share the Christian faith to strengthen those who have not been in church for a while.
Sunday
For the married women believers in China, those live in the city usually work while those who live in the villages do farm work. In order for them to be able to work in the churches they must use whatever time there is left after they have taken care of their families. In eastern China many of the women who teach Sunday school have to literally abandon their children in order to teach or visit their students. We praise the Lord for the sisters in the Chinese church who pay a huge price to serve the Lord despite the tremendous tension of the demand from their families and that of the ministry. We pray for strength for them so they will be faithful to and rely on the Lord always knowing that what they do will definitely bring glory to God.
Monday
Many of the sisters in the churches in China were already married when they accepted Jesus Christ as Savior. The differences in values and lifestyles with their unbelieving spouse naturally cause tension. Some of their husbands adamantly oppose their wives in their Christian faith even to the point of traumatizing them and so weakening their resolve to be involved in the church. We pray for the special care and protection of the Lord for the families of these sisters. May the Lord have special mercy and love for them so they will have the love and patience they need and trust God to open the spiritual eyes of their husbands.
星期二
據媒體報導，廣州富商夫婦因多年不孕，借助試管嬰兒技術，一次成功孕育八個胚胎。他們聘請兩位代孕媽媽，於去年先後誕下四男四女八胞胎。官方立刻追查此事，因觸及幾方面的問題：第一、在中國代孕是非法的;第二、人工有意多胎是違反計劃生育政策。整個中國社會瀰漫著有錢能使鬼推磨的價值觀，不少信徒亦覺得自己窮，比不上別人，甚至覺得沒有什麽價值。讓我們禱告，每位信徒都能深刻體會天父的愛，祂揀選我們，更寶貴我們每一個，「祂未嘗留下一樣好處不給那些行動正直的人。」(詩84:11)
星期三
在中國做試管嬰兒的收費非常昂貴，胚胎移植也不能保證百分百成功。為了增加成功率，一般會移植多個，故此多胚胎是不可避免的。衛生部也明確規定，35歲以下婦女第一次做移植胚胎不得超過2個；35歲以上或第一次助孕不成功的，最多不能超過3個。年輕夫婦成婚後，上一代想含飴弄孫，常寄予早生貴子的期盼及壓力。讓我們記念期待做祖父母的肢體，都能成為孫兒女屬靈的祝福，不僅能講述主耶穌的救恩，更常在日常生活中，讓孫兒女看見他們愛主的心而從小羨慕聖工。
星期四
目前中國盛行試管嬰兒的原因很多，包括人們延遲生育年齡。為了「有後」，不少夫妻採取「借腹懷孕」一途。有些醫學專家建議政府尊重人們的「生育權」，讓「代孕」合法化，以杜絕不孕夫婦硬闖借腹生子的法律灰色地帶，助長婦女為錢「出租子宮」的風氣。子曰：「不孝有三，無後為大」影響迄今，沒有子女仍是中國社會觀念裡的一種缺憾。讓我們用禱告托住正嘗試生育或已放棄再試的信徒，求聖靈親自安慰他們，能更新夫妻之間及與神的關係，成為教會多人的幫助和祝福的管道。
星期五
有些城市教會的姊妹「下崗」，家庭經濟出現困難。她們當中有些有未信主的丈夫，常會質問信妻子，與其花時間禱告，為何不多花時間和經歷出去找工作？她們在教會的服事更可能得不到體諒，與丈夫的關係容易出現問題。讓我們常在禱告中記念這些帶著眼淚，心中仍有喜樂服事主的馬大及馬利亞們，願主的安慰與信實的供應。
星期六
據2003年中國基督教婦女事工委員會的部分統計，三自教會按立的女牧師共有378位，其中95%以上是文革後按立的，佔全國牧師人數的24%；還有2,000多位女長老、教師和教職人員；上面這些統計佈告括千千萬萬家庭教會默默服事的姊妹。相信家庭教會中的女傳道人及同工數量更多。求主記念並繼續重用姊妹在教會各層面的服事，拓展聖工。尤其是探訪工作，使人能通過弟兄姊妹的愛心，認識基督信仰，對許多中斷教會生活的信徒也能使信心再次得到堅固。
星期日
大多數城市已婚的姊妹要上班、農村姊妹要做農活。此外她們還要料理家務或照顧孩子，因此在參與教會服事時，格外地吃力和辛勞，存在著時間和精神上的張力。婦女面對家庭與服事的挑戰, 在中國教會十分明顯，華東地區有些主日學老師，為了在週六、日探訪主日學學生的家庭，更是不得不把自己的孩子留在家中。我們為姊妹們付出如此大的代價仍忠心服事主來感恩。並為教會的姊妹所面對的各種困難和挑戰禱告，求主堅固祂的眾使女，在困難中仍緊緊倚靠主，深知手中的工是為了彰顯神的榮耀。
星期一
不少姊妹是婚後才信主的，但配偶仍未歸主。由於雙方形成的價值觀和生活方式不同，分歧和矛盾日漸增多。有些丈夫更是公然反對、批評妻子的信仰，帶給她們不同程度的傷害，削弱了她們事奉主的投入程度。求主賜福眾姊妹的家庭，使她們經歷神信實的看顧和保守。也求主特別賜下更多的恩典及愛心給姊妹們，能不住仰望基督，在家庭有美好見証，以忍耐等候丈夫歸主，深信主會打開丈夫屬靈的眼睛，看到神的恩慈與榮美。
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