Prayer Request 2/28 - 3/5

Tuesday
Jeremy Lin's success in both sports and academics (Harvard graduate) again raises questions about China's state-run system of sports academies that has produced scores of Olympic gold medal winners by relentlessly training athletes from an early age while offering them little chance of a normal childhood or proper education. Countless athletes from China have "retired" with no financial support, no marketable skills, absolutely nothing. Many Chinese parents will be thinking about how to raise their children to be both smart and famous one day. May the Lord continue to remind us all that it is much more important that we and our children love the Lord than that we are well-known. Let us commit all the young people in the churches in China to the Lord and ask Him to make Jeremy Lin's story an inspiration to all of them not to aspire to be just famous but to be bold in giving God all of the glory for it.

Wednesday
The current condition of all the major church groups in Henan Province is rather sad and dismal because they have all suffered major blows both internally and externally. Today the churches in Henan are trying to rebuild through much emphasis on evangelism. We pray along with them asking our merciful Lord to show His glory once again there that the vibrancy of the churches will be restored.

Thursday
In the past, the churches in Henan had a period of phenomenal growth and for this we praise God! Believers increased in the past sixty years from 70,000 in 1949 to 17 million today. We pray for revival among the believers in Henan. May the Lord stir up their love for Jesus, not just licking their wounds or pitying themselves, but looking up to the God Who performs miracles and gives revival to His churches.

Friday
It is common to see Chinese young people spending money to "give them face", that is making purchases with the sole intention of vanity or making them look good. According to a survey, those who are in their 30's are the main ones who buy automobiles now and half of those who are in their 20's are buying or planning to buy one. Many Christian parents feel they have little spiritual influence on their grown children who are striving to make money and are drifting away from the church and God. Let us lift up all the believers who pray sincerely for their children not to be merely rich materially but more importantly to be rich spiritually.

Saturday
"Vanity purchases" are those things which are bought not based on practicality or need but rather to show off. Young Chinese who cannot afford to buy expensive things will spend money to buy a bag or anything else from a store selling designer brands so it looks as if they have shopped there. We need to pray for deeper spiritual growth for China's young believers as well as for the churches to be able to nurture them in this very superficial world. We pray there will be more godly men and women who will be their role models in serving God and others.

Sunday
Materialism, consumerism, and the worship of wealth seem to permeate the whole of China today. Everyone is caught up in making money and Christians are no exception. It is little wonder that Chinese believers are no longer on fire for Jesus as they once were. We persist in beseeching the Lord with faith for those brothers and sisters who still follow closely with God and quietly serve in the church. May the Lord strengthen them and use them to encourage many others to serve Him wholeheartedly.

Monday
Churches in China are going through a critical transition and many of them have fallen into a state of lukewarmness. The major reasons for such a decline are the lack of teaching the truth in the pulpit, the pervasiveness of secularism, attacks of the occult, and division among the churches. We must redouble our efforts in praying for these spiritual illnesses of the church in China. May the Lord revive each of us as we pray for leaders in the church who are humble and faithful in proclaiming God's truth.



星期二
林書豪體智兼優（哈佛大學畢業）的成就，再次引發對中國國營運動員訓練方式的討論。中國運動員是從小挑選，日以繼夜的集中訓練，惟一目標就是要奪得奧運金牌。這些運動員沒有正常的童年生活，也無完整的教育。退役之後，不但沒一技之長，且落得一身病痛。中國父母都期望孩子既聰明又能光宗耀祖。求主藉林書豪的故事，時常提醒我們，孩子更愛主是最寶貴的事，能勇敢地將一切榮耀歸給神，才是人生最有價值的事，而不是成名致富。

星期三
當今河南地區的各大教會系統到內外的嚴峻的挑戰，各處呈現著一片荒涼的景象。信徒們正嘗試著重建教會，希望藉著禱告和傳福音，把這倒塌的帳幕重新樹立起來。我們也在禱告中切切記念他們，求那滿有憐憫、豐盛的神，再次在河南教會中燃起復興的火炬，彰顯祂自己的榮耀。

星期四
河南省從1949年的7萬多基督徒，發展到如今1700多萬人，六十年中增長的速度非常驚人，我們為此感謝天父。我們禱告求主憐憫當地的教會，復興河南信徒靈命，幫助他們拾回起初的愛心，重新出發；堅固切實愛主耶穌、愛弟兄姊妹的心志，摒棄自悲自憐的心態，不看自己的不足與貧困，以信心仰望恩主的信實應許，再次為他們行奇蹟做大事，復興祂自己的教會。

星期五
在不少中國年輕人中，所謂的「面子消費」已經司空見慣。一項調查顯示，「80後」正成為汽車消費市場的新生力量。半數的「90後」、「80後」在30歲之前已買了車或有買車的打算。許多信徒父母為自己對兒女薄弱的屬靈影響力憂傷。他們的孩子事業有成，但卻失去屬靈的胃口，更遠離了從小就認識的真神。讓我們堅固這些家庭向主所發出的懇切禱告-保守他們的子女不僅是在物質上富有，更願意看重並追求屬靈的豐富。

星期六
「面子消費」是指不完全為了實際需要，更多是出於炫耀和滿足「面子」的目的而產生的消費行為。年輕人買不起名牌產品，就購買一個名牌產品的紙袋來裝東西，滿足虛榮心，甚至還買購物小票、說明書、吊牌等。這一代教會的年輕人需要有更多在主裡年長、成熟的信徒，做為他們愛主、服侍神的好榜樣。我們為他們禱告，願神給他們在靈命更深紮根，也賜教會牧長及同工有智慧，知道如何以真道餵養他們。

星期日
現今「功利主義」、「消費主義」和「拜金主義」襲捲全中國，民眾們都在為自己的既得利益奮鬥不已。在社會經濟整體發展的同時，許多肢體也只能順流而下，淹沒在市場經濟時代的浪潮中。雖然教會中許多肢體愛心漸冷淡，我們仍要有信心，為那些堅持忠心愛主，默默服侍教會的弟兄姐妹來感恩，願主堅固他們，也藉著他們全然的委身與熱心殷勤的服事來感動他人，鼓舞更多信徒願意事奉主。

星期一
目前中國教會正面臨著嚴峻的轉型期，不少教會處於不冷不熱的光景中。教會靈命不長進的主要原因是缺乏真理的教導、深受世俗化影響，以及異端的攪擾和教會分裂等因素影響。我們需要更急迫地為中國的教會祈求，求主醫治所有使教會軟弱的屬靈疾病，賜給教會再次的復興。我們也為每一位教會的領袖禱告，求主給他們有謙卑仰望主的心志，在教導真理上忠心盡職，在操練敬虔上有美好的榜樣。