2012年3月13日星期二

Prayer Request 3/13 - 3/19

Tuesday
By 2025 China expects to have fifteen "mega-cities" with each one having a population of at least 25 million people. Cities in China launch campaigns seeking to recover their own "unique spirit". Harbin for example, prides itself on its history of tolerance and openness to foreigners. Cities like Hangzhou take pride in their "green" ethos and go far beyond national requirements in terms of environment protection. Let us lift up our brothers and sisters in Harbin and Hangzhou, one in the industrial North and the other in the scenic South. Both cities have large open churches as well as active house churches. May the Lord bless their ministries and use them in helping the smaller churches nearby.

Wednesday
Of the 1.8 billion mobile phones made last year about half were put together in the Chinese province of Guangdong but there is a good chance they were not assembled by a native of Guangdong itself but by one of the millions of migrants who have left their homes and travelled to the coast to find work. Grinding poverty has long been a cause of migration there and was the impetus for further migration after the death of Mao Zedong in 1976.Missionaries went to Guangdong very early but churches there have always been weak. We pray that the Holy Spirit will bring revival and transformation to all the native believers in the churches there. We lift up those churches or meeting places that reach out to workers in the large factories nearby and continue to encourage those workers who have left their homes to work in Guangdong.

Thursday
From 1990 to 2005 (the most recent period for which reliable statistics are available) there was an overall gross migration across provinces in China of about 80 million people. An increasing number also migrate within their own provinces. All told, some 230 million Chinese spend most of the year away from their home town or village. We can see how rural churches find it difficult to retain their young believers and prepare them for leadership. Let us remember all believers who are away from home and seldom attend church, or have drifted away from faith in God. We pray they will always sense God's presence and remember he will never forsake them. May the Holy Spirit quicken their hearts to seek fellowship with other believers.

Friday
Most migrants move in search of work. The number of rural Chinese working away from home is now almost 160 million or twelve percent of the country's population. The government's Population Planning Commission forecasts another ten million rural residents could move to cities by 2020. As patterns of migration change, we expect to see rapid social and economic change across inland China. Where will the Christian villagers worship in the cities if the urban churches do not reach out to them? We pray that believers will be sensitive and kind to these lower-income, less-educated, and less-sophisticated brothers and sisters around them. May the Lord break down their pride and the walls they build around their churches that prevent others from finding the Jesus who accepts and loves all of us.

Saturday
Calling itself the largest museum in the world, the National Museum of China sits on the vast Tiananmen Square in Beijing. Boasting of more than a million artifacts and treasures, it is divided into those of Ancient China and those of The Road to Rejuvenation (particularly the fight of the Communist Party for the liberation and independence of the people). Admission is limited to 8000 visitors daily since its grand opening back in March of 2011. We know the role foreign missionaries have played in China cannot be erased and is remembered by Him. We thank the Lord for all of the missionaries who have ever stepped on the soil of the Middle Kingdom, especially those whose blood was shed there. May the Lord bless their offspring and always remind us all that the church of Jesus Christ thrives on the blood of martyrs.

Sunday
Jobs in state-owned companies are popular with Chinese women since in the lower levels they are relatively comfortable places to work and have shorter and more predictable hours than jobs in the private sector. Sisters in the church have an extra load with family, jobs, and taking care of elderly in-laws all a part of their expected duties. They need our prayers as they face various difficulties and challenges. May the Lord give them faith and patience to know that Jehovah is our Refuge and Strength.

Monday
It is hard to see how these formidable Chinese women can fit any children into their impossibly busy lives but most of them do. They are entitled to (but don't always get) three month's paid maternity leave and most of them return to work after that.Let us pray for strength and a recovery of spirit for all the sisters who are pregnant or have just had their babies. it is our prayer that they will be a great testimony of God's blessing to their parents and in-laws because they have a good relationship with them.


星期二
預計中國2025年將至少有15個居民高達2千5百萬人的「超級大城」。現今,每個城市都在尋找自己城市的特色。例如哈爾濱引以自豪的是對外國人的寬容和本身歷史的開明。杭州市則是自豪其極先進的環保精神,要求標準遠超過其他大國。讓我們為兩地的主內肢體禱告,雖然一為北方寒冷的工業大城,一在南方,皆是人們口中的「人間天堂」。這兩個城市都有大型的教會,及相當活躍的家庭教會,願主更多使用他們,祝福他們的事工,也支援附近的小教會。

星期三
去年全球手機銷售量高達18億。這隻手機有50%是在中國廣東組裝的。它更大可能並非本地人裝的,而是被好幾百萬離鄉打工的外地人經手的。嚴重的城鄉差距突顯了農村的貧窮,一向都是造成人口遷移的一大主因,尤其在1976年毛澤東死後,再次成為人口遷徙的推動力。西方宣教士來到廣東已有非常久的歷史,但當地教會相對之下卻沒有很大進展。我們為廣東省的教會得著復興,信徒生命得著聖靈的改變來祈求。也記念在工廠周遭的教會或聚會點,能持續向離鄉的基督徒們及工廠勞工傳福音。

星期四
1990年至2005年(据最近期可靠數據)-中國總共有大約8千萬的跨省遷徙者。省份內部的遷移人口也越來越多。總的來說,大約有2億3千萬人一年中大部分時間都遠離家鄉(縣城或者農村),大部分的遷移者都是出去找工作。人口遷移造成農村教會無法留住年輕的信徒,更不能養精蓄銳栽培下一代的教會領袖。讓我們為所有離鄉的信徒們禱告,不論是少去聚會,甚至遠離了主,神是不會放棄他們的,求聖靈常在他們心中動工,感動他們願意去尋找其他信徒,能常在主裡彼此激勵。

星期五
中國在外鄉工作的農村人口,現約有1億6千萬,是全國總人口的12%。中國政府的人口計劃委員會預計到2020年還會有1億農村人口湧向城市。隨著遷移模式的改變,我們期待中國內陸在社會和經濟方面能出現快速的轉變。如果城市教會不伸手歡迎來自農村的信徒,這些外地來的信徒,如何在城市中找到屬靈的家?願主教導我們學習主耶穌接納我們的恩慈,挪去我們的驕傲,拆掉無法完全接納別人的圍牆, 能接納那些貧窮、未能有機會追求更高學歷的農村弟兄姐妹們。

星期六
在北京寬廣的天安門廣場上,屹立著僅次於羅浮宮的世界第二大博物館——中國國家博物館。「新國博」藏品數量達105萬餘件,設有「古代中國」、「復興之路」兩大基本展館。從2011年3月開館以來,限制每天接待人數為8000人。我們為歷代外國宣教士在中國的擺上感謝主,願神祝福他們的後代,幫助他們繼續跟隨上代的腳蹤,忠心走事奉的路。又求主藉著這些甘心為主名把身家性命擺上的福音使者們,提醒和激勵我們,堅忍、持守神的道,直等到祂的再來。

星期日
國有企業的基層崗位與私營企業相比,工作時間較短也較為固定,這些相對舒適的工作崗位很受中國女性的青睞。可是國企的觀念仍十分保守,女性高層少之又少。大部份姊妹都同時面對家庭、工作,甚至照顧公婆的壓力。我們為面對各種困難和挑戰的姊妹們禱告,求主堅固她們信心,學習忍耐,經歷信實的應許:「神是我們的避難所,是我們的力量,是我們在患難中隨時的幫助。」(詩46:1)

星期一
優秀的中國女性似乎在繁忙生活中沒可能仍有時間養育子女,但大部分人卻仍做到了這點。中國女性按法享有三個月的產假(但並非一定獲得),這些新任母親通常都會在休假結束後返回工作崗位。我們記念懷孕或剛生育孩子的姊妹們,願主加添她們力量,幫助她們的精神、體力都盡快恢復。我們也為她們與上一代有美好的互動禱告,以致未信的父母或公婆能從她們身上看到屬神的人那份出人意外的平安,是源於靈性上跟神有契合的關係。

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