Tuesday
As the flood-ravaged capital of China dealt with the aftermath of their heaviest rains in six decades, people were raising questions about whether the push for modernization came at the expense of basic infrastructure needs such as drainage networks. Churches in China are known for having a lot of believers. We want to pray that those are serious and committed people and that they will be dedicated to disciple and train their flocks. It is not an easy task so we pray for genuine spiritual growth of both believers and leaders.
Wednesday
Cities in China have seen remarkable transformation above ground while basic necessities such as water drainage apparently were neglected. A famous university in Guangzhou is ridiculed as "The University of Venice in Guangzhou" since the campus is always flooded in the rainy season. Some ask the question: "Are the churches in China stronger and more vibrant now than they were thirty years ago?" Many of us prefer not to answer that question so let us ask the Lord for revival in all of the churches including the "fast-growing" churches, not just those "dying" rural ones.
Thursday
Beijing's most famous Olympic venue, the Bird's Nest Stadium, is saddled with high maintenance costs and is struggling to get by. Fewer and fewer visitors are coming to view the cavernous arches these days. In the past four years few events have been able to fill a stadium built to seat 91,000 people. There are many "big" churches in China with thousands of seats and as many members. We want to pray for these churches, for their leaders, their influence, and their influence in the communities where they are located. May the Lord use their high visibility for the expansion of the Kingdom and not just their turf.
Friday
These days a smattering of mostly Chinese tour groups trickle through the gigantic Bird's Nest Stadium. Visitors to the famous place are now in free fall and hardly any foreign tourists bother to go there to admire its grandeur. Many churches in the cities are in the process of building or remodeling but construction projects for churches can often be contentious or even divisive. We pray for unity and vision for all the churches who are now undertaking expansion or planning to expand their facilities.
Saturday
Many Chinese people feel the huge Birds' Nest Stadium is China's pride and a great world monument. The official audio tour describes the stadium in these symbolic terms: "The Birds' Nest as a symbol of the rise of the Chinese nation, will follow the nation's footsteps in its rise to glory." Chinese people care a lot about image or "face". Let us pray for genuine spiritual growth and revival of all Chinese believers, not merely long and beautiful prayers or a religious appearance, but a heart of true humility and repentance.
Sunday
The Birds' Nest Stadium in Beijing was designed as a stage on which to display China's coming-out party and send a message to the world about it. However, in this land of government-backed vanity projects this empty, echoing stadium now sends out a very different message. Many of the people in church ministry in China started well but soon failed and have disappeared. Ministry projects are actually activated by personal ego. May the Lord have mercy on us and help us to count the cost, plan well, and through the conviction of the Holy Spirit learn to overcome our pride.
Monday
There are more than 1800 Kentucky Fried Chicken outlets in China and they are planning to expand to 15,000 outlets. Many people, but especially the young people in China have adopted the taste for Western fast food and Chinese restaurants are also adapting and trying to serve their food in that same style. Many pastors in China dream of having "Chinese style" churches that have Chinese distinctive in worship, preaching, and even in church government. However, the road map for this move is not clear yet. We pray that God will raise up church leaders who have visions and are able to network in all the different factions of the churches in China.
As the flood-ravaged capital of China dealt with the aftermath of their heaviest rains in six decades, people were raising questions about whether the push for modernization came at the expense of basic infrastructure needs such as drainage networks. Churches in China are known for having a lot of believers. We want to pray that those are serious and committed people and that they will be dedicated to disciple and train their flocks. It is not an easy task so we pray for genuine spiritual growth of both believers and leaders.
Wednesday
Cities in China have seen remarkable transformation above ground while basic necessities such as water drainage apparently were neglected. A famous university in Guangzhou is ridiculed as "The University of Venice in Guangzhou" since the campus is always flooded in the rainy season. Some ask the question: "Are the churches in China stronger and more vibrant now than they were thirty years ago?" Many of us prefer not to answer that question so let us ask the Lord for revival in all of the churches including the "fast-growing" churches, not just those "dying" rural ones.
Thursday
Beijing's most famous Olympic venue, the Bird's Nest Stadium, is saddled with high maintenance costs and is struggling to get by. Fewer and fewer visitors are coming to view the cavernous arches these days. In the past four years few events have been able to fill a stadium built to seat 91,000 people. There are many "big" churches in China with thousands of seats and as many members. We want to pray for these churches, for their leaders, their influence, and their influence in the communities where they are located. May the Lord use their high visibility for the expansion of the Kingdom and not just their turf.
Friday
These days a smattering of mostly Chinese tour groups trickle through the gigantic Bird's Nest Stadium. Visitors to the famous place are now in free fall and hardly any foreign tourists bother to go there to admire its grandeur. Many churches in the cities are in the process of building or remodeling but construction projects for churches can often be contentious or even divisive. We pray for unity and vision for all the churches who are now undertaking expansion or planning to expand their facilities.
Saturday
Many Chinese people feel the huge Birds' Nest Stadium is China's pride and a great world monument. The official audio tour describes the stadium in these symbolic terms: "The Birds' Nest as a symbol of the rise of the Chinese nation, will follow the nation's footsteps in its rise to glory." Chinese people care a lot about image or "face". Let us pray for genuine spiritual growth and revival of all Chinese believers, not merely long and beautiful prayers or a religious appearance, but a heart of true humility and repentance.
Sunday
The Birds' Nest Stadium in Beijing was designed as a stage on which to display China's coming-out party and send a message to the world about it. However, in this land of government-backed vanity projects this empty, echoing stadium now sends out a very different message. Many of the people in church ministry in China started well but soon failed and have disappeared. Ministry projects are actually activated by personal ego. May the Lord have mercy on us and help us to count the cost, plan well, and through the conviction of the Holy Spirit learn to overcome our pride.
Monday
There are more than 1800 Kentucky Fried Chicken outlets in China and they are planning to expand to 15,000 outlets. Many people, but especially the young people in China have adopted the taste for Western fast food and Chinese restaurants are also adapting and trying to serve their food in that same style. Many pastors in China dream of having "Chinese style" churches that have Chinese distinctive in worship, preaching, and even in church government. However, the road map for this move is not clear yet. We pray that God will raise up church leaders who have visions and are able to network in all the different factions of the churches in China.
星期二
最近北京下的一場世紀大雨，排水系統無法承受短時間內如此巨大的雨水沖擊，導致市區多處深度積水，造成嚴重人命和財物損失。這次大雨也暴露了北京在耗鉅資推動建設现代化之際，基礎設施如排水系統的薄弱。中國教會以擁有廣大信徒而聞名，求主幫助教會領袖都肯委身跟隨主，盡心擺上，事主愛人，並致力門徒訓練，願意在神的話語上下功夫，把根基立在磐石上，雨淋、水沖，風吹，也不致倒塌。雖然這並非容易的事，我們來為教會領袖及信徒的靈命成長禱告。
星期三
儘管近年國內城市建設日新月異，但下水道等基礎設施卻一直被人忽略。廣州市著名的暨南大學由於頻頻遭受水漫校園的困擾，甚至被謔稱為「威尼斯大學廣州分校」。 有人質疑：「現今的中國教會，比三十年前更健全有力嗎？」 或許我們都不想回應這個尖銳的問題。就讓我們祈求恩主，賜下復興的靈火，不僅僅是在「蕭條」的農村教會，同樣也在「新興」 的城市教會裡。
星期四
在2008年北京奧運會裡，各項設施中最知名的就是國家體育場 ─ 鳥巢，現在卻成了使用率低 (無法坐滿9萬座位）、高昂維修費、棄之又可惜的設施。在中國的大城市中，能容納千人的大教堂已經不值得大驚小怪了。然而我們要為這些教會禱告，求主幫助教會領袖們，因著教會在當地的名聲，影響力，能在社區中為主做美好的見證，讓神的國度得以大大擴張，而不是那片青翠的草皮。
星期五
國家體育場「鳥巢」實在太大，而能填滿觀眾席的運動賽事或演出又實在太少，以致它除了成為觀光景點之外，別無其他任務。現時中國的遊客已不再對它感興趣，而來自國外的遊客也感受不到它恢宏之處。許多城市教會正在建新堂或改建的過程中，對教會而言，花錢改建或籌款建新堂都會有爭議甚至分裂的可能。我們特別為正計劃建築，改建的教會禱告，求恩主保守他們有合一的心，並賜下異象，同心為神國的事盡忠擺上。
星期六
「鳥巢」的巨大與獨特是一個美麗、正面的北京地標，使中國人感到驕傲。官方語音導覽也描述：鳥巢體育館是中國崛起的象徵，並將跟隨國家的腳步邁向榮耀。華人尤其注重外表和體面，願主賜給每一個中國信徒，靈命成長及復興，好叫我們不是只有敬虔的外表，長篇的禱告詞，而是真正謙卑、悔改，擁有像主一樣美麗的生命。
星期日
「鳥巢」既是中國的榮耀，也是中國之於國際的形象大使。在 2008年華麗登場後，現在龐大場館內空洞的回音，卻傳達出截然不同的訊息。我們得承認，許多教會的事工有頭無尾，或是火熱一陣就乏人問津。這樣的問題往往牽涉到自我中心及驕傲。求主赦免、憐憫我們，叫我們除了計算資源、做事應有好的規劃外，更讓聖靈常常指引我們，使我們操練勝過從老我裡生出的自高自大的試探。
星期一
「肯德基」炸雞店在中國有一千八百多間連鎖店，未來正計劃拓展到一萬五千家。現今中國的青少年對西方飲食有極大的興趣，近期中國餐館也開始走西方路線。「中國式」的教會是許多家庭教會領袖們的夢想，只是要如何走出這一條路，卻還是不明確。求主為我們預備合祂心意的領袖與計劃，使不同教會彼此間能有更多的連繫。
最近北京下的一場世紀大雨，排水系統無法承受短時間內如此巨大的雨水沖擊，導致市區多處深度積水，造成嚴重人命和財物損失。這次大雨也暴露了北京在耗鉅資推動建設现代化之際，基礎設施如排水系統的薄弱。中國教會以擁有廣大信徒而聞名，求主幫助教會領袖都肯委身跟隨主，盡心擺上，事主愛人，並致力門徒訓練，願意在神的話語上下功夫，把根基立在磐石上，雨淋、水沖，風吹，也不致倒塌。雖然這並非容易的事，我們來為教會領袖及信徒的靈命成長禱告。
星期三
儘管近年國內城市建設日新月異，但下水道等基礎設施卻一直被人忽略。廣州市著名的暨南大學由於頻頻遭受水漫校園的困擾，甚至被謔稱為「威尼斯大學廣州分校」。 有人質疑：「現今的中國教會，比三十年前更健全有力嗎？」 或許我們都不想回應這個尖銳的問題。就讓我們祈求恩主，賜下復興的靈火，不僅僅是在「蕭條」的農村教會，同樣也在「新興」 的城市教會裡。
星期四
在2008年北京奧運會裡，各項設施中最知名的就是國家體育場 ─ 鳥巢，現在卻成了使用率低 (無法坐滿9萬座位）、高昂維修費、棄之又可惜的設施。在中國的大城市中，能容納千人的大教堂已經不值得大驚小怪了。然而我們要為這些教會禱告，求主幫助教會領袖們，因著教會在當地的名聲，影響力，能在社區中為主做美好的見證，讓神的國度得以大大擴張，而不是那片青翠的草皮。
星期五
國家體育場「鳥巢」實在太大，而能填滿觀眾席的運動賽事或演出又實在太少，以致它除了成為觀光景點之外，別無其他任務。現時中國的遊客已不再對它感興趣，而來自國外的遊客也感受不到它恢宏之處。許多城市教會正在建新堂或改建的過程中，對教會而言，花錢改建或籌款建新堂都會有爭議甚至分裂的可能。我們特別為正計劃建築，改建的教會禱告，求恩主保守他們有合一的心，並賜下異象，同心為神國的事盡忠擺上。
星期六
「鳥巢」的巨大與獨特是一個美麗、正面的北京地標，使中國人感到驕傲。官方語音導覽也描述：鳥巢體育館是中國崛起的象徵，並將跟隨國家的腳步邁向榮耀。華人尤其注重外表和體面，願主賜給每一個中國信徒，靈命成長及復興，好叫我們不是只有敬虔的外表，長篇的禱告詞，而是真正謙卑、悔改，擁有像主一樣美麗的生命。
星期日
「鳥巢」既是中國的榮耀，也是中國之於國際的形象大使。在 2008年華麗登場後，現在龐大場館內空洞的回音，卻傳達出截然不同的訊息。我們得承認，許多教會的事工有頭無尾，或是火熱一陣就乏人問津。這樣的問題往往牽涉到自我中心及驕傲。求主赦免、憐憫我們，叫我們除了計算資源、做事應有好的規劃外，更讓聖靈常常指引我們，使我們操練勝過從老我裡生出的自高自大的試探。
星期一
「肯德基」炸雞店在中國有一千八百多間連鎖店，未來正計劃拓展到一萬五千家。現今中國的青少年對西方飲食有極大的興趣，近期中國餐館也開始走西方路線。「中國式」的教會是許多家庭教會領袖們的夢想，只是要如何走出這一條路，卻還是不明確。求主為我們預備合祂心意的領袖與計劃，使不同教會彼此間能有更多的連繫。
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