What is "Pray For China"?
PrayForChina weekly prayer requests started in 2002, as a joint project of several ministries. A team of 5 spends nearly 40 hours, gather, edit, translate and send out the prayer requests weekly. It is our goal to keep you informed of current events and how they affect churches in China. We aim to provide our readers accurate and confirmed news account, specifically as the events impact and relate to believers and churches in China, both Registered and House churches. We are humbled and amazed by what God has done in this awesome ministry of supplying the fuel for nearly 25,000 prayer warriors worldwide. It is our prayer that every letter would a blessing to you and for China and her churches. Many have told us that they were enriched by being able to pray more focused and urgently because of this prayer letter.
Prayer Guide for 2/6 to 2/13, 2012
Tuesday
Currently the mandatory retirement age in China is 60 for men and 50 for women with 55 for those in the management level but officials are considering a flexible retirement system. In contrast to a proposal to change the retirement age of women to agree with that of men, there is the idea of a flexible retirement system which will give an age range in which both men and women can choose to retire. In 2011 the China Women's Federation released a report saying that half of the people surveyed agreed that men and women should retire at the same age. There are many believers who are barely over 50 and retired so they have the time, ability, and energy to help out in all areas of ministry. We thank the Lord for them because they make up for the lack of full-time ministers. We remember them in our prayers as they serve diligently and unselfishly and we know that their reward in heaven will be great.
Wednesday
A flexible retirement system is meant to give both men and women in China the right to choose when to retire. The suggestion is that they can choose any time between 50 to 55 years of age and that by the time they are 60 years old, all must retire. They feel that this proposed option is more reasonable and equitable than the present system. How to mobilize the large numbers of retired believers is a huge task for the churches in China. The majority of these people are helping their children care for their grandchildren. We pray that these Christian grandparents will have a powerful influence on the little ones who spend the whole day with them, especially those whose parents are not believers or are so busy they do not teach the little ones Bible stories or how to pray.
Thursday
A large number of pastors in the rural churches of China have had to give up their ministry to find jobs in the cities to support their families and pay for the educational expenses of their children. Their wives have stayed in the villages and tended the family garden plots along with caring for the family. However, they still must take care of the church ministry in their husband's absence. This is a very common situation and presents a huge load for them. These rural churches are poor and unable to financially support a shepherd so the church suffers decline in morals and a lack of spiritual nourishment. Let us remember these families and their churches.
Friday
Chinese couples or mothers in churches once they have a child often just drop out of ministry in the church to focus on the educational activities of that child. Chinese believers really need to learn the lesson of how to balance family and church. We pray for wisdom from God especially for those who serve in the churches so that people will not neglect the needs of their children but will still be faithful in serving God. Many children grow up in church feeling they are neglected by their parents because of the demands of the ministry. May the Lord heal their hurt and allow them to see how God considers their devotion to Him so very special.
Saturday
Many of the pastors and the believers alike, in the grass roots churches (including churches of migrant workers) are very poor and cannot afford anything beyond basic needs. They can hardly afford the many fees charged by schools let alone paying for a college education. They struggle trying to serve God with little salary to meet the financial needs of the family. We pray especially for believers who are migrant workers. May the Lord supply their needs in the often difficult places and grant them the faith to endure knowing God always loves them, cares for them, and they can be a powerful testimony for Him.
Sunday
The churches in China have been isolated from each other due to political, historical, geographical, economic, and cultural reasons. There has been obvious distrust between the Three-self and house churches, between urban and rural churches as well as evangelical and charismatic churches. Even in one given church there is a lot of criticism, accusations, intolerance, as well as not accepting other Christians. We ask the Lord to help the churches in China to have real unity, not all under the same system, the same style, or even the same management but rather to appreciate the diversity of churches as God's gift to them. We pray the Lord will give them unity in preaching the truth, unity in the Holy Spirit, and in mission.
Monday
There are indeed certain advantages for those university students who accepted Jesus in bigger Chinese cities. In the coastal cities like Shenzhen, Shanghai, Beijing, Tianjin, Weihai and Port Arthur, the new college believers usually have better student ministry and better shepherds to nurture them. College student ministry in China is not an easy task, student leaders often have to feed themselves spiritually and care for the new believers as well, all without the help of trained pastors. Let us pray for all the believers in colleges, may the Lord give them wisdom, strength, knowing how to effectively use their time and live out Christ's example among those they lead.
Currently the mandatory retirement age in China is 60 for men and 50 for women with 55 for those in the management level but officials are considering a flexible retirement system. In contrast to a proposal to change the retirement age of women to agree with that of men, there is the idea of a flexible retirement system which will give an age range in which both men and women can choose to retire. In 2011 the China Women's Federation released a report saying that half of the people surveyed agreed that men and women should retire at the same age. There are many believers who are barely over 50 and retired so they have the time, ability, and energy to help out in all areas of ministry. We thank the Lord for them because they make up for the lack of full-time ministers. We remember them in our prayers as they serve diligently and unselfishly and we know that their reward in heaven will be great.
Wednesday
A flexible retirement system is meant to give both men and women in China the right to choose when to retire. The suggestion is that they can choose any time between 50 to 55 years of age and that by the time they are 60 years old, all must retire. They feel that this proposed option is more reasonable and equitable than the present system. How to mobilize the large numbers of retired believers is a huge task for the churches in China. The majority of these people are helping their children care for their grandchildren. We pray that these Christian grandparents will have a powerful influence on the little ones who spend the whole day with them, especially those whose parents are not believers or are so busy they do not teach the little ones Bible stories or how to pray.
Thursday
A large number of pastors in the rural churches of China have had to give up their ministry to find jobs in the cities to support their families and pay for the educational expenses of their children. Their wives have stayed in the villages and tended the family garden plots along with caring for the family. However, they still must take care of the church ministry in their husband's absence. This is a very common situation and presents a huge load for them. These rural churches are poor and unable to financially support a shepherd so the church suffers decline in morals and a lack of spiritual nourishment. Let us remember these families and their churches.
Friday
Chinese couples or mothers in churches once they have a child often just drop out of ministry in the church to focus on the educational activities of that child. Chinese believers really need to learn the lesson of how to balance family and church. We pray for wisdom from God especially for those who serve in the churches so that people will not neglect the needs of their children but will still be faithful in serving God. Many children grow up in church feeling they are neglected by their parents because of the demands of the ministry. May the Lord heal their hurt and allow them to see how God considers their devotion to Him so very special.
Saturday
Many of the pastors and the believers alike, in the grass roots churches (including churches of migrant workers) are very poor and cannot afford anything beyond basic needs. They can hardly afford the many fees charged by schools let alone paying for a college education. They struggle trying to serve God with little salary to meet the financial needs of the family. We pray especially for believers who are migrant workers. May the Lord supply their needs in the often difficult places and grant them the faith to endure knowing God always loves them, cares for them, and they can be a powerful testimony for Him.
Sunday
The churches in China have been isolated from each other due to political, historical, geographical, economic, and cultural reasons. There has been obvious distrust between the Three-self and house churches, between urban and rural churches as well as evangelical and charismatic churches. Even in one given church there is a lot of criticism, accusations, intolerance, as well as not accepting other Christians. We ask the Lord to help the churches in China to have real unity, not all under the same system, the same style, or even the same management but rather to appreciate the diversity of churches as God's gift to them. We pray the Lord will give them unity in preaching the truth, unity in the Holy Spirit, and in mission.
Monday
There are indeed certain advantages for those university students who accepted Jesus in bigger Chinese cities. In the coastal cities like Shenzhen, Shanghai, Beijing, Tianjin, Weihai and Port Arthur, the new college believers usually have better student ministry and better shepherds to nurture them. College student ministry in China is not an easy task, student leaders often have to feed themselves spiritually and care for the new believers as well, all without the help of trained pastors. Let us pray for all the believers in colleges, may the Lord give them wisdom, strength, knowing how to effectively use their time and live out Christ's example among those they lead.
