This Week's Prayer Guide


April 12 - This week, pray for the needs of the people of Xiantan. Pray for the church to be a Christlike witness to their friends, neighbors, coworkers, and family members.

April 13 - A pastor in Xiangtan speaks about how improved transportation has actually made things difficult for the city’s economy: "Around 2023, the transit connections among Xiangtan, Changsha, and Zhuzhou reopened, creating a half-hour living circle between Xiangtan and the other two cities. This has also led to a great deal of population loss, because Changsha and Zhuzhou have more job opportunities, and many young people are moving in both directions. That has also contributed to Xiangtan’s economic decline, because companies cannot recruit enough workers." Pray for people who will invest in Xiangtan, that it may be a city that flourishes for the good of all its citizens. Pray also for more care for those who are struggling in the poor economy.

April 14 - A Xiangtan pastor says, "Campus ministry has shrunk and been restricted. The church cannot enter campuses or communities, and even social charity activities are hard to organize in the church’s name, because we are considered an illegal church and cannot operate in that way." Pray for more creative ways for churches to love and witness to students in the name of Christ.

April 15 - A pastor in Xiangtan says, "Schools maintain constant pressure, and students feel they must study hard and are deeply repressed. Many young people have depression and emotional heaviness. When we interact with them, we find that if we only try to reason with them, they feel annoyed. To build relationships takes a great deal of time and energy, and for ministry today that is a huge challenge." Pray for students in Xiangtan who are struggling with depression or who are overwhelmed by school. Pray that the church can be a source of comfort and peace for them, that they will be able to build deep relationships with students and show them the hope of Christ.

April 16 - "After the pandemic," says one Xiangtan pastor, "people have become more and more guarded. Before, we could hand out Gospel tracts on the street or give small gifts. Now none of that can really be done. On the one hand, the government restricts it and does not allow it. On the other hand, people are guarded, and there are too many scammers. If you kindly offer someone a small gift, they will throw it away because they are afraid." Pray that the Holy Spirit would overcome the spirit of fear and suspicion in Xiangtan, that the lost would find the hope of Christ.

April 17 - "Right now there is an online culture," says one pastor in Xiangtan. "Especially among those born after 2000, the culture places a high value on personal entertainment, while social and outdoor activity have greatly decreased. When we try to reach them, we discover cultural challenges, and they are not willing to participate. It is hard to enter their world. They have their own circles and electronic entertainment, which gives a high level of stimulation to the brain, so when they hear the Gospel, it feels too traditional and too old-fashioned. They also have a desire for novelty and a tendency to tire quickly of things." Pray that the gospel will break through the overemphasis on entertainment, that young people in Xiangtan would be aware of their own deep longings and that in Christ they would find the rest that their restless hearts seek.

April 18 - A sister in Xiangtan says, "In this age of rampant material desire, together with the culture of the city, people are especially drawn to eating, drinking, entertainment, and pleasure. They feel they do not have time for Jesus. They want to have fun, play mahjong, and pursue whatever brings profit. Some time ago there was a woman here who actually came to church for a period of time, but her heart never really seemed to come in. She said that going to church brings no payoff, no visible benefit, whereas playing mahjong does, and people drift in those things day after day. It is very hard, really very hard, to shepherd and support them." Pray for gospel depth in Xiangtan, that people would not see the gospel as transactional or expect a worldly "payoff," but would rather be captured by the beauty and goodness of the gospel vision.

4月12日- 本周，请为湘潭百姓的需要祷告。也请为当地教会祷告，愿他们能向自己的朋友、邻舍、同事和家人活出基督的见证。

4月13日- 湘潭的一位牧者谈到，交通改善反而给这座城市的经济带来了困难："大约在2023年前后，湘潭、长沙和株洲之间的交通重新恢复，形成了湘潭与另外两座城市之间的半小时生活圈。这也带来了大量人口流失，因为长沙和株洲有更多工作机会，许多年轻人都往那边流动。这也进一步加剧了湘潭经济的下滑，因为企业招不到足够的工人。" 请为那些愿意投资湘潭的人祷告，使这座城市能够兴旺起来，造福所有市民。也请为那些在低迷经济中挣扎的人祷告，愿他们得到更多关怀和帮助。

4月14日- 湘潭的一位牧者说："校园事工已经缩小，而且受到限制。教会不能进入校园或社区，甚至连以教会名义组织公益活动都很困难，因为我们被视为非法教会，无法那样开展事工。"
请祷告，求神赐给教会更多有智慧、有创意的方法，使他们能奉基督的名去爱学生、向学生作见证。

4月15日- 湘潭的一位牧者说："学校一直给学生很大压力，学生觉得自己必须努力学习，内心被深深压抑。很多年轻人都有抑郁和沉重的情绪。我们与他们接触时发现，如果只是想和他们讲道理，他们会觉得很烦。要建立关系需要花费大量时间和精力，而这正是今天事工中一个很大的挑战。" 请为湘潭那些正经历抑郁，或被学业重担压垮的学生祷告。也请祷告，愿教会能成为他们安慰和平安的来源，能够与学生建立深厚的关系，并向他们显明基督里的盼望。

4月16日- 湘潭的一位牧者说："疫情之后，人变得越来越防备。以前我们还能在街上发福音单张，或者送一些小礼物。现在这些几乎都做不了了。一方面，政府有限制，不允许这样做；另一方面，人心也很防备，而且骗子太多了。你若好意送别人一个小礼物，他们也会因为害怕而把它扔掉。" 请祷告，求圣灵除去湘潭当中惧怕和猜疑的灵，使失丧的人能够找到基督里的盼望。

4月17日- 湘潭的一位牧者说："现在有一种网络文化。特别是在00后当中，这种文化非常强调个人娱乐，而社交和户外活动却大大减少了。当我们尝试接触他们时，会发现有很多文化上的障碍，他们也不愿意参与。很难进入他们的世界。他们有自己的圈子和电子娱乐，而这些给大脑带来很强的刺激，所以当他们听见福音时，会觉得太传统、太老套了。他们也很追求新鲜感，而且很容易对一件事失去兴趣。"请祷告，愿福音突破人们对娱乐的过度看重，使湘潭的年轻人能意识到自己内心深处真正的渴望，并在基督里找到他们躁动之心所寻求的安息。

4月18日- 湘潭的一位姊妹说："在这个物欲横流的时代，再加上这座城市本身的文化，人们特别容易被吃喝、娱乐和享乐吸引。他们觉得自己没有时间给耶稣。他们想要玩乐、打麻将、追求一切能带来利益的事。前段时间，这里有一位女士其实来过教会一段时间，但她的心似乎始终没有真正进来。她说，去教会没有回报、没有看得见的好处，但打麻将却有，人们就这样日复一日地陷在这些事里。要牧养和扶持他们，真的很难，非常难。" 请为湘潭有更深的福音根基祷告，愿人们不要把福音看成一种交换，不期待从中得到属世的"回报"，而是被福音异象中的美善所吸引。