GAN CHINESE

The Gan people group live in several inland provinces of China, such as Hunan, Fujian and Anhui. They number 40 million, but less than 1% of them follow Christ. Continue to pray for the establishment of growing Gan fellowships.

Recently the Jesus film has been translated into the Gan dialect, please pray that this would be widely shown and bear much fruit.

Most Gan would be classed as Atheist, but recently there has been a surge in interest in Buddhism and Daoism, please pray that the gospel would make great strides amongst this people.

HAINANESE CHINESE

Hainan island is the playground of China, it is a place for pleasure seekers. It is an island that needs the gospel. Please pray for revival in the church, which numbers around 100,000.

Recently many new fellowships and many new Christians have come into the church. Please pray that they would be properly guided into all truth.

The Hainanese Chinese have no full bible in their own dialect, please pray that this would happen.

HAN CHINESE CANTONESE PEOPLE GROUP

These number over 65 million and are largely concentrated in Guangdong province and Hong Kong, they are open to the gospel as they have been evangelised for over two hundred years, ever since Robert Morrison landed in China in 1807. Please pray that this openness would continue.

Many churches have been formed amongst them , but there is much formalism and legalism. Please pray for deep and powerful revival to vibrate through the Cantonese church and may they become more mission minded.

Cantonese have moved to many countries especially Singapore, UK, USA and Thailand. Here they are open to the gospel, please pray that they would be reached in these countries and active churches formed.

HAN CHINESE

DAN PEOPLE GROUP

These people also live in Guangdong province and are called the Boat people, as they live on the water. They number around 4 million  and have only a few thousand Christians amongst them.

As they travel around by water, it is very difficult to establish fellowships and do discipleship amongst them.

There are ministries located in Hong Kong that specifically target these people, they will enter the boats and share the gospel. Please pray that this would lead to the forming of church family groups and that relevant and dynamic resources, would be available, they are able to understand both Mandarin and Cantonese.

SUNDAY

SHAANXI PROVINCE

LOCATED IN NORTH/CENTRAL CHINA

EVANGELICALS 7%  POPULATION 40 MILLION

Christianity gained it’s first foothold in China in the 6^th century in this province. Please pray for a return to God in this vital province.

Poverty exists all over this province and much fruit has been gathered in by the loving response to this by the church. Please pray for the church to continue to witness in power.

Although the church numbers over 3 million, there is a lack of good strong bible preaching, which leaves individual christians and whole churches prone to error. Please pray for the calling and training of godly men.

X’ian is a centre for education with over one million students, some come to faith, but when they leave university, they go back into the world. Please pray for fruitful student ministry and that the fruit would grow and impact all China.

X’ian was the capital of China , a thousand years ago and today, millions are drawn to it’s massive city walls and world famous Terracotta army. Please pray that as many minority people from around China flock to the city, they would be reached.

ADI RAMO

These people number 200 and live on the Chinese/Indian border. Their counterparts in India, have come to faith, but not so in China. Please pray that this small group, would have a strong thriving church.

NAZA

These people do have some knowledge of God, as they worship the sun, moon and stars, but this is mixed with worship of ancestors. These beliefs have kept them bound for centuries, please pray that believers from other people groups, would go to these people.

2 Thessalonians 3

Finally, brothers,[a] pray for us, that the word of the Lord may speed ahead and be honoured,[b] as happened among you, 2 and that we may be delivered from wicked and evil men. For not all have faith. 3 But the Lord is faithful. He will establish you and guard you against the evil one.[c] 4 And we have confidence in the Lord about you, that you are doing and will do the things that we command. 5 May the Lord direct your hearts to the love of God and to the steadfastness of Christ.

Sunday

Please pray that the Chinese church, would be filled with purity, power and boldness as it meets today. Please pray for the pastors as they preach, for boldness and empowerment. Please pray for the protection of all services.

Monday

Please pray as the church is 80-90% women. Men need to be challenged and activated into leadership. Please pray that each church would have a group of godly men, who fear nothing but God, and who are prepared to sacrifice themselves for the gospel.

Tuesday

Please pray for the next generation, most of the church is made up of middle-aged people. Please pray that there would be an influx of young people and children into the church. The next generation is only interested in the latest fashion and cell phone. Please pray for the children of China, who are under severe pressure to achieve a good score at school.

Wednesday

Persecution is real, but we can and do share the gospel. Please pray that God would open up opportunities to share the gospel. People are in great need. Many people have mental problems, the society seems stable, but people are hurting very deeply. Please pray that the church, would be salt and light.

Thursday

140 million are unreached. The size of the task is huge, to walk down a street is to be overwhelmed by this mass of humanity. Please pray that every person in China, would hear the gospel.

Friday

Many millions are trapped in Buddhism (500 Million), Communist Ideology (130 Million) and Atheism (500 Million). These ideologies are deep strongholds for the Chinese people and can only be dismantled by fervent and persevering prayer. Especially pray for the leader of China and the members of the CCP.

Saturday

Please pray for Revival of the church in China, it is only the power of the gospel, that can release China from the power of darkness. Consistent and fervent prayer is needed, please pray that the Chinese church would be filled with power and boldness and would by the preaching of the gospel, CHANGE MANY MILLIONS OF HEARTS IN CHINA.

Are you willing to join us?

These requests are guidelines, please use the books Operation World and Operation China for more detailed information.

For news of persecution in China, please go to 

Voice of the Martyrs and Open doors

2 Thessalonians 3 

Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may have free course, and be glorified, even as it is with you:

2 And that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men: for all men have not faith.

3 But the Lord is faithful, who shall stablish you, and keep you from evil.

4 And we have confidence in the Lord touching you, that ye both do and will do the things which we command you.

5 And the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God, and into the patient waiting for Christ.

In part 1, we made lots of general comments, but now we want to help you pray in a specific way.

What should you pray for:

THE CHURCH

The church overall is mostly women, so the major prayer point, is that men take a greater leadership role.

God’s work must be done in God’s way Titus 2 and 1Timothy 3, and so this is a really important focus for your prayers.

Also prayer is needed for unity between churches, this is also a major focus.

THE CITIES

Many cities have grown up over the last thirty years, such as Shenzhen and Chongqing, the flow of people into the cities is amazing and ongoing.

PRAY FOR COMMUNITIES

Each community has many complexes, our area has up to 30-40 complexes, our complex has up to 600 flats.

Please pray that each community, has it’s own Bible study, led by people from it’s own complex.

PRAY FOR THE COUNTRYSIDE

Many of the churches in the vast countryside have been stripped of their best church coworkers.

In past years, this is where revival started, so please pray that God would do it again.

PRAY FOR THE PEOPLE CLUSTERS

China has hundreds of minority people, but the main peoples are the Han Chinese.

Specific focus has to be given to the Han Chinese, God is moving in the Han Chinese and when the Han people turns to Christ entirely, they can evangelise the other groups.

PRAY FOR CHINA’S CHILDREN/YOUNG PEOPLE

Children in China, are exposed to atheism/humanism from an early age. Not only that but parents and grandparents, place great pressure to gain a high score in exams and to gain a good job/marriage.

There is much more, but I will stop there and let David say a few words:

I grew up in China and was born in Wuhan, China. China has a lot of people. I became a Christian in the USA while a student at Cornell University, in 2010. Now it’s my 14^th year as a Christian. I would say that the greatest challenge facing Chinese churches today is forsaking the love that we had at first. (“But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first.” Ephesians 2:4) Yes, we have had great revivals in the past. We have had exponential church growth. But today, many people’s love has grown cold because they have seen much lawlessness. (“and because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be saved.” Matthew 24:12-13) Many house churches are bitterly divided over tiny theological issues or over personal differences. Please pray that there will be unity within the house churches in China. Please also pray that churches may be grounded theologically, as there are many heresies in China. Please also pray that the Chinese church may partake in foreign missionary work as well, as many Chinese gospel workers have gone overseas to many Muslim nations. “And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.” (Matthew 24:14)

HOW TO PRAY FOR CHINA PART 1

1 THESSALONIANS 1 

2 We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers;

3 Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father;

4 Knowing, brethren beloved, your election of God.

5 For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance; as ye know what manner of men we were among you for your sake.

6 And ye became followers of us, and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Ghost.

7 So that ye were ensamples to all that believe in Macedonia and Achaia.

8 For from you sounded out the word of the Lord not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith to God-ward is spread abroad; so that we need not to speak any thing.

9 For they themselves shew of us what manner of entering in we had unto you, and how ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God;

10 And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.

We hear every day about China, we hear about church growth in China, and we want to pray effectively and help the Chinese church.

How can this be done, in this article, with the help of my dear Chinese brother David, who has lived in China and the USA, both of us have a unique vantage point.

First of all you must have a deep concern for China:

God alone can place that burden on your heart, ask him to put that burden on your heart.

Secondly, you must be PROPERLY informed. Knowledge of the harvest field is wonderful and up to date information is better, we need information that is effective and from the voice of the Chinese people themselves.

Before you start to pray effectively, you must understand these three things:

YOU MUST UNDERSTAND THAT CHINESE CULTURE IS DIFFERENT

The gospel is the power of God to all who believe to all the nations.. amen.

But in a different cultural setting, it must be refined, note I said refined, not changed.

The Chinese culture is one based on benevolence, they believe that they are basically good. So confronting them with sin and stating that they are a sinner, is a difficult concept, for a Chinese person to understand.

Christ addressed several seemingly good people in the gospels, such as Nicodemus and Zaccheus. Paul spoke to Lydia and to Cornelius, who were good religious people.

Chinese people from an early age have been told that there is no God and that there is no morality.

Atheism is a thin veneer for all kinds of sin as Paul stated in Romans 1, we have witnessed to many Chinese and had to explain the existence of God.

Pray that God would move mightily in the hearts of the Chinese people, many who are saved come out of a life of atheism and Buddhism and they need a complete washing and renewing of their minds, as there are many alien concepts to them.

PRAY THAT THE CULTURE WILL BE CHALLENGED

2 CORINTHINS 10 

4 For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. 5 We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ, 6 being ready to punish every disobedience, when your obedience is complete.

Christianity in China, is still seen to some extent as a foreign religion, so the best things western Christians to do is to pray.

As mentioned earlier Chinese culture is based on Confucius teaching and atheism, it has to be challenged by the gospel.

Women in the home are seen as dominant and this along with other unbiblical ideas, must be challenged.

The word of God is God’s agent of challenge, but many of the things that it says and makes clear are alien to the Chinese and go against Chinese culture.

So there is a great need for a move of the Holy Spirit, in the hearts of the Chinese people. Many people including my Chinese wife come from a Buddhist background, so their minds must be washed by the word.

This may take years, that’s why we need prayer warriors to pray, leading a Chinese person to Christ, is the easy part, now begins the difficult part, as the discipleship process starts.

Please pray that the Church, would be able to disciple in a biblical way and that God’s people would grow in grace and love for his Word.

PRAY THAT THE CULTURE WOULD BE CHANGED

China is seeking to erase corruption from the country, this is virtually impossible, but there is a way that it could be, by changing people’s hearts with the gospel.

The first six chapters of Daniel, show how a society, can be challenged by four men, who stand truly for God.

We are not here to change the government, only God can do that, that is something which is in God’s hand Psalm 2.

How can we do this:

TRUE CONVERSION

Pray that people would come to be born again, like Paul, Nicodemus, Lydia etc.

Sad to say, many millions, have said the sinners prayers are still living in sin, because of false teaching such as The Shack and Purpose Driven Life. Pray that the true gospel, would be preached.

TRUE CLEANSING

There has to be deep repentance Psalms 32/51, many people come to Christ, carrying so much baggage from their past, such as the burning of paper money to ancestors and other occult practices.

Again these things have to be addressed and defeated by prayer.

TRUE COMMITMENT

In the parable of the Sower, only one seed bore fruit, pray that the seed of the gospel brings forth fruit and that this fruit grows. To do this, it must be watered by fervent intercessory prayer.

TRUE CHANGE

What is our aim by praying for China, it is to see not just the culture challenged, but people to be converted and changed. Only then can the culture be changed.

People hearts need to be changed and the only agent of change is the gospel, I hope you will join us as we pray for China,

In the second part of this article, we will be getting down to what we can pray for in specific terms.

For now, I am going to hand over to my friend David, who will add  his personal words of wisdom.

Over to you David

My thoughts (from David, a Chinese Christian living now in the USA):

First of all, thanks for reading this. There are a lot of Christian information around, and your time reading this is appreciated. I will keep it short.

As to prayers for the church, please pray that the house church leaders can petition the government to make house churches legal in China. This is an overdue issue. Some new laws need to be passed. Some prisoners released.

You should visit China. The western media paints China in a negative way. Therefore, come visit. Go to places like Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen and taste Chinese food. Unlike people in the west, Chinese people are generally more friendly towards foreigners. But please do not come in a condescending manner. Respect local customs.

I wish you all very well. God bless you.

David