This Week's Prayer Guide
October 6 - This week, we pray for Christians in Xi’an as they seek to love their city well. Pray for the churches in Xi’an to be a “city on a hill,” salt and light to their communities around them.
October 7 - A pastor in Xi’an says, “I feel Xi'an has a rich history and culture, which it often prides itself on. While this is a strength, it also presents some weaknesses. People here tend to be relatively conservative in many aspects. For example, in my experience, if you encourage people to speak freely and share their thoughts, they may not be very proactive. This conservative nature is part of the city's character. Compared to southern China or other cities, the style here is a bit more reserved.” Pray for the gospel to break through this reserved nature and allow for churches in Xi’an to build deep relationships with their neighbors.
October 8 - A sister in Xi’an notes, “I've noticed a significant influx of people relocating to Xi'an, leaving their previous homes. In our church, most members are from other provinces, coming to Xi'an for work, or for educational reasons, seeking homeschooling communities for their children. Some have relocated for work-related reasons.” Pray for the church to grow as a result of this influx of people, that more people coming to Xi’an may encounter Christ.
October 9 - A sister in Xi’an says, “Job opportunities are scarce. One sister has been searching for work for three or four months, constantly interviewing, but the companies here are far from ideal. In Beijing, weekends off are the norm, but here, it's often just one day off, or even working on Sundays. The work pressure is immense.” Pray for believers who are dealing with this work pressure, or who are unemployed.
October 10 - A believer in Xi’an says, “The poor economic reality impacts our church ministry. Many members have to balance work and service, participating in worship and ministry activities while holding down jobs. This limits our capacity in some areas. But thank God, everyone remains joyful.” Pray for God’s joy to permeate the lives of Xi’an Christians, even in hardship, and for the economic situation to improve.
October 11 - A sister in Xi’an makes note, “I led our church's women's fellowship this morning, and since these women have children, they generally don't work during the day and have to pick up their kids in the afternoon. The children face immense academic pressure and often do homework late into the night. The parents feel helpless about the secular ideologies being instilled in their children through the education system and wish they could provide an alternative. However, some have unbelieving husbands, and even those with believing husbands often lack the faith to pursue homeschooling.” Pray for these sisters to have wisdom as they raise their children, to be examples of Christ to them and to model a hope, love, and faith that is different from the world.
October 12 - A pastor in a town outside Xi’an says, “In recent years, we've shifted our focus away from rural ministry. A year and a half ago, many people migrated to the cities, making rural ministry difficult with only a few scattered individuals left. So, for the past two years, we've concentrated our efforts on surrounding towns, communities, and urban areas. This transition from rural to urban ministry presents challenges, as the newcomers need time to adapt.” Pray for the challenges presented by this shift in ministry, that this church may build a good, Christ-centered community as they transition to urban ministry.
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