This Week's Prayer Guide


April 20 - This week, we are continuing to pray for the needs of churches in Shenzhen. Pray for the work of ministry and for the gospel to spread.

April 21 - A pastor in Shenzhen says, “Many churches weren't established through organized missionary efforts from any particular church. It's more like a grassroots movement of lay Christians driven by the migration wave. So, there are numerous small, scattered churches, very characteristic of Chinese house churches. One rented apartment after another, one worker dormitory after another, formed one small church after another. But the overall connection isn't very strong. Thankfully, in recent years, because of the city's youthful demographics, more and more churches are beginning to pay attention to the gospel needs of Shenzhen.” Pray for Shenzhen churches to foster good connections with each other and pay attention to the gospel needs of the city.

April 22 - A Shenzhen pastor says, “Compared to other cities, Shenzhen might be slightly better off, but the economic situation is still quite serious. Church members are all facing pay cuts, potential layoffs, and unemployment. This isn't just a church phenomenon, but a city-wide one. And people have become anxious and worried. In our church, many families, especially the non-believing family members, are experiencing depression and seeking medical help due to excessive worry and anxiety.” Pray for believers struggling with anxiety and depression in the midst of economic strain, for God to provide both financially to those and need and the comfort of his presence.

April 23 - One Shenzhen pastor notes, “The number of people in our church hasn't decreased, because as some leave, new people come. As long as we have the capacity to plant churches, a new location quickly fills up. Two or three years ago, we were constantly and rapidly planting churches. In the last two or three years, we've slowed down and are now focusing on deeper cultivation.” Pray for this gospel depth, that these church plants will be cultivated and bear fruit.

April 24 - A pastor in Shenzhen says, “Our church was shut down in 2019, meaning we couldn't meet together in one place with a large group of people. So ,we dispersed. Then came the three years of the pandemic, and some churches actually experienced great revival. Our church, after dispersing, experienced 130% growth each year. After the pandemic, the overall situation is much better than five years ago.” Praise God for the revival and growth of some of these churches as they meet in smaller groups.

April 25 - A Shenzhen pastor remarks, “We often think it's best and healthiest for husband and wife to serve together. But often, the wife has to work, and only the husband serves. In this case, the pressure is great, and after a long time, some pastors have psychological pressure and a tendency towards depression.” Pray for healthy ministry practices for husband and wives, for an easing of pressure, and for God’s grace and comfort to be with pastors struggling with depression.

April 26 - One pastor in Shenzhen comments, “In terms of faith, Shenzhen has everything, all denominations and varieties. Whatever denomination you're looking for, you'll likely find it here. It's fertile ground because it doesn't discriminate or exclude. So, any faith that comes here finds fertile soil.” Praise God for fertile soil, and pray that he will give his church deep roots and draw more people to himself.