New to China
Our family moved to China in the early years of the Reform and Opening Era. We were part of a business as mission multinational team in a major city. Some on our team had been born in China and were returning after many years away. Some had ancestors born in China and were moving there for the first time. More were lǎowài (老外, foreigner) with varying degrees of language competency. All on the team knew we would accomplish nothing without the Lord’s amazing grace.
Developing Relationships and Prayer Mobilization
The vast majority of our relationships in the initial period were with non-Christian Chinese. Enormous amounts of time and energy were focused on the effort to establish a viable business presence in China, and this meant developing relationships with important contacts. The successes seemed small in comparison to the failures, but we persevered even after the events of June 4, 1989.
With the passing of time we also developed precious relationships with older Chinese Christians. One of them, Brother Li, had been a student of Eric Liddell. Another, Brother Bian, was a former associate of Wang Mingdao. Amazingly, Bian’s son became a language tutor for our son and we visited the Bian family’s spare home on several occasions; their apartment building was only a couple of bus stops from ours. Brother Bian said something to me on one of those visits that changed my life. He very casually mentioned that he and his wife prayed for our team every day. I then realized that I had been so consumed with the work of our business project that I wasn’t sure I prayed for my own team every day—let alone taking time to lift up Chinese believers like this dear couple.
A few years later, we were on a short furlough and were prompted to undergo an extended time of prayer and fasting. The Lord brought to mind our praying friends back in China. We had long been aware of the revival that had swept across many parts of rural China. We also knew that there had been some stirrings of revival in the cities after 1989. However, most of those cities had not yet experienced the same level of church growth as in the rural areas. We sensed the Lord calling us to launch a prayer mobilization effort among Christians in the West that would focus on China’s more than 600 cities.
When we returned to China, we shared this vision for prayer mobilization. One of our primary tools was a printed calendar. These calendars featured pictures from China’s cultural, historical, and contemporary social life. We were blessed to receive much encouragement from team members and from Chinese brothers and sisters.
Over the next few years, the Lord opened doors for us to speak about our life in China and the calendar initiative at conferences organized by ChinaSource and other like-minded organizations. On one occasion we attended a conference in Chicago where Brother Bian, who first inspired us, was a featured speaker. We heard him issue an altar call for full-time service and watched as hundreds from China went forward.
Later as the 200th anniversary of Robert Morrison’s arrival in China approached, Reverand Thomas Wang, another former disciple of Wang Mingdao, joined us in printing and distributing Chinese versions of the prayer calendar for several years. This coincided with the era of China joining the WTO, hosting the Olympics, and experiencing the devastating Wenchuan Earthquake that saw hundreds of Chinese and foreign Christians assist in rescue operations. All in all, these events resulted in a much more open and visible time for the Chinese church.
What This Priority Means to Us
Currently, the church in China is undergoing a time of severe testing unlike any seen since the Reform and Opening Era was launched. Our brothers and sisters in China will be much encouraged by our prayers. We could not be more excited about the priority given by ChinaSource to Activating Prayer in this new campaign. We have been blessed to be one of ChinaSource’s many partners in providing prayer resources in English and Chinese via the web page and social media. We join in longing for the outcome of a “global movement of intercessors lifting up China with love and faith.”
Call to Action: Engaging in Prayer
Let us stand with believers in China through faithful, daily intercession—trusting that God works powerfully through prayer offered in love and perseverance.
Three Ways to Pray:
- Pray for the church in China
Ask God to strengthen and encourage Chinese believers during this season of testing, granting endurance, unity, and deep faith. - Pray for relationships and witness
Lift up cross-cultural workers, local believers, and seekers in China—that friendships formed through daily life would open doors for the gospel and mutual encouragement. - Pray for a global movement of intercessors
Pray that Christians around the world would be mobilized to sustained prayer for China’s cities, churches, and communities, joining together in hope and faith.
