Biblical History
After the global Flood (2349 BC), the three sons of Noah and their wives became the forebears of the new human population (Ge 7:7, 13, 21–23). Ham, one of Noah’s sons, was the father of four sons: Cush, Mizraim (Egypt), Put, and Canaan (Ge 10:6). Canaan had 11 sons, two of them were Heth (Hittites), the other Sin (Sinites). (Ge 10:17). The Hebrew form of this word, Hittite, is Khettai and from this comes the word Cathay, which many of you will recognize as an ancient name for China. Certain of the Hittites migrated eastward and settled in China. Also, another name in this list, the Sinites, is linked with China. It derives from a son of Canaan whose name was Sin. The Sinites migrated eastward until they came into Western China, where they founded the ancient Empire of China and gave their name to the land. There is a direct connection between the word China and the word Sinim, the biblical name for China. (I remember reading as a boy of the Sino-Japanese War, showing how the ancient name still persists.) They also pushed eastward and toward the north over the land bridge into Alaska. The Sinites are the people who settled the Americas in prehistoric days and became the ancestors of the Eskimos and Indians who, to this very day, betray their Mongoloid ancestry.
General History
The relative isolation from the outside world made possible over the centuries the flowering and refinement of the Chinese culture, but it also left China ill prepared to cope with that world when, from the mid-19th century, it was confronted by technologically superior foreign nations. There followed a century of decline and decrepitude, as China found itself relatively helpless in the face of a foreign onslaught. The trauma of this external challenge became the catalyst for a revolution that began in the early 20th century against the old regime and culminated in the establishment of a communist government in 1949. This event reshaped global political geography, and China has since come to rank among the most influential countries in the world.
Central to China’s long-enduring identity as a unitary country is the province, or sheng(“secretariat”). The provinces are traceable in their current form to the Tang dynasty (618–907 AD). Over the centuries, provinces gained in importance as centres of political and economic authority and increasingly became the focus of regional identification and loyalty. Provincial power reached its peak in the first two decades of the 20th century, but, since the establishment of the People’s Republic, that power has been curtailed by a dictatorial central leadership (CCP) in Beijing.
The Chinese people have suffered greatly from the devastating cruelty of the dominant Communist Party since 1949, with as many as 45 million losing their lives under the first leader, Mao Zedong. Even with recent economic reforms that have brought some private ownership, the widely corrupt government still oppressively restricts almost every sphere of its people’s lives through repression of free speech, a harsh penal code, and more. A global market leader and the world’s second largest economy, China’s economic growth has created vast wealth for some, while also amplifying the disparities between the rich and poor. With hundreds of millions flocking to the cities over the past couple generations, China also faces a tragic myriad of social crises combined with the often fatal effects of environmental pollution. With a staggering divorce rate, urgent mental health needs (highest suicide rate in the world), vulnerable North Korean refugees, as many as 13 million abortions per year, over 3 million children in orphanages, and millions more abandoned and trafficked – the nation of China is a land of immense and urgent human need.
Intercessory Overview
Religion
What it means to follow Christ
In the early 2000s, many unregistered churches enjoyed some freedom from government intrusion and harassment despite their illegal status. In recent years, however, oppressive religious regulations and persecution have increased significantly, led by and controlled from the CCP government in Beijing.
Hundreds of churches have been forced to close, pastors and church members have been arrested or detained, and the online sale of Bibles has been prohibited. The campaign to remove crosses from churches continues. The government has installed more than 170 million facial recognition cameras, many in or near churches, in an effort to identify those who attend worship services.
Church leaders are under intense pressure to join the government-controlled Three-Self Patriotic Movement (TSPM), the state-sanctioned protestant church organization. Authorities pressure Christian parents by refusing their children an education, and even the grandchildren of Christians are often denied schooling. It is illegal to disciple anyone younger than 18. Christians are often charged with participating in cults or with other spurious accusations, such as “bad business practices” or “intent to undermine the state.”
Bibles
The massive and rapid growth (of the house-churches) has created an enormous need for further access to Bibles and sound Biblical teaching, particularly in the face of pressing moral and ethical situations and questions. Though the Church in China is massive, it remains only 8% of the population and is not distributed evenly throughout this vast land. Over 183,000,000 remain unreached by the Gospel and over 500 million are held captive to the mixed philosophies and teachings of Daoism, Buddhism, Confucianism, and Atheism.
Those living in rural areas have little access to Bibles and usually cannot afford them even if they are available. Bibles can be purchased at some bookstores operated by the TSPM, but rarely in significant quantities. The Bibles that VOM (Voice of the Martyrs) and other frontier missions organizations distribute each year have only begun to meet the massive need.
Prayer
- Pray that house church leaders will know how to shepherd the Lord’s sheep in difficult situations.
- Pray for the wisdom of believers confronted by police.
- Pray that Christians will remain faithful to Christ under all circumstances.
- Pray that Christian university students will boldly follow Christ.
- Pray that Christian children will have a firm foundation in the Lord.
- Pray that young believers will stand firm under any circumstances and stay close to God.
- Pray that God will provide protection and mercy to those in difficult situations.
- Pray that church leaders will know the best way for their congregations to meet.
- Pray for imprisoned Christians, such as Wang Yi, Zhang Shaojie, and Alimujiang Yimiti.
- Pray that Chinese churches will unite as a brilliant gospel witness.
- Pray that God will raise up more young people to serve in His kingdom.
More Prayers
- Some call this the “Chinese Century” because of China’s rising role on the world stage. It had more people than any other country (until 2023 when it was surpassed by India), and has massive influence on world economics and politics. China invests billions of dollars in Africa, Asia, and Latin America to develop trade, but also to gain influence. But it also remains politically oppressive and corrupt. It has a poor human rights record, and imposes harsh laws and punishments. The cult of personality surrounding President Xi, the increasingly bellicose tone of China’s foreign policy, and the accelerating oppression of minorities and dissidents should compel us to prayer! Pray for God to do a mighty work in and through the Chinese government.
- China remains officially atheist, and Communist Party members number over 98 million. But the Christian population has eclipsed this number (it is also far outstripped by Chinese Buddhists). Increasing numbers of Party members are believers. Pray that the atheism promoted for so long – and now so assiduously propagated in the education system – will finally be revealed as hollow and deceptive lies. Pray also that all followers of Christ working in state structures might walk faultlessly and be a redemptive force within the government.
- Opposing forces at work in Chinese society are creating tensions that demand urgent attention and foresight. The reformed central government struggles to maintain control over state authorities and trusts economic growth to solve most of the country’s problems. But China’s sheer size, its financial boom and the lack of freedom of information conspire to multiply injustices, expand the gap between rich and poor and defeat the egalitarian purposes of socialism. The following points of mounting pressure bear mention:
- Freedom of information. The government vainly tries to control the flow of and exposure to information, while also promoting Internet use. But a bored and disillusioned new generation that hankers after freedom is not only finding creative ways to access information, but many are also developing potentially dangerous hacking skills in the process.
- Political and economic reforms. Resistance to substantial political change is irreconcilable with the juggernaut of capitalism (and its results: crass materialism and personal greed). Issues surrounding property ownership, banking, the widening gap between rich and poor, private versus state-provided social services – to name just a few – beset policy-makers and must be addressed.
- Corruption and scandal. Embezzlement, graft and widespread deception plague both government and business. China tops the list of countries willing to pay bribes in business, and rampant cheating and fraud tarnish academia. China’s record on containing corruption has regressed, while other countries have made progress or remained the same in this area.
- Ethnic unrest. Internal strife remains at the forefront of both national and international attention, as conflict within Tibet and Xianjiang persists. Ultimately, reconciliation and the hope of peace lie only in the power of the gospel. Coming change is inevitable and will be massive; pray that it might be well managed, peaceful and ultimately of spiritual benefit to China.
- Social and health needs in China overwhelm the available resources. Pray that Christians in the caring and social professions find many openings to serve the suffering and to show and speak to them about the love of Jesus. Pray also for Christian lawyers who attempt to stand for justice on behalf of those unable to do so themselves. Prayspecifically for:
- Those with disease and ill health. Millions suffer with tuberculosis, diabetes is on a rapid rise and hundreds of thousands are HIV positive. Since the government changed its attitude on reporting infection rates, Christians now have more opportunities than ever to care for HIV patients and others suffering from debilitating and terminal diseases. Drug-use rates are rapidly increasing – now over one million users, two-thirds of whom are under age 35. Smoking is a ticking time bomb – 350 million smokers consume over two trillion cigarettes a year.
- The disabled. Around 83 million disabled, or one-fifth of the world’s total, live in China. Yearly, over 1.2 million are born with defects, and the number is rising. The medical profession is ill-equipped to offer sufficient help to the 40 million affected by mental illness. Praise God that China’s hosting of the Paralympics in 2008 brought improvements in public perception and in quality of life and treatment for the disabled.
- The vulnerable and helpless. Those most open to abuse and oppression remain women, orphans, refugees (especially from North Korea) and the millions living in poverty. Pray that true justice be administered, that rescue be granted to those in imminent danger and that mercy and compassion be shown to these through Christ’s followers.
- The depressed and hopeless. China now has the highest number of suicides in the world at nearly 300,000 per year, a majority of whom are women. Mental health issues are possibly the most urgent social need in China. Divorce rates are skyrocketing (1.5 million/year). Family and community life are deeply changed. Prayfor family stability and well-being. Pray for many Christians to get involved in drug rehabilitation, marital counselling and suicide prevention.
- The overlooked. Many suffer indignity and oppression unseen by most – the elderly without care, victims of natural disasters struggling to rebuild, migrants making their way in overcrowded enclaves of Chinese megacities, minority communities and those in the harsh penal system. Jesus sees and remembers them all; pray that the Church might also.
- China faces environmental disasters on many fronts; possibly her heaviest burdens directly resulting from great economic achievements. Pollution of China’s water sources has surpassed crisis level, and the combined effects of land, air and water pollution result in hundreds of thousands of deaths per year – to say nothing of the numbers born with defects or suffering environmentally-related illness. Chemical pollutants from agricultural and industrial waste continue to render Chinese cities and rural areas, as well as neighbouring countries, rife with dangers. Desertification of the northern provinces, combined with population growth, will affect millions in coming years. China has recently taken unprecedented steps toward addressing environmental concerns, though falling short of substantial progress. Pray for a government courageous and trusted enough to make the difficult decisions required for the long-term well-being of the nation.
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