Amid all the noise, stay focused on God’s prayer assignments.
The news cycle lately has been moving at a breakneck pace. From the Supreme Court’s latest ruling, to Donald Trump’s social media posts, to Elon Musk’s tweets, to the battle over who will become speaker of the House, to … well, you name it! We’ve grown accustomed to a ridiculously fast-paced news cycle.
Post a prayer for your state!
All this noise means we have to become even more intentional about asking: Father, where do You want me to intercede today?
Let’s be led by the Spirit, not by the media.
If we are to be true intercessors, we have to know what the Lord is doing, even when the news doesn’t report on it.
The news can be helpful to us in our praying, but often what the mainstream media is focusing on is not the same as what God is asking us to pray into. With that in mind, this week we turn our attention to the Far East, where China continues to experience domestic turmoil, oppress its people, threaten an invasion of Taiwan, and more.
I spoke with a Washington, D.C.–area, Jesus-loving China expert for this article. I sensed we should keep these people in our prayers this week, even when our own domestic politics can be so distracting.
I asked what we should be watching for and how we can be praying. The reply:
We should be watching their people, specifically the young. I believe China is ripe for harvest specifically as young people come to desire intellectual and political freedom. There is a growing cry for freedom from generational oppression over their minds and hearts. As we watch their people, I believe it will follow a pattern similar to the First Great Awakening, after the Enlightenment in Europe, during the 17th and 18th centuries. It is common to have great moves of God follow periods of democratization, and I believe that China will be no different!
Just this week, China and Russia reaffirmed their commitment to one another, despite pressure from other countries that have told China not to do so. It could be that Russia’s bold action towards Ukraine would embolden China to be equally as bold in their actions towards Taiwan, Hong Kong, or other countries in the Indo-Pacific region. That being said, with the surge of young Chinese citizens pushing back against their government, it could cause the Chinese government to pause on their reunification efforts with Taiwan.
I asked my source what God is saying over this region. When we know God’s heart, we can pray into that. To put it another way, when we discern His will, we can pray that will into the earth.
My source’s response:
God is saying, “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.” The Chinese people have endured nearly a century of communist leadership that sought to control and destroy the freedom that Jesus died to bring to us. Whether it be the legacy of Mao or the current actions of Xi Jinping, the people of China are hungry for rest and for a great light to come to them. Jesus desires to meet these people even more than the Chinese people desire freedom, and I believe He will meet them!
His heart is for freedom and revival! He desires the nations, and specifically China. The history of revival in China, even as recent as 1927 with the Shantung Revival, indicates that while there is intense oppression, there is also a light that cannot be dimmed. Testimonies from the underground church signal that the Chinese people are hitting the threshold for oppression and that God is meeting them there. He wants every Chinese citizen to be reunited into His global and eternal family.
Yes, Lord! What a miracle it would be to see revival, reformation, and revolution in China! Glorify Your name, Lord!
Hearing this, let us pray:
-Lord, we pray for revival in China! Breathe on the church there. Let the fire of Your Spirit flow, and spread Your Word throughout that nation in a powerful way. Bring another revival in China, Lord!
-Father, we pray for the underground church in China. Give them strength, courage, and conviction. Add to their numbers daily. Encourage their leaders, and equip their people. Protect them from every evil attack.
-Lord, we pray for China’s relationship with Russia and Taiwan. Your kingdom come, Your will be done! You hold the hearts of rulers in Your hand. Direct them, and let Your peace prevail!
Verses to press into as you pray on this issue:
See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland (Isaiah 43:19 NIV).
For more information on how to discern your prayer assignment for intercession, check out our recent Headline Prayer Live webcast, Intercessors Are Indispensable!
What is your personal prayer assignment? Share your prayers in the comments below!
Casey Harper is a writer in the Washington, D.C., area who covers national politics. He has worked for The Daily Caller, The Hill, and Sinclair Broadcast Group. Casey’s work has appeared also on Fox News and Fox Business, and in Washington Examiner and USA Today. He is a graduate of Hillsdale College. Follow him on Twitter: @CaseyHarper33. Photo by AbsolutVision on Unsplash .