China is on alert, strategically advancing, and open about their goals for their nation. The country consistently tops the list of national security concerns focused on by the U.S. government. While the CIA and the military respond and prepare in their ways, intercessors ask God for spiritual insight and wisdom. Recently, in preparation for a webcast, we asked the Lord about the spiritual heritage of the Chinese, about the roots bearing fruit today, and how we can we pray about them.
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He revealed an interesting prayer strategy.
The Chinese people are descended from Noah’s son Japheth. After the flood, Noah planted a vineyard. He became drunk from the wine and was laying “uncovered” in his tent. His son Ham saw this and told his brothers, Shem and Japheth. They took a cloth, walked in backwards so as not to see their father exposed, and covered him. When Noah woke up and found out what his sons had done, he said this: “May God enlarge Japheth, and let him dwell in the tents of Shem, and let Canaan be his servant” (Genesis 9:27).
May God enlarge Japheth …
When you think about the people whom God blesses, who do you imagine? This is an important question, because cultural bias can impact our prayers.
There is no doubt that God has enlarged China. The land mass is huge. In fact, China is the fourth-largest nation on earth in terms of land area — 9.6 million square kilometers. In terms of population, China is second to India, with 1.425 billion inhabitants. This means that the Chinese people are 20% of the world’s current population.
God has also enlarged Christianity in China. Scholars estimate that the spread of Christianity has grown more in China than in any other nation over the past four decades. It is hard to discern the exact number of Christians in China. The Chinese government estimates 44 million, but according to Boston University’s Center for Global Christianity & Mission, there are 100 million Chinese Christians.
God is at work in China, just as Noah said when he blessed Japheth. Intercessors can join what God is doing by praying for the enlarging of the Chinese people and the Chinese Church. We can pray for enlarging and increase in the numbers of Chinese turning to Christ. We can pray for an enlargement of the impact of the Christian Church throughout China. We can pray for an enlarging of the hearts of the Chinese to receive the gospel message, and for enlargement of the number of gospel invitations.
… and let him dwell in the tents of Shem.
What a beautiful connection between Japheth and Shem. The modern descendants of Japheth include the Chinese, and the descendants of Shem are the Semites, or the Jewish people. So how should we pray into this blessing connecting Japheth and Shem, and what might it mean that Japheth will dwell in the tents of Shem?
We pray for the success of the new Silk Road efforts. This is a missions vision to bring the gospel all along the Silk Road back to Jerusalem. The Silk Road was a trade route established hundreds of years ago between the Middle East and China. It traverses nine countries, all of which are functionally closed to the gospel. We also pray for the passion and power of the Chinese Church to increase and grow in China and to impact the world.
Attacking Satanic Roots With Prayer
In addition to the blessing of Noah on Japheth and descendants, the Lord revealed roots in China that explain the situation today. It is well known that China is an ancient nation recognized for inventing many things. Chinese people invented umbrellas, kites, paper, money, brewed tea, the rudder, the compass, silk, the crossbow, gunpowder, steel, porcelain, the first earthquake detector, jade carving, and unarmed martial arts. Look at the bolded inventions in that list again — and imagine each one. For steel, think of a sword. These are weapons and materials for fighting. The aggressive actions taken in recent centuries are consistent with an emphasis on war, defense, and fighting that have been long part of the nation’s makeup.
Let’s pray that God would turn swords into plowshares, and that these worldly weapons would be laid down and the Chinese people would wage spiritual war with the weapons God gives His people.
God’s Plan for China
The threat of the Chinese Communist Party agenda to disrupt and destabilize America, and the CCP’s stated mission of war with the U.S. make it difficult for some Christians to pray for China. Yet, this is a critical time to pray for China. Zhao Xiao, a Chinese scholar and a committed Christian, told Derek Prince Ministries: “In the season we are in today, God’s heart is for China, and the main battlefield of the gospel is in China. The transformation of China is not only an important mission given to the Chinese church, but it is also given to the universal church. The evangelization and Christianization of China are vitally important for the future of the kingdom of heaven and the world. There must be no delay. The opportunity cannot be missed.”
Let’s pray for the evangelization and Christianization of China, and that China would fulfill God’s destiny and purposes for this nation.
Do you have a prayer burden for China? Please share in the comments.
(Photo credit: javier-quiroga on unsplash)