In the final chapter of his letter to the church in Colossae, the apostle Paul gives instructions for the believers there, writing, “Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.” (Colossians 4:2, NIV)
Note the two postures of prayer that are referred to: being watchful and being thankful. Being watchful and being thankful both imply being aware of and informed about specific situations and needs. It is good to have information that serves as a guide for how to intercede and what to be thankful for. The more we know about the struggles and accomplishments of our brothers and sisters in the Chinese church, the more we will open our hearts to them. Though separated by many thousands of miles, we can be deeply united through prayer.
We are excited to offer an Advent calendar, to help believers across the globe join together in asking for God’s mercy and thanking him for his blessings on Christians in China. Each day includes either an intercessory item or a praise item to focus on. You can use it in your personal or family devotional time or with a small group. In addition, please share this calendar with others in your network who are passionate about prayer.
Choose between the full PDF calendar:
Or the simplified printer-friendly version here:
Please feel free to print either version and distribute it as widely as you wish.
It is our hope that it will help you and your community to “devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful” in this busy Advent season.
Beyond Advent, we also recommend the following ongoing prayer guides:
Pray for China: A Walk Through History
China Partnership prayer guide
GCM monthly prayer email (This link takes you to a page to sign up to receive the email.)
We wish you a blessed Advent season!
Image credit: Myriam Zilles, via UnSplash.
Joann Pittman
Joann Pittman is Vice President of Partnership and China Engagement and editor of ZGBriefs. Prior to joining ChinaSource, Joann spent 28 years working in China, as an English teacher, language student, program director, and cross-cultural trainer for organizations and businesses engaged in China. She has also taught Chinese at the University …View Full Bio
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