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How to Pray Specifically for Chinese Students

9/24/2018

“True prayer is neither a mere mental exercise nor a vocal performance. It is far deeper than that—it is spiritual transaction with the Creator of Heaven and Earth.” - Charles Spurgeon

“At that time you won't need to ask me for anything. The truth is, you can go directly to the Father and ask him, and he will grant your request because you use my name. You haven't done this before. Ask, using my name, and you will receive, and you will have abundant joy.” ~ John 16:23-24 NLT

Prayer is the most important and powerful thing we can do for international students. Here are some ways that you can pray for Chinese students each day of the week:

Monday – That Chinese students would remember relatives who were Christians and wonder why they made that decision to trust Christ. 2 Timothy 1:5 NLT – “I know that you sincerely trust the Lord, for you have the faith of your mother, Eunice, and your grandmother, Lois.”

Tuesday – That Chinese students would seek for real understanding of religion and especially Christianity—that they would wonder why their government tries to crush religion. Hebrew 11:6 NLT – “So, you see, it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that there is a God and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him.”

Wednesday – That Chinese students would look closely at the lives of Christians they know and long for what the Christians have in knowing Christ. Psalm 15:1 NLT - “Who may worship in your sanctuary, LORD? Who may enter your presence on your holy hill? Those who lead blameless lives and do what is right, speaking the truth from sincere hearts.”

Thursday – That Chinese students would be open to being in a Bible study. Romans 10:17 NASB - “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.”

Friday – That Chinese students would evidence diligence in Bible study. 2 Peter 1:5 NLT - “So make every effort to apply the benefits of these promises to your life. Then your faith will produce a life of moral excellence. A life of moral excellence leads to knowing God better. Knowing God leads to self-control. Self-control leads to patient endurance, and patient endurance leads to godliness.”

Saturday – That Chinese students would be willing to confess their faith in Christ publicly. Romans 10:9 NLT – “For if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”

Sunday – That Chinese students would be willing to take the Gospel back home to China. Matthew 28:19-20 NLT – “Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

Principles cited in this blog: Prayer is the most important and powerful thing we can do for Chinese international students.

Application for ISI ministry: The key to fruitful ministry is asking the Father in Jesus’ name.

Next blog topic: How to pray specifically for Indian students

Doug Shaw with Derrah Jackson

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How to Pray for International Students in General

9/21/2018

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“Our prayers may be awkward. Our attempts may be feeble. But since the power of prayer is in the one who hears it and not in the one who says it, our prayers do make a difference.” - Max Lucado

“I no longer call you servants, because a master doesn't confide in his servants. Now you are my friends, since I have told you everything the Father told me. You didn't choose me. I chose you. I appointed you to go and produce fruit that will last, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask for, using my name.” ~ John 15:15-16 NLT

Prayer is the most important and powerful thing we can do for international students. Here are some suggestions for how to pray for them each day of the week.

Monday – Pray for the student to have a spirit of humility. James 4:10 NLT – “When you bow down before the Lord and admit your dependence on him, he will lift you up and give you honor.

Tuesday – Pray for the Lord to reveal himself to the student. Isaiah 55:6 NLT – “Seek the LORD while you can find him. Call on him now while he is near.”

Wednesday – Pray for the student to be teachable. 1 Timothy 4:11 NLT – “Teach these things and insist that everyone learn them.”

Thursday – Pray for the student to have a spirit of self-denial. Luke 9:23 NLT – “Then he said to the crowd, ‘If any of you wants to be my follower, you must put aside your selfish ambition, shoulder your cross daily, and follow me.’”

Friday – Pray for the student to be sensitive to the Holy Spirit’s initiative in his or her life. Romans 8:2 NLT “For the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you through Christ Jesus from the power of sin that leads to death.”

Saturday – Pray for the student to think deeply about what he or she has seen in committed Christians’ lives. 1 Peter 2:12 – “Be careful how you live among your unbelieving neighbors. Even if they accuse you of doing wrong, they will see your honorable behavior, and they will believe and give honor to God when he comes to judge the world.”

Sunday – Pray that the student will become a life-long disciple of Jesus. Matthew 28:19-20 NLT “Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

Principles cited in this blog: Prayer is the most important and powerful thing we can do for international students.

Application for ISI ministry: The key to fruitful ministry is asking the Father in Jesus’ name.

Next blog topic: How to pray for Chinese students specifically

Doug Shaw with Derrah Jackson

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Understanding Cultures When I Don’t Like What I See or Experience

9/14/2018

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Cultures, by definition, are a mixed bag: they have both things we like and things we don’t like about them. This is true of my own culture, and it is true of other people’s cultures. Part of building a great relationship with an international student is that I learn about their culture. As that happens, I will enjoy learning about things I admire—e.g., importance of family in Latin cultures, respect for older people in Asian cultures, or unconditional acceptance of children in African cultures.

But what do I do with things I don’t admire about a culture? How do I relate to a student who strongly holds beliefs which concern me? For example, how do I help a Chinese student learn to drive in the U.S. when they have no concept of the rule of law? A stop sign or red light is only a suggestion unless an officer is there to enforce it. How do I feel about a Middle Eastern student who attempts to bribe people here to give him whatever he wants at whatever price he wants to pay? How do I feel about institutional bigotry in India shown toward non-Hindus or those of a low caste?

How do I understand those things I don’t like, particularly in light of my own cultural values? The easy answer is that sin is sin. Romans 7:5 says, “When we were controlled by our old nature, sinful desires were at work within us, and the law aroused these evil desires that produced sinful deeds, resulting in death.” (NLT) That which is institutionalized within a culture which tends toward evil by biblical standards is a result of trying to make life work apart from God’s holy power and wisdom.

The more difficult answer is that everyone tries their best to work within their worldview. Their worldview may place higher value on taking care of family members than on stealing from others to provide for family. Their worldview may assume corruption of anyone in authority and try to make the best of systematizing bribes in order to get things done. Their worldview may accept bigotry, corruption, and dealing harshly with enemies as normal. In all these situations an individual was raised with, these expectations are normal for life. Their personal worldview is more “caught” than taught, and they have learned it since childhood by just looking around. It is not until one is immersed into a new culture different from one’s own that one realizes these particular issues.

How do we help students adjust to these changes in worldview? Unconditional acceptance of the person and discussion of the perspectives and issues. When one gets past the expression forms of cultural values (actions) and down to deep beliefs that inform those values, we often find great commonality of those deep beliefs. We are more similar than we initially thought.

Principles cited in this blog: Cultural differences are ways people apart from God have tried to make life work for themselves. Some are good, and some are bad from a biblical standard. Discussion at a heart level is a way to seek to understand one another’s values and deep beliefs.

Application for ISI ministry: As we build relationships with students, we will run across things they do and believe that we don’t understand. Unconditional acceptance of the person and transparency in discussion of those things can lead to greater understanding on both sides.

Next blog topic: How to pray for international students in general

Doug Shaw with Derrah Jackson

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Friendship Partners Can Help New Students

9/7/2018

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The new international students are here for the beginning of the 2018-2019 academic year! They are most likely eager, wide-eyed, taking it all in, lost, confused, and wondering how to do this and that. These students need a “cultural informant” and an American Friendship Partner.

Since the mid-1980’s, International Students, Inc. has encouraged American Christians to reach out across cultural barriers to befriend and help new international students as Friendship Partners. (To clarify, this is a friendship relationship and not a housing arrangement.) The Friendship Partner agrees to pray for the student daily, to meet with the student at least monthly, and to contact the student (via text, phone, or email) at least weekly.

New students are very needy when they first arrive. They have hundreds of questions about how to do something and where to get things, so the initial contacts with the student may be more often than mentioned above. The phone calls and texts may even be daily at first!

Think if you were in the student’s home country. Where would you buy postage stamps? What kind of milk would you buy in the store? Would it be safe to drink? What if you became sick, where would you go? Could you get there by walking?

Sometimes the university does a good orientation for the new students, but many times they do not. Imagine how appreciative a student would be to have someone who would answer any question without judgement! Students have many questions about the culture, expectations, and attitudes of people in their new culture. They have to learn American manners and when/how to ask questions in class and in social situations.

As the student’s interest in the culture grows, it is a good time to suggest a six-week one-on-one Bible study in order to understand how the Bible has impacted so much of the American culture and thinking. After the six weeks, see if the student would like to invite some of his or her friends to join you for a small group Bible study (possibly the M28 study promoted by International Students, Inc.; see www.m28global.org).

Principles cited in this blog: New international students need a cultural informant, and Friendship Partners are ideal matches for new students. Learning about the new culture is a perfect time to do an introductory Bible study. If the student likes it, they can invite their friends to join them.

Application for ISI ministry: As we share our lives with our new student friends, they have the opportunity to see God at work in our lives through our dependence upon prayer and his Word.

Next blog topic: Understanding cultures when I don’t like what I see and experience

Doug Shaw with Derrah Jackson

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How to Pray Specifically for Chinese Students

How to Pray for International Students in General

Understanding Cultures When I Don’t Like What I See or Experience

Friendship Partners Can Help New Students

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