Praying for China with Randy Stonehill
March 30, 2007
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Posted by Ray Fowler
I have been praying along with Operation World’s Daily Prayer Guide for a couple weeks now. This is a new discipline for me, and I keep missing some days here and there, but at least I am praying more than I was before!
This week I have been praying for China. China is such a huge country that Operation World breaks it down according to provinces and spreads the whole country out over a two week period (March 24-April 5).
With China on my mind, I have found myself singing the Randy Stonehill song by that name throughout the week. It is a beautiful song, almost a prayer for China in itself. Here are the lyrics:
“China”
A billion hearts are beating
Far across the water
China…
And when the sun is shining
Their land is cloaked in darkness
China…Silent eyes watching the western world
Guarded hearts hidden like precious pearls
Who can reach you, China?All the ancient wisdom
Passed down through the ages
China…
Still has left you thirsting
For something that can heal you
China…Laboring under the crimson hand
Countless wheels turning at each command
Praying for you, ChinaSome recall the story
Told by distant strangers
China…
Whispered like a rumor
The King of Hearts is coming
China…Hands of love knock at your mighty wall
All your tears Jesus has felt them fall
He’s calling to you, China
Praying for you, China
Who can reach you, China?Words and Music by Randy Stonehill © Copyright 1983 by Stonehillian Music & Word Music (a division of Word, Inc.) (ASCAP)
The song is from Randy’s Equator release on Myrrh Records. For more information about Randy, you can visit his MySpace page at www.myspace.com/randystonehill.
Categories: Missions, Music, Prayer, Songs
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“Praying For China” is a topic that sits close to my heart because I have always had friends or brief, but important contact with others from China who have told me the entire mix of good & bad.
Currently, I attend church with a couple from China who are relatively young, and have served in China as missionaries under cover of being english teachers. The entire operation was of course, a front for an underground Church / Bible School.
This couple has had encounters with law enforcement there which they were guided out of by what can only be God’s hand alone. It happened each time in such a way that police were never able to take them into custody, though it did involve fast running!
Randy’s “Keep Me Running” comes to mind here!
As a child, I studied China and from that time on, fell in love with the people and the culture. “China” indeed tells a true story, and reminds us that prayerfulness coupled with bold acts of love grounded in faith will win out everytime. In prayer and in compassion beyond reason, we have been called to stand in the gap as intercessors with a faithful, all knowing, all wise God who works all things for good for those who love him.
Dan,
Thanks for your comments and insight into China. I have also had friends who have ministered in China over the years. (Bill, Kara, Lou, Sue, Steve, Betsy – are you out there? Anything you want to share?) I find it interesting that God laid China on your heart at such a young age. Thanks for stopping by and sharing!
Hi brother, this looks like a great song. I ran into it as I searched the Randy music I used to listen to in my early teens, then I ran into your blog. Having lived in Beijing for over 4 years, this song’s lyrics seem so refreshing and moving.
I recall as a young Christian picking up a one dollar discount copy of “Love China Today” at a Christian bookstore back in ’83. The book recorded sermons from a huge conference in Manila, Phillipines, way back in 1975, a gathering of missions leaders from around the globe strategising and praying for the “Sleeping Giant”. I quote from http://www.backtojerusalem.com/newsletter/latestnews.aspx: “In 1975 an important conference called “Love China” was held in Manila, the Philippines. It brought together more than 430 delegates from 23 countries, representing 15 Protestant denominations and 55 mission organizations. Time magazine correspondent David Aikman called it, ‘the first full-scale gathering anywhere in the world of evangelicals concerned about the Christian witness in China since the Communist government gained power in 1949.’ In 1975 China was a very different place than it is today. Those were dark days. The Cultural Revolution was in progress, and Mao was still in power. It was uncertain if the Church in China had survived 25 years of brutal persecution.”
Well, the times have certainly changed, and not only is China one of the largest mission fields ever in world history, as stated by the late Jonathan Chao who founded China Ministries International, but I believe that by God’s grace China will send out more people than ever before to the “lands cloaked in darkness” with all those “guarded hearts hidden like precious pearls” in the 10/40 window.
The South Koreans are doing it en masse. A few Western young people, middle-agers and retirees are still going out. But the baton is now being passed to Chinese Christians and other nationalities who have the faith and human / financial resources to get going. Let’s continue to pray for them as they not only prepare for the 2008 Beijing Olympics and the 2010 Shanghai World Expo, but also as they prepare to obey Jesus and the Great Commission.
Wing Yun,
Thank you for sharing about China and Randy and missions. It is great to hear a report straight from Beijing! I have been singing Randy’s song in my head ever since it was released back in the 1980’s. It is a great song and a heartfelt cry of prayer for China.
Although the original album is long out of print and was never released on CD, the song is available on a compilation CD called Our Recollections. Here is a link where you can listen to a clip of the song or purchase a download of the whole song for 99 cents. http://www.christianbook.com/Christian/Books/product?item_no=CD25367
Thank you for stopping by and God bless!