On this week’s China Compass, we take a more in-depth look at all of the cities to pray for this coming week, focusing on Anhui (Beheading of the Stam’s + Watchman Nee’s Imprisonment), Lintan (Coal Fired Tuk Tuks, Circular Roads), and Tangshan (Deadliest Earthquake Ever).

Welcome to China Compass on the Fight Laugh Feast network! I'm your China travel guide in exile, Missionary Ben. Follow me on X (@chinaadventures) where I share a new Chinese city or county to pray for every single day. Feel free to write anytime: chinacompass@privacyport.com. All my books, substack, patreon, and everything else can be easily found at PrayGiveGo.us!

I’m about to fly back to Malaysia this weekend after a whirlwind trip to LA, Houston, and OKC. And we’ll be joined in Malaysia in the coming few weeks by our two oldest children (as well as another missionary friend). And don’t forget, my kids will be taking their first solo trip into China next week. Exciting times! I wish I could say more, but probably best to wait until everything shakes out and there are stories to tell on the back end.

Oh, in case I haven’t said so already, I did NOT make it into China last weekend, but I did talk to a new friend in China just this evening.

The Millionaire Missionary (BordenofYale.com) - Available on Kindle/Amazon (free PDF)

Now let's take a look at this coming week's Pray for China (PrayforChina.us) cities…

https://open.substack.com/pub/chinacall/p/pray-for-china-feb-1-7-2026

Tangshan Earthquake

https://disasterhistory.org/tangshan-earthquake-1976

https://www.iccsafe.org/building-safety-journal/bsj-dives/the-great-tangshan-earthquake-one-of-the-worst-earthquakes-in-modern-history-destroys-chinese-city/

Thank you for listening! Subscribe and leave a review on your favorite podcast platform! There’s also a Paypal link at PrayforChina.us if you’d like to give to our China ministry. Last but not least, for (almost) everything else we’re doing visit PrayGiveGo.us. Luke 10, vs 2: the harvest is plentiful but the workers are few, therefore ask the Lord for more. Talk again soon!

Today we look at the the final part of an interview with a Chinese pastor recently released from prison, followed by some specific prayer requests for members and friends of Early Rain Church who have recently been arrested and harrassed. In China, it seems, persecution never sleeps. Let's pray for our brothers and sisters, as bound with them!

I'm your China travel guide, Missionary Ben. Follow me on Twitter/X (@chinaadventures) where I present a new Chinese city or county to pray for every single day. Please send any questions or comments to a new, secure email: chinacompass@privacyport.com. Everything else can be found at PrayGiveGo.us!

Why the Prison Pulpit?

The goal is to remind people to pray for persecuted believers as Hebrews 13:3 teaches: “Remember those who are in prison, as bound with them.” We’ve looked at Wang Yi and Early Rain Church’s writings in the aftermath of their arrest and attack in 2018, but I’ve also regularly turned to other persecuted ministers who have gone before, such as Richard Wurmbrand, to give us a voice literally from prison.

Interview with an Imprisoned Chinese Pastor (Part III)

https://chinapartnership.org/blog/2026/01/persecuted-church/

Early Rain Church Prayer Requests (January 25-31)

This week, we will pray for believers associated with Early Rain Covenant Church. Earlier this month, there was a series of large scale arrests similar to those in 2018. Seven church members were arrested and confined, while five other members were brought in for questioning and then released. Several of the people arrested are elders of the church. Pray for those who have been arrested and their families…

Pray for brothers and sisters in Chengdu and Deyang who have been taken away, are missing, or are under surveillance at home. Pray for God to grant them peace and protection, and to experience God’s presence and strength amidst uncertainty and hardship. Especially pray for the families and children to experience God’s comfort and love in suffering. Pray for the Lord to preserve brothers and sisters in the church, to love one another, and to be united and show the witness of Christ in times of trouble.

Pray for Sister Z, who was taken to jail with her husband. Their two children were taken in with them, and spent the first night at the police station. Now they have been temporarily placed with their grandmother.

Pray for a seminary student who was arrested and beaten in Chengdu recently. Pray for God’s comfort and grace to be with him, that he would know the presence of the Lord even in suffering. Pray for comfort and strength for his wife, and for him to be released soon.

Continue to pray for Pastor Wang Yi, who was arrested in 2018 and continues to serve time in prison. Pray for the Lord’s presence to be with him in prison, that he may even be a witness to those with him in jail, and for his family and church on the outside.

Follow China Compass

Thank you for listening! Subscribe and leave a review on your favorite podcast platform! There’s also a donation link at PrayforChina.us if you’d like to support our China ministry. For everything else, visit PrayGiveGo.us. Hebrews 13:3: Remember those who are in prison, “as bound with them”!

Today on the Prison Pulpit we go even deeper with the Chinese pastor we quoted from last week, who recently spent a couple of years in prison (and is now on probation). In today’s longer interview, he tells us how to better pray for persecuted pastors, especially their families and churches, and more.

I'm your China travel guide, Missionary Ben. Follow me on Twitter/X (@chinaadventures) where I present a new Chinese city or county to pray for every single day. Please send any questions or comments to a new, secure email: chinacompass@privacyport.com. Everything else can be found at PrayGiveGo.us!

One last thing: I’m now set up on Patreon (https://www.patreon.com/c/chinacompass), which now only allows for donations, but also lets me sort podcast episodes into various collections, making it easier to find all the episodes on a certain topic or person, like Tibet, Pastor Wang Yi, or Richard Wurmbrand.

Today in passing I mentioned my little autobiographical memoir, Unbeaten, a few times. You can read the story of my 2018 arrest, interrogation, and deportation by getting the little book here: Unbeaten.vip

Why the Prison Pulpit?

The goal is to remind people to pray for persecuted believers as Hebrews 13:3 teaches: “Remember those who are in prison, as bound with them.” We’ve looked at Wang Yi and Early Rain Church’s writings in the aftermath of their arrest and attack in 2018, but I’ve also regularly turned to other persecuted ministers who have gone before, such as Richard Wurmbrand, to give us a voice literally from prison.

Interview with a Pastor on Probation

Today we are going to take a look at the situation in China through the eyes and words of a house church pastor in a smaller Chinese city. The interview, published by China Partnership, can be read in full below:

https://chinapartnership.org/blog/2026/01/the-cost-of-following-jesus-to-jail/

https://chinapartnership.org/blog/2026/01/witness-to-persecutors/

Follow China Compass

Thank you for listening! Subscribe and leave a review on your favorite podcast platform! There’s also a donation link at PrayforChina.us if you’d like to support our China ministry. For everything else, visit PrayGiveGo.us. Hebrews 13:3: Remember those who are in prison, “as bound with them”!

I just flew into Malaysia from the States, so I am almost too drowsy to talk today, and it shows. After a longer-than-usual introduction, we work through three big stories today, followed by a couple of other fun off-the-cuff stories, including my near-deportation from Canada in 2016.

Welcome to China Compass on the Fight Laugh Feast network! I'm your China travel guide in exile, Missionary Ben. Follow me on X (@chinaadventures) where I share a new Chinese city or county to pray for every single day. Feel free to write anytime: chinacompass@privacyport.com. All my books, substack, patreon, and everything else can be easily found at PrayGiveGo.us!

Now Available on Amazon Kindle and Paperback (+ free on PDF & via Substack):

The Millionaire Missionary (BordenofYale.com)

China Rewriting Korean History

https://asiatimes.com/2025/04/chinas-strategy-in-korea-rewriting-history-to-weaponize-it/#

Biden DOD Spent $2.5 Billion Collaborating with the CCP

https://washingtonstand.com/article/report-bidens-dod-spent-25-billion-collaborating-with-ccp-

Canadians Soon To Enter China Visa Free

https://visasnews.com/en/canadians-soon-exempt-from-visa-requirements-to-travel-to-china/

Now let's take a look at this coming week's Pray for China (PrayforChina.us) cities…

https://chinacall.substack.com/p/pray-for-china-jan-19-25-2026

Thank you for listening! Subscribe and leave a review on your favorite podcast platform! Well, I've finally set up Patreon for those who are interested. There’s also a Paypal link at PrayforChina.us if you’d like to give to our China ministry. Last but not least, for (almost) everything else we’re doing visit PrayGiveGo.us. Luke 10, vs 2: the harvest is plentiful but the workers are few, therefore ask the Lord for more. Talk again soon!

Today on the Prison Pulpit we listen to Elder W, a Chinese pastor who recently spent time in prison, teach us how to better pray for China’s persecuted believers. Then we once again let Richard Wurmbrand teach us (in an unpublished message) about the “prison tea” that he and others drank often under Communism.

https://open.substack.com/pub/chinacall/p/the-seven-herbs-of-prison-tea

I'm your China travel guide, Missionary Ben. Follow me on Twitter/X (@chinaadventures) where I present a new Chinese city or county to pray for every single day. Please send any questions or comments to a new, secure email: chinacompass@privacyport.com. Everything else can be found at PrayGiveGo.us!

One last thing: I’m now set up on Patreon (https://www.patreon.com/c/chinacompass), which now only allows for donations, but also lets me sort podcast episodes into various collections, making it easier to find all the episodes on a certain topic or person, like Tibet, Pastor Wang Yi, or Richard Wurmbrand.

Pray for Venezuela (and Iran, too)!

And just how much are 800 old Venezuelan Bolivares worth? (according to Grok, much less than 1/100th of 1 cent!)

Why the Prison Pulpit?

The goal is to remind people to pray for persecuted believers as Hebrews 13:3 teaches: “Remember those who are in prison, as bound with them.” We’ve looked at Wang Yi and Early Rain Church’s writings in the aftermath of their arrest and attack in 2018, but I’ve also regularly turned to other persecuted ministers who have gone before, such as Richard Wurmbrand, to give us a voice literally from prison.

Follow China Compass

Thank you for listening! Subscribe and leave a review on your favorite podcast platform! There’s also a donation link at PrayforChina.us if you’d like to support our China ministry. For everything else, visit PrayGiveGo.us. Hebrews 13:3: Remember those who are in prison, “as bound with them”!

Today we start with a bit of China/Venezuela news, followed by my conversation with Luke, the Podcast Ninja (see notes below), and lastly a few minutes on how to pray for China this week (esp. Yugan)!

Welcome to China Compass on the Fight Laugh Feast network! I'm your China travel guide, Missionary Ben. Follow me on X (@chinaadventures) where I share a new Chinese city/county to pray for every day. Send any questions/comments to chinacompass@privacyport.com. Everything else can be easily found at PrayGiveGo.us! Also, I’m now on Patreon (https://www.patreon.com/c/chinacompass), which not only allows for donations, but also conveniently lets me sort podcast episodes into various collections.

Now Available on Amazon (+ free PDF): The Millionaire Missionary (BordenofYale.com)

Venezuelan Oil & China: Four Things to Know

https://asia.nikkei.com/business/energy/venezuelan-oil-and-china-4-things-to-know

How to Pray for Venezuela (via Mr. Marquez)

1. For churches and pastors to be used by God and bring words of encouragement to the lives of believers, as many are fearful and unsure of what to do during these times of tension.
2. For peace, and a peaceful transition in Venezuela, without innocent victims.
3. For believers to trust not in man, but in Jesus Christ, and remember that His kingdom is above any human kingdom.
4. That God may protect His church, the evangelists, pastors, and those who visit the sick in Venezuela, as armed groups are intimidating citizens 24 hrs a day in many parts of the country.

Conversation with the Podcast Ninja

I met with the Podcast Ninja again the other day to catch up on our respective hunting seasons, basketball teams, and Indiana’s best-in-the-country college football team. We took some time to discuss the blessings (and possible pitfalls) of praying for the persecuted.

After our conversation which was recorded in the middle of the week, I came back and updated everyone on a couple of things that were discussed…

1. The hunt was fun, but no meat!
2. The Podcast Ninja informed me that he did talk to his kids about Hebrews 13:3 at dinner
3. Indiana University rolls over Oregon (gave me a chance to watch Thunder comeback)

Now let's take a look at this coming week's Pray for China (PrayforChina.us) cities…

https://chinacall.substack.com/p/pray-for-china-jan-12-18-2026

Thank you for listening! Subscribe and leave a review on your favorite podcast platform! Well, I've finally set up Patreon for those who are interested. There’s also a Paypal link at PrayforChina.us if you’d like to give to our China ministry. Last but not least, for (almost) everything else we’re doing visit PrayGiveGo.us. Luke 10, vs 2: the harvest is plentiful but the workers are few, therefore ask the Lord for more. Talk again soon!