Praying for communities with completed translations
‘Know therefore that the LORD your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commandments’ (Deut 7:9, NIV)
Completed translation projects are a true testament to many people working together for God’s glory. There is so much to be thankful for, and yet the need remains to pray for these communities. Here are some suggestions to stimulate your prayers:
Begin with thanksgiving:
- that God wants to communicate personally with people through the Bible in their own language
- that God will use those who minister his Word to bring many to faith in Christ, maturity in life, and fruitfulness in service.
Pray for ongoing needs for:
- hearts that hunger and thirst to know and please God
- desire among the people to have the Bible read to them, and to learn to read it themselves
- pastors and teachers to progress from being interpreters to being teachers of what Scripture means and how its truth applies
- people to learn the technicalities of using their Bibles (how to find pages, chapters, verses, cross-references, etc.) and good Bible study methods
- believers to use the Scriptures to find culturally-appropriate ways of worship, witness and conduct
- believers to get the big picture of God’s sovereignty, holiness and love, and his desire for all peoples to be saved and come to the full knowledge of his truth.
Adapted from www.wycliffe.org.uk material