Streams of Prayer for 1 July 2024
The Streams of Prayer for 1 July 2024, is a circular from Wycliffe Global Alliance. Wycliffe Caribbean makes this available.
June 30, 2024 – July 6, 2024
Church
The current theme for Streams of Prayer is Church, one of the Alliance’s seven Participation Streams. (See Statements regarding Wycliffe Global Alliance’s relationship with the Church.)
As an Alliance, we believe that the purpose of the local church is to glorify God through participation in his mission: drawing people to Christ and to make disciples. All who are part of the Alliance have the opportunity to serve the Church and complement its ministry as we collaborate in Bible translation movements. We also seek to listen to and learn from churches worldwide in order to build strong relationships for mutual encouragement and equipping.
Together, we seek to encourage the meaningful, unique and complementary roles in God’s mission that he leads each church and organisation to fulfil. Join us as we pray for Alliance organisations engaged in the Church Participation Stream and for the worldwide church as it participates in Bible translation movements.
Chadian children peer into a church in Mukulu village, Chad in 2020. Photo: Gary McMaster
Strong church collaboration: Burkina Faso
The Association National de Traduction de la Bible et d’Alphabétisation (ANTBA) seeks to be ‘the arm of the church in the ministry of making the Word of God available to all the peoples of Burkina Faso in their mother tongues’. Thank God for the strong relationship between the church in Burkina Faso and ANTBA. Thank him also for the relationship with the denominations and churches grouped together within the Fédération des Eglises et Missions Evangéliques (FEME) in Burkina Faso. FEME serves as an effective channel for ANTBA’s involvement within the country’s language communities. Thank God as well for the contribution that FEME provides in governance, personnel and funding. Praise God for the extensive role of the church, through its various branches, in Bible translation movements. Pray for commitment from more churches in providing support and finances for ANTBA’s translation activities.
Forum on missions for pastors and church leaders: Americas, Peru
From 14-16 May, 160 pastors and denominational leaders from 20 Latin American countries came together in Lima, Peru, to affirm the church’s responsibility in God’s mission. The forum was organised by COMIBAM International. Pastors reflected on presentations that recalled the place of the church in mission, presented models of church involvement in mission work, and urged them to work together in developing mobilisation projects to involve more pastors in each of their countries. Wycliffe Global Alliance staff presented on ‘Bible translation as a missional task of the church’, which focused on the place of the Bible in the life of the church, the impact of Scripture and the importance of the message being in a language that is best understood. The most recent statistics helped give an overview of the progress of Bible translation and how best to participate in the collaboration tables in 13 countries. Thank God for this opportunity to talk with pastors and church leaders about the participation of the church in the mission of God and Bible translation movements.
Hearts to see more church involvement: Nigeria
Pray for opportunities for staff of Nigeria Bible Translation Trust (NBTT) to better share the vision for Bible translation with the churches in Nigeria. Thank God for some denominations like Evangelical Church Winning All (ECWA) and The Church of Christ In Nations (COCIN) that have welcomed partnership with (NBTT). Praise God for their contributions in finances, prayer support and information about languages needing Scripture. NBTT staff desire to see other churches become involved as well. Pray for several denominations that are registered with the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN), to be led to join hands with NBTT. Pray for open hearts and minds among many church leaders in Nigeria, to see the importance of the work of Bible translation for discipleship and evangelism.
Strategic prayer goals for relating to churches: UK & Ireland
The Wycliffe UK & Ireland team have set prayer goals for their church relations strategic plan. Pray with them for:
- A highly motivated and trained bank of volunteers to speak in churches, leading to more people hearing about Bible translation movements.
- More churches to be motivated to give generously. Ask God for wisdom and discernment for speakers to understand what the appropriate call to action should be so they can serve the church well.
- Increasingly strong relationships that enable churches to play their part in Bible translation movements.
- An increasing number of church networks to desire long-lasting partnerships with Wycliffe UK & Ireland. Pray that this would lead to many more people hearing about Bible translation.
Sunday school Bible lessons for children launched: Peru
Near the end of 2023, staff from Wycliffe Canada’s partner organisation AIDIA Peru travelled to remote locations along the Pastaza River to hold a training session for Sunday school teachers in the Northern and Southern Pastaza communities. About 130 children participated in Bible-based activities and teachings centred around themes like the creation story, the birth of Jesus and the cross. In Southern Pastaza, teachers launched a Sunday school in the dining room of their lead pastor’s house. Each Sunday, 12 to 15 children gather to hear about God’s love and plan of salvation through Jesus and to learn how to pray. Praise God for AIDIA staff members, local translators and churches with a passion to further Bible translation for their Pastaza communities! Ask God to bless the seeds planted in young hearts and minds, so that many Pastaza children would come to know Christ.
Prayer for the Nations: Czech Republic
Pray for Wycliffe Czech Republic’s “Prayer for the Nations” project. The team has developed two books with details of 52 nations where most people do not know Christ, one for each week of the year. Each book has prayer requests for each nation. Short YouTube videos, which can be used by prayer groups, were also created for each nation. The book is also available in print and electronic form. Pray that God will use this initiative to involve more people in praying for God’s mission and for Bible translation movements.
Bible translation forum of churches and agencies: Vanuatu
Praise God for successful meetings during the Vanuatu Bible Week in April. Give thanks for plans being made for a national Bible translation forum of churches and agencies. Ask God to direct these plans. Use Psalm 133 to pray for everyone involved. Pray that God’s Word comes soon to every one of the 110 language groups in Vanuatu, including the 44 groups that currently have no access to the Scriptures. (2 Thessalonians 3:1) Ask God to raise up united prayer for every language group that is still without access to God’s Word in a language they can understand.
Streams of Prayer is the prayer bulletin of the Wycliffe Global Alliance.
Valrie McCarthy
Language Development Officer
Wycliffe Caribbean
7A South Avenue
Kingston 5
JAMAICA, W. I.
876 754 9334, 908 2970, 582 6592
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