Streams of Prayer for 17 March 2025
The Streams of Prayer for 17 March 2025 is a circular from the Wycliffe Global Alliance. Wycliffe Caribbean makes this available.
March 16, 2025 – March 22, 2025
Bible Translation Programmes
Wycliffe Global Alliance serves Bible translation movements because we long for language communities to encounter God through his Word. As written in the Alliance Foundational Statements, one of our core values is “trusting God to transform lives through his Word translated into the languages and cultures of the world’s peoples”.
We will pray for Bible translation efforts around the world and specific ways that Alliance organisations participate in the Bible Translation Programmes participation stream. We will also celebrate lives changed through Scripture and pray that many more communities will be powerfully impacted as they encounter God through the Bible translated into the language they understand best.
A man reads from the Basketo Scriptures, written in the Ge’ez, or Ethiopic, script. (2011) Photo: Adam Jeske
Audio Bible Recording: Tonga
Wycliffe Tonga requests prayer for the two-month Niuafo’ou Audio Bible recording project, which started 10 February:
- God’s guidance & protection—that the Holy Spirit will lead the entire recording process, providing wisdom for the team and clarity in the voice recording.
- Endurance & strength—that all involved, from translators to readers and technical teams, will remain encouraged, focused and healthy throughout the two months of recording.
- Spiritual impact—that this audio Bible will be a powerful tool for evangelism, discipleship and strengthening faith among the Niuafo’ou community.
- Technical excellence—that the recording, editing, and production processes will go smoothly, free from disruptions, equipment failures or delays.
- Provision of resources—that God will provide all necessary financial, human, and technical resources to complete this project successfully.
Scripture celebration relocated due to insecurity in region: Cameroon
On 1 March, the New Testament in the Moghamo language was dedicated in Yaoundé. Moghamo speakers primarily live in the Momo Division of Cameroon’s North-West Region, but insecurity in the community forced the event to be relocated to the capital. The whole community has been ready to welcome God’s Word translated into their heart language. Some have paid for their copies in advance. The visible transformation in some people’s lives is an encouragement to others and generates more interest in the translated New Testament. Thank God that the Moghamo New Testament is available in the community. Pray for community leaders and churches to work closely together to ensure that the New Testament is well used and transforms lives. Pray for the finances needed for distribution and for the mobilisation team that coordinates these challenging efforts. Pray that literacy will continue in the community and be a vehicle for exposing as many people as possible to the gospel.
How to pray for translation teams: Philippines
Wycliffe Philippines requests prayer for:
- Translators and their families: Health, provision, protection and wisdom for translation teams as well as empowerment by the Holy Spirit and humility to serve the language communities well. Protection and salvation of their family members.
- Technology: The teams often have limited or unstable internet access and computer-use challenges that hamper the progress of translation work. Pray for the provision of stable internet connections. Pray also for mother-tongue translators to learn quickly and become adept at using computers.
- Local and natural stability: Pray for political stability in translation areas and for protection from environmental disasters such as floods, typhoons, earthquakes and landslides that disrupt community well-being and prevent movement by the field facilitators and translation assistants.
- Scripture engagement: Language communities to be engaged and transformed by translated Scriptures. God’s intervention in social problems such as mental health issues, suicide, drunkenness, gambling, etc. Support from government and church leaders in Scripture engagement activities.
- Financial resources: Favor and approval of projects from funding organizations. Expedited release of funds.
Biblical training in Hebrew and Judaic roots of the Bible: Israel, Global
Jerusalem Seminary (JS) offers courses for Bible translators and consultants that focus on understanding the roots of the Bible in the Jewish world, including Biblical Hebrew as a Living Language, and courses on the land and culture of the Bible such as The Gospel of Matthew in its First Century Jewish Context and Unfolding Biblical Hebrew Poetry. Beginning in September, JS will also offer a Master of Arts in Biblical Studies programme. First-semester courses begin on 16 March. Please pray for students and professors as they begin their courses (mostly online). Pray for God’s protection on staff and faculty in Jerusalem during this time. Ask God to help students with their studies, and for protection over online technology. Pray that translators and consultants will gain the needed skills in Hebrew and the broader knowledge of the Bible lands and history, to more effectively translate the Old Testament as well as the whole Bible.
YMP3 Scripture celebrations and translation activities: Indonesia
Pray for:
- Collaborative efforts of churches to plan Scripture publication celebrations for the Hatam and Sougb Bible stories (March), the Mpur Scriptures (April), and the Kokoda and Tehit Bible stories. May many lives be transformed in these communities, and God’s name be glorified.
- People who heard YMP3 staff (Indra and Mrs. Riama) speak at the STT IKAT (Sekolah Tinggi Teologia ‘Institut Keguruan Alkitab dan Teologi’) seminar on 8 February to be inspired to become involved in Bible translation.
- Preparation of the team, churches, consultants and teachers for the Iha language orthography workshop 10-21 March, and consultant check of Luke 6 from 24-26 March in Fakfak.
- Staff of YMP3 and IAKN (Institut Agama Kristen Negeri) Manado as they meet to discuss collaboration and implement their MOU.
- The Taste of Translation Survey planned for five languages in South Sorong in March: Konda, Suabo, Yahadia, Kaburi and Kais. Pray for the preparation of survey personnel, the availability of consultants and the GKI Tanah Papua church that will host this activity.
Prayer for sign language translation: Global
DOOR International requests prayer for the following:
- The biggest bottleneck in the sign language Bible translation world is due to the limited number of certified consultants able to check sign language translations. Ask God to provide more sign language consultants.
- Google Chrome’s recent update caused the Sign Language Translation Tool (SLTT) platform to crash and delayed the work of multiple sign language translation teams around the world. The team was able to find a temporary fix, but pray for a permanent solution and that no more updates will cause difficulties like this.
- One of DOOR’s translation projects in Eurasia has been facing challenges due to the constantly shifting geopolitical climate in their country. Pray for the team to take courage and continue to work on their project since their sign language is a gateway language and impacts multiple sign language communities in other countries.
Cluster project begins: Indonesia
The ArDeLa cluster in Central Kalimantan, Indonesia, has three languages: Arut, Deah, and Lawangan. Yayasan Kaleb Yosua (YKY) partners with this cluster project. An orthography workshop took place in February to decide on the best way to write these languages. Please pray that the details will be finalised and that the translation work can begin soon. Pray for God’s blessing and protection on everyone involved, the translation teams being trained, the staff partnering with them, and local churches and community members.
Streams of Prayer is the prayer bulletin of the Wycliffe Global Alliance.
Copyright © 2024 Wycliffe Global Alliance, All rights reserved
Valrie McCarthy
Language Development Officer
Wycliffe Caribbean
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