Streams of Prayer for 27 July 2024
The Streams of Prayer for 27 July 2024, is a circular from Wycliffe Global Alliance. Wycliffe Caribbean makes this available.
July 28, 2024 – August 3, 2024
Bible Translation Programmes
The current theme for Streams of Prayer is Bible Translation Programmes, one of the Alliance participation streams.
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. We will also celebrate lives changed through Scripture and pray that many more communities will be powerfully impacted by encountering God through the Bible translated into a language they can understand.
A variety of Bible translation programmes: Burkina Faso
The translation department of the Association Nationale pour la Traduction de la Bible et l’Alphabétisation (ANTBA) is involved in 23 translation programmes, including one sign language project, 10 oral Bible translation projects and 12 full-book written translation projects. There are both New and Old Testament programmes. Pray for these language teams: Kassem, Sissala, Lobiri, Dagara-Wilé, Puguli, Dogose Rouge, Bwamu-Cwii, Marka Dafin, Sambla, Kusaal, Ninkare, Toussian Nord and Baguinyoro. Ask for God’s blessings on all these programmes that aim at making the Word available for transformation of individuals and communities in Burkina Faso. Pray for the national coordination of ANTBA’s translation programmes. Thank God for the financial partners. Pray for the completion of these programmes and the dedications and use of the finished Scripture products. Pray for the possibility of undertaking Old Testament translation where the need is identified.
Quechua translations accessible on apps: Peru
This year the Lambayeque Quechua translation team received good news that the Lambayeque Quechua Hymnal app is now available. Thank God for this great work of the translation team. They also recorded the book of Proverbs, which was placed in the Lambayeque Quechua Bible App. In addition, the team has been working on audios for Alpha Tiles literacy activities and looking for images that fit the reality of the Incahuasi and Cañaris Highlands. The team also has been working on Lambayeque Quechua books in Bloom to promote among teachers and students to encourage reading. Among the books in Bloom are retellings of the Bible. Pray for the Lambayeque translation team and their families for God’s guidance and spiritual growth.
Laying foundations for Sign Language translation: Italy
Praise God that the Associazione Italiana Traduttori della Bibbia (AITB) will start Bible translation in Italian Sign Language soon in partnership with Pioneer Bible Translators. Several churches are committed to supporting the project. The team plans to gather later this year for training. Pray for:
- Two Deaf translators to be identified who can work at least 30 hours a week
- That these translators live close enough to each other to work together often
- For progress for Marco and Paola Libre in learning Italian Sign Language so that they can offer exegetical expertise to the project
- More churches to get involved
- Wisdom to navigate Italian employment law well. It’s quite complex and it will be the first time that Bible translators are employed in Italy.
A new translation project for the Lauan-Nonopai language: Papua New Guinea
The completion of the Jonah one-book workshop for the Lauan-Nonopai language began the translation project for this language community. Praise the Lord for a successful workshop facilitated by Duncan Kasokason and William Kubo from the Papua New Guinea Bible Translation Association. Rev. Ellison Tami, bishop of the United Church in New Ireland, officiated at the graduation of the 30 participants and commissioned the start of the translation project on 14 June. Pray for wisdom as these people organise themselves to continue with the translation project.
Translated Scriptures empower pastor’s ministry: South Africa
Wycliffe South Africa has a good number of people involved in Bible translation programmes. Thank God that while they serve the communities, they themselves benefit greatly from this work. Pastor Brave is a reviewer in one of the programmes, the Sepulana Bible Translation project in South Africa. He says involvement in the project exposed him to the revelation of Scriptures. He can now preach in Sepulana without fear, using the Sepulana audio Scriptures. He further says that his family and the church are excited that they understand his preaching presented in their culture and language. He says his preaching has improved and is simplified, thanks to the skills he acquired while participating in the Bible translation work. Pray for the Sepulana translation, the team members and reviewers. Pray for people’s lives to be transformed as the Scripture engagement workers spread the translated Word of God in the community.
Onsite hybrid Hebrew extension learning programmes launched: Benin, Indonesia, Ethiopia, Mozambique, Israel
Whole Word Institute has encouraging news and a critical prayer request to share regarding their new Hebrew Extension Learning Program (HELP) for translators with local partners in four nations—Benin, Indonesia, Ethiopia, and Mozambique. HELP is a hybrid programme that combines in-person classes hosted by partners in these countries with specialised online courses. The HELP programme enables translators and churches to understand the biblical language, culture, and context so they can quickly and accurately communicate the full Bible to their communities. Pray for the teams and churches involved with HELP in these four nations who are investing their lives so that their families and communities can know Jesus’ overwhelming love for them and their place in God’s kingdom. Pray that the programs will be instrumental in building greater biblical knowledge and that all will be richly fed with God’s living Word.
New Bible translation projects: Philippines
Pray for the preparations and the successful start for the new Bible translation projects of the Translators Association of the Philippines these coming months:
- Sadanga oral Bible translation (OBT) project and Isneg Conner OBT project in partnership with the Philippine Bible Society
- Sumadel Kalinga OBT project in partnership with Faith Comes By Hearing (FCBH)
- Agta Nagtipunan OBT project in partnership with FCBH
- Tandaganon project in partnership with All the Word and Wycliffe Philippines.
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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