Streams of Prayer for 3 February 2025
The Streams of Prayer for 3 February 2025, is a circular from Wycliffe Global Alliance. Wycliffe Caribbean makes this available.
February 2, 2025 – February 8, 2025
Community and Friendship
Our current theme for Streams of Prayer is Community and Friendship. “Community is the basis for the existence of the Alliance. …We affirm each other for who we are and not for what we contribute or for the quantity of the contribution. Our primary goal is to glorify God together.” (From The Wycliffe Global Alliance in Community.)
“Collaboration can be ‘doing together’ or ‘being together’ and also both,” says Dr Paul Kimbi, Alliance Consultant for Bible Translation Programmes. “Being precedes doing. It is necessary to spend time building friendship, building togetherness, on the basis of our values before we start doing things together. We should not ever be in a rush to start doing things together when we have not built trustworthy relationships. God calls us primarily to be a community of his people before he expects us to live out our call.”
Although each Alliance organisation has its own leadership, board and staff, all of us seek to work interdependently and we value the Alliance community for friendship, partnership, spiritual encouragement and other practical forms of mutual support.
Participants share a moment of joy and laughter at the 2023 Global People Conversation in Malaysia. Photo: Siew-wah Ng
Prayer consultation with partners: The Netherlands
Wycliffe Netherlands is organising a partner consultation for early April. They have invited representatives of various partner organisations to come to the Netherlands. This will be a time to build further community and friendship. They will tell partners about their work, request input into their multi-year strategy, talk about challenges and explore further what God is doing through these partnerships. Please pray for:
- Preparations in the coming months and a fruitful gathering in April. May it be an event for the glory of God.
- Visas for the participants. This is a timely and difficult process with all the regulations for the paperwork. May all visas be granted.
- The participants as they prepare for travel and the content that will be shared and discussed.
- Wycliffe Netherlands staff members involved in organising this time together.
Families of staff included in celebration: Cameroon
Every December, the Cameroon Association for Bible Translation and Literacy (CABTAL) hosts an end-of-year party at each of its three regional offices. This is an opportunity for all staff members to get together with their families at one of these centres to celebrate the Lord for his favour throughout the year and to share a meal. Thank God that through testimonies and various interactions, the administration could ensure that the spouses and families of staff members are in touch with their work realities. They get to see where he or she goes every day and share in the successes achieved. A great deal of excitement and joy was shared at each celebration. To the glory of God, new communities have been built and consolidated over the years in Yaoundé, Maroua and Bamenda.
Three years praying with Unceasing Prayer platform: Canada, Global
Wycliffe Canada is celebrating three years of weekly prayer as part of the Unceasing Prayer for Bible Translation movement. Their involvement started with three people. God has grown the team of leaders and participants, as well as their understanding of how to intercede. Through their prayers they have seen God working and have also come to know and love brothers and sisters around the world—people they have not met in person. Prayer team members consider their work a strategic part of what God is doing through Bible translation and related ministries. Pray that God will send others to share the joy of intercession with their online prayer team.
Mobilising the church community: Argentina
LETRA Argentina considers mobilisation an important element of making known what God is doing in Bible translation movements, as well as sharing translation needs in Argentina and worldwide. In 2024, LETRA Argentina held 50 mobilisation events with various denominations in various cities, presenting the topics of Bible translation and literacy in more than 30 churches. In addition, they held women’s and youth meetings and workshops, visited radio stations and Bible institutes and participated in missionary congresses, recitals, camps, breakfasts and Zoom meetings. Thank God for the willingness among Argentina’s church and denominational communities to invite LETRA Argentina to talk about Bible translation in Argentina. Pray that God will use these efforts to inspire more people to be involved through prayer, finances and service.
Collaborating in mission efforts: Chad
The Association Tchadienne d’Alphabétisation de Linguistique et de Traduction de la Bible (ATALTRAB) is committed to mobilising churches and communities to participate actively in Bible translation. They understand that collaboration is crucial for making progress. Through consultations and forums with church leaders and Christian organisations, ATALTRAB collaborates in mission while developing strategic partnerships and relationships for a greater impact. Praise God for the impact on church leaders who have become aware of the issues and challenges of mission work. They are making commendable efforts to contribute to the holistic transformation of people and to participate in Bible translation activities. Church members themselves are initiating development activities that are increasingly improving living conditions. Praise God for these cooperative efforts.
Improving network of engagement and relationships: Germany
Staff of Wycliffe Germany are grateful for existing networks like the AEM (the Alliance of Evangelical Missions in Germany) and the “communication table” of Wycliffe Europe. In such collaborative contexts, they can share questions and ideas, plan gatherings, and find inspiration. In recent years Wycliffe Germany staff have realised that it is not only their full-time workers who deserve a good supporting network. Please pray:
- That God would lead them as they work to strengthen relationships with all those in Germany who have a heart for the worldwide Bible translation movement.
- For two new staff members to join their Communication team.
- For wisdom and God’s leading as they focus on communication with churches and individuals willing to support the work in various ways (as donors, prayer group leaders, mobilisers, etc.) on a volunteer basis.
- That their efforts
- will result in a well-structured network of engagement with deeper relationships.
Community participation in Scripture checking: Papua New Guinea
Consultant checking of Scriptures in the village setting is a wonderful opportunity for community participation in the translation process. On 5-9 August, Egalauna village in the Central province of Papua New Guinea hosted the first consultant checking of Luke’s gospel in the Keakalo language. Combined efforts by the language community, churches and the Papua New Guinea Bible Translation Association made this two-week checking session a success. Church members took turns to provide meals and entertain the team by singing. Praise the Lord for his blessings to the Keakalo translation team. Pray for them as they finalise the manuscript and prepare for typesetting and publishing. Ask the Lord to provide funds for printing and pray that the Keakalo people will be encouraged to read Luke and continue to work in unity to see the rest of the New Testament completed.
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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JAMAICA, W. I.
876 754 9334, 908 2970, 582 6592
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