This morning my Bible reading took me to Mark chapter 3. It starts out with Jesus in the synagogue healing a man’s shriveled hand and ends with Jesus in someone’s home with so many people crowded around Him that He could not even eat. Someone came in and announced that Jesus’ mother and brothers were outside and wanted to see Him. The very last verse captured my attention:
Whoever does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother.
(Mark 3:35 NIV)
You and I are Jesus’ brothers and sisters because God’s will is for everyone to believe that Jesus is the Son of God, and that He lived, died on the cross, and was resurrected. He was sacrificed so that we may be called children of God.
My dear brothers and sisters, there are still millions around the world with no access to God’s Word and no idea about God’s will for them.
At the end of the Book of Mark, Jesus gives His followers this command:
He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.”
Mark 16:15 (NIV)
“To all the world.” “To all creation.”
Then in Acts Jesus tells His followers:
You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.
Acts 1:8 (NIV)
“To the ends of the earth.”
So, for you and me, my dear prayer partners, we are praying for the Wycliffe Associates team around the world trying to reach people groups in the farthest reaches of the world. We’ve come to realize that many language communities in the unreachable places on earth—whether high in the mountains, in the deepest jungles, or beyond borders of repressive governments—can be reached by radio.
This is a day when old things become new again. The Wycliffe Associates team has created radio programming that will broadcast Bible translation training and ministry support to the most remote places on earth.
These radio broadcasts have been tested in Uganda and Papua New Guinea. Following the very first program that was broadcast in Uganda, they had a caller from a persecuted language group with no Bibles who wanted to get started on Bible translation into his language. From that first broadcast four language groups have started their Bible translations. Subsequently, four more language groups responded and want to begin Bible translation in their languages, too.
Dear friend, we have so much to pray for. Let’s pray together.
- First, let’s praise God for His loving care for all His creation and for giving us the precious Word of God in our language.
- Let’s thank the Lord Jesus for creative staff, linguists ready to translate radio programs and resources, and for willing and competent volunteer workers in Wycliffe Associates, each doing their part to help reach and teach Bible translation all around the world.
- Let’s pray for each other, that we will do our part. Let’s pray that our Prayer Watch team seriously considers our responsibility to pray for the huge task of getting the Bible translated into the languages of all people so every person will have God’s Word.
- Pray for the team creating the broadcast programming that will teach Bible translation step by step.
- Pray these programs will be translated into all of the Gateway Languages so translation training will be broadcast in all the countries of the world.
- Pray that the radio stations will broadcast every Bible translation training program.
- Pray for those answering the calls to help each caller with their questions and help them connect with the right people when additional assistance is needed.
- Pray that those listening will clearly understand the training so they can get Scripture into their language.
- Pray that the Lord will protect the radio station staff so they can continue broadcasting and helping many language groups, who have no other way, to get the Bible translated for their people.
- Pray the Lord will make this new ministry in Bible translation a huge success. Success in many people being transformed to the likeness of Jesus because they have Scripture they can understand.
- Pray for those whose part in the ministry of Bible translation is to provide financially so the work of Bible translation can continue until there is a Bible in every household’s mother tongue language.
- Pray for Wycliffe Associates’ leadership team that they will seek the Lord and follow His direction for the organization.
Thank you, dear prayer partner. You are such a blessing to me and to everyone in the ministry of Bible translation.
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