Prayer Watch: Bible Translators Persecuted

Greetings! Let’s look forward to what the Lord has for us in this new year 2024. We continue earnestly in our goal of assisting local believers around the world as they translate the Scriptures into their heart languages—until every nation, tribe, people, and language have God’s Word.

The focus of our prayers today is the Lord’s protection of all the persecuted believers around the world. There are so many countries, in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East, where Christians, including national Bible translators are being jailed, beaten, even executed for their faith.

We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us.

Romans 8:26 (NIV)

Please join me in prayer. I am trusting the Holy Spirit to fill in the places where I just don’t know how to pray.

Our Dear Father God,

We come before You recognizing that You know all that is happening in the countries around the world where Bible translators, pastors, believers, and their families are being persecuted.

Lord, we thank You for caring and hearing our prayers. You even know what is in our hearts.

Right now, we ask You to protect and strengthen the national Bible translators who are facing persecution, being sought out, followed, and arrested.

We pray for the pastors and translators trying to get the Scriptures to their people. Lord, three pastors crossed the border, carrying the first of their translations to their people, and were executed. We ask that their deaths will bring Kingdom results. We pray their executors will read the Scriptures the pastors carried and find hope and peace in Jesus.

We pray, Lord, for those who have no phones, no internet, and are in seemingly impossible situations where there are believers who want to have Scripture in their language. Lord, so many in the world only know their own language, and we ask that you show Wycliffe Associates who they are so we can provide the technology and training to help get Scripture in their language.

Where there are doors closed to us, Oh God, please make a way for Bible translation to begin.

We pray, Lord, for where there are still no churches, that You will bring someone to them who knows about You, Lord, and can begin Bible translation for that language group.

There are so many around the world suffering and struggling with poverty, even without clean water. Help us meet their physical needs so that national Bible translation teams can continue translating Your Word for their people.

Lord, where terrorism has forced Your people to run far from home, please be their protection and provision so the Bible translators can continue their work. Heavenly Father, to those who are in refugee camps, please provide for their needs, whatever they are, and we ask they will find a community of believers to be encouragers to the Bible translators. Lord, please help them find technology necessary to upload their translations so no terrorists can destroy their work, the Word of God in their heart language.

Lord, God, many of us know people in these situations and our hearts break for them. Please, oh Lord, use our tears to meet the real needs of those we love. And use our prayers to bring answers to their prayers.

Oh, that we could encourage those who struggle to have courage amid their persecution. Oh, that we could bring healing water to the suffering and parched bodies. We ask, dear Father, that our prayers be answered for the persecuted. Please provide shelter and strength to those You are guiding to translate Your Precious Word in their language so they can know You and the peace and rest that only You can give them.

Most of all, Lord, we pray that Your Word will go out and transform hearts, lives, and entire communities with the Gospel to become strong witnesses of Your love and grace.

We ask this in Jesus’ precious name. Amen.

After this I looked, and there before me was a
great multitude that no one could count,
from every nation, tribe, people, and language,
standing before the throne and before the Lamb.
Revelation 7:9 (NIV)