Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes,
you may be able to stand your ground,
and after you have done everything, to stand.
Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist,
with the breastplate of righteousness in place,
and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.
In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith,
with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.
Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
Ephesians 6: 13-17 (NIV)
This is the first time I ever really thought about how these verses will help the persecuted Christian in places like Indonesia. Indonesia consists of 13,000 islands. A country with the largest Muslim population. A land of more than 700 languages. Christians all over this island nation are pleading for training and technology to start translating God’s Word into their heart languages. They are begging for the opportunity to produce Bibles for their people.
My dear prayer partners, it’s time we pray for these believers, who are facing anti-Christian persecution in their nation.
Together pray with me using these verses from Ephesians:
Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.
Please pray for the believers in these 700 language groups who are pleading for the Scripture in their heart languages. Pray they can soon read these words—"put on the full armor of God”—how else can they stand when persecution comes? They really do face persecution. It is the “day of evil” for them. Oh, that we let these words sink into our heart. Oh, that we will believe—with our entire being—just how much the persecuted believers need to know of the full armor of God. Pray with me that God will provide the way for Wycliffe Associates to deliver the technology and—the computer tablets with translation software to national pastors and leaders who are ready and waiting to give their people God’s Word in their own languages.
Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breast plate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.
Please pray that the persecuted believers in Indonesia will truly have the truth, righteousness, and peace. Have we ever thought about how much one needs to know the truth, to have the protection of righteousness and the gospel of peace? How they will need to be prepared to stand firm? When the day of evil arrives and Christians are persecuted? Do we really believe how bad, how painful, how horrific persecution is? Oh, dear friends pray with me, that indeed these believers will soon have God’s Word to know how to stand firm. It is for us, friends, prayer warriors, and financial supporters of Wycliffe Associates, to provide them with the prepared technology and the training to have God’s Word—very soon.
In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.
Please pray with me, dear ones, that they will hold on to their faith as a shield. That shield will protect their hearts. The hearts that love and trust Jesus in these difficult days. Pray with me for the persecuted believers that those fiery arrows of the evil one will not extinguish their love for Jesus. We think about how hard that would be, to face evil destruction, horrific jails, their churches being burned to the ground, even torture—and believe that Jesus loves you. Yet, we know Jesus does indeed love and protect the heart, and helps the persecuted to stand.
Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
This, dear prayer warriors, is how one moves forward—salvation and the Word of God, the Spirit’s sword. Please pray, continually, that the persecuted believers in Indonesia will know salvation and have the Word of God in their heart language.
Is it truly the deepest desire of our heart that everyone has God’s Word in their heart language? If it is, we will do everything we can to make that happen. Pray with me that we will do everything the Lord God leads us to do to provide the means for training and technology—computer tablets with translation software along with internet connection to enable translators to collaborate, work discreetly and quickly, and safely back up each day’s work online. Pray for strength and safety for every national Bible translator, diligently translating Scripture into their heart language.
Thank you, dear ones, for praying with me, trusting that God will indeed use us to help provide Scripture in every language of the world.
Praying with you,
Prayer Coordinator,
Wycliffe Associate
