Pray for Scripture Impact!
The vision of Pioneer Bible Translators is transformed lives through God’s Word in every language. We desire to see churches using Scripture to grow, mature, and multiply in every language on Earth. Bible translation is foundational to this vision. But translated Scripture cannot have its intended impact unless it is used — seen, read, heard — by the people for whom it has been translated.
That’s why Pioneer Bible Translators believes the role of translation should be closely paired with the role of Scripture impact — a strategic focus on getting translated Scriptures into the hands and hearts of those who need it. The following prayers highlight eight crucial elements of Scripture impact. Please join us in praying that people will use, understand, and be transformed by God’s Word!
1 – Pray for heart-language Scripture.
Pray that Scripture will be available to people in the language that communicates most effectively to them.
- Pray that people will understand that God wants to speak to them in their languages, and will not consider their languages too menial, unimportant, or unholy for God’s word.
- Pray that translation teams will have wisdom when they work in an area with multiple dialects and need to choose which one to use for the translation.
- Pray for translators working with unwritten languages to create an alphabet that will be well accepted and easy to use.
- Pray that churches will use heart-languages for teaching and worship.
- Pray that local people will have ownership and leadership in these language decisions.
2 – Pray for trusted translations.
Pray that Bible translations will be recognized as trustworthy.
- Pray that translations will be clear, accurate and natural.
- Pray that the translation team will have wisdom in choosing the style of translation that will best communicate God’s truth to their people group.
- Pray that the translation team will have godly and respectable lives so that the translation they are working on will also be respected.
- Pray for agreement between different Christian denominations regarding choices of terminology and when translating tricky passages.
- Pray for unity and good partnership between all those involved in these choices.
3 – Pray for meaningful resources.
Pray for the creation of a variety of Scriptural and Scripture-inspired resources.
- Pray that literacy efforts will be successful so that more people can read the Scriptures.
- Pray for oral and visual forms of Scripture to be produced and readily available.
- Pray that local artists will produce Scripture-inspired songs, dramas, paintings, and other culturally meaningful art forms.
- Pray for effective partnerships in the drafting, testing, and distributing of these resources.
4 – Pray for understanding.
Pray that people will have training and resources to understand God’s Word.
- Pray that people will be motivated to understand what God’s word means for their lives.
- Pray that church leaders will have access to Bible training, and will pass it on to others.
- Pray that people will have access to useful materials that will give them the cultural and historical background knowledge they need to understand the Bible.
- Pray for partnerships with those who can help develop resources and train leaders.
5 – Pray for sustainable access.
Pray that people will have the ability and motivation to access Scripture resources in their language.
- Pray that distance and cost will not hinder people from knowing God’s word.
- Pray for creativity in using technology and the internet to increase availability.
- Pray for effective and sustainable systems for promotion and distribution.
- Pray for good partnership throughout the process, so that access to Scripture does not rely on foreign resources or oversight.
6 – Pray for spiritual hunger.
Pray that people will long to know God and His Word.
- Pray that God’s word will be part of the daily lives of believers.
- Pray that church leaders and believers will look to God’s Word for guidance in all they do.
- Pray that nonbelievers will respect the Bible and be curious to know what it says.
- Pray that people will see the relevance of Scripture to their daily lives and struggles.
- Pray that the church will grow in numbers and maturity, and will witness effectively to nonbelievers in their community.
7 – Pray for open doors.
Pray that social and religious obstacles will not prevent people from choosing to follow Christ and obeying his Word.
- Pray that opposition from family and community will not hinder people from accessing God’s Word and becoming believers.
- Pray that people will not think they must reject their ethnic identity to follow Jesus.
- Pray that outside workers will take the time to understand the culture and beliefs of the people, and will have wisdom in communicating how the gospel speaks to this culture.
- Pray that whole families will become believers so that new Christians are not isolated.
- Pray against any efforts of the enemy to hinder life transformation through God’s Word.
8 – Pray for effective partnerships.
Pray for local ownership and global unity in the process of Bible translation.
- Pray that communities will be aware of the translation as it is happening and that portions will be distributed and used even before the whole Bible is complete.
- Pray for gifted, trustworthy, and motivated leaders from the local people to champion the translation project and the use of heart-language Scripture.
- Pray that outside workers will be humble and willing to let local people lead.
- Pray that efforts to involve local leaders, church denominations, and others (all of whom have a wide range of priorities and opinions) will be successful.
- Pray for unity and good communication across linguistic and cultural boundaries.
- Pray that God’s people across the world will unite their prayers and efforts to bring the Word of God to those who do not yet have access to it.
Categories for prayer are based on the “8 Conditions for Scripture Engagement” proposed by T. Wayne Dye (2009). Wording of headings and prayer points is by Esther.
