Today, millions around the world have access to God’s Word in the language they understand best. The complete Bible or at least parts of it, are currently available in about 7,000 languages and at least one book of Scripture exists in almost 2,900 of these languages. At least 1.3 billion people do not have the full Bible available in their first language. Of this number, over 634 million have the New Testament, or portions of Scripture or some work has begun in their language. A Bibleless people group is a language community in need of a Bible translation. They have no known Scripture portion and no active Bible translation project. These groups are Bibleless for many reasons. Many are small in number and speak a minority language known only to their community. Other groups may be significant in size, but difficult for missionaries to access due to their remote or sensitive locations. To address this need, Wycliffe formed the Bibleless Peoples Prayer Project (BPPP) in 1982, with the goal of recruiting workers for a translation programme for each of the world’s Bibleless people groups.
The Unreached
Scripture has yet to be translated into 2,000 remaining languages. Over 300 million people speak these languages, forming the largest section (42%) of the world’s population unreached with the gospel.
Pray for more young people to dedicate their lives to Bible translation until all remaining languages have been translated, and Bibles have been printed and distributed to everyone currently without a Bible.
Declare: Open to me the gates of righteousness; I will go through them, and I will praise the LORD. (Psalm 118:19).
The poor
Over 1.3 billion people worldwide survive on less than a dollar a day, and 50% of the world’s population barely makes it through the day on two dollars, most unable to afford even basic necessities such as clean water. Some Bibleless people are too poor to imagine ever owning a Bible.
Pray for Bibles (print, audio or visual) to be made available to the poorest of the poor in languages which they understand.
Declare: For the needy shall not always be forgotten; the expectation of the poor shall not perish forever. (Psalm 9:18).
The persecuted
The distribution of Scripture is banned or restricted in over 50 countries in the world today. The Word of God will bring hope and peace to persecuted Bibleless people amidst their suffering.
Please pray for those in closed countries to have opportunities to obtain or gain access to a Bible in their own language (even via the Internet or mobile phone). Ask for many who read the Bible for the first time to come to Jesus, and for new believers to grow spiritually.
Declare: Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you. (Matthew 5:11-12).
The illiterate
Statistics in recent years suggest that nearly one billion adults globally are still illiterate. In Africa and Asia, 50-60% of the populace is unable to read, i.e. unable to read the printed Word of God! They remain “Bibleless”, waiting to hear the gospel.
Pray for the production of more audio Bibles in different languages, and for the effective distribution of solar powered audio devices to remote areas where missionaries do not have access or seldom visit. (Romans 10:14).
Declare: By awesome deeds in righteousness You will answer us, O God of our salvation, You who are the confidence of all the ends of the earth… (Psalm 65:5a).
The disabled
In the world today, nearly 45 million people are blind and 35 million people deaf, excluding other disabilities. They too need to hear and see the gospel!
Please pray for the distribution of the Bible in Braille. Also, pray for the deaf to “hear” the gospel from people who have learned sign language, and who will encourage them to read the Bible for themselves.
Declare: So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.(Romans 10:17).
New translation formats and distribution
One out of every five people on the earth live in China, an officially atheist nation. Despite the intense persecution, there are an estimated 80-100 million Christians in China of which an estimated 30 million don’t have a personal copy of the Bible. At least 1 million websites are blocked by government each year. Access to electronic Bible resources is unavailable.
Pray for a Bible distribution project on USB drives (disguised as keys), to that will enable Chinese Christians to share the gospel in a new way. Full versions of the Bible in Mandarin and English, as well as many other resources, are on the USB drives.
Declare: How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? (Romans 10:14).
Oral learners
Many people groups in the world do not yet have an alphabet! The only way to reach them with a Bible is to make it available on audio or by telling Bible stories. The Alagwa or Chasi are one such ethnic group based in the Kondoa district of central Tanzania. The Alagwa people from different villages, different churches as well as community leaders agreed to be part of the Oral Bible Translation project!
Please pray for this and every other oral people group in the world to soon have access to oral Bible stories in their languages.
Declare: Then He taught them many things by parables, and said to them in His teaching… (Mark 4:2).
Gideons International
The Gideons International surpassed the two billion mark of Bible and New Testament distribution in 2015! Distribution of the first billion Bibles and New Testaments spanned 93 years (1908-2001), but the second billion took only 14 years (2002 to 2015)! Give thanks to the Lord for feeding the nations with the bread of life, the Living Word!
Pray for those who have not read their Bibles in a long time to start reading them again.
Declare:All men shall fear, and shall declare the work of God; for they shall wisely consider His doing. (Psalm 64:9).
IsiZulu Bible translation
The current isiZulu Bible was completed over 50 years ago, and younger isiZulu speakers struggle to understand some of its language. Two full-time translators already started translation of the Bible into modern isiZulu.
Please pray for this project to be completed soon, and for new Bibles to be printed and distributed, and especially for many young people to benefit from this translation and grow spiritually.
Declare: For the redemption of their souls is costly, and it shall cease forever… (Psalm 49:8).
Sources:
http://biblesforbibleless.org/TheBibleless.htm
https://worldhelp.net/china-bible-distribution-goes-digital
http://tinyurl.com/zucuj97
www.tinyurl.com/lcm8ern
https://tinyurl.com/mg64fez and www.isizulubible.co.za
