March - June 2021 - Pray with Bible Society
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March – June 2021
Photography by Dag Smemo
Pray with Bible Society
Thanks be to God for the people
28 February – 6 March of China wanting Bibles, and for us
having the chance to contribute to
Dear Lord, we pray that your kingdom that wonderful present.
will be established in China and that Anonymous
your will is done. May my fellow
Christians in this country stay strong
and assured of your unfailing love, 21 – 27 March
always. Amen.
Abi
Lord, your word is mighty and
Almighty God, I pray that your wonderful. May your people in China
word will reach those in China that experience its power and grow in
desperately need to receive your faith. Amen.
teaching. I pray the message of love, Timothy, Bexleyheath
hope and peace will continue to
spread and grow there. Amen. O Lord, we pray that your knowledge
Lucy, Havering will fill China as the waters cover the
sea. Strengthen the hands of your
servants involved with this mission
7 – 13 March and uphold them in Jesus’ name.
Amen.
I pray for peace, joy and freedom Bola, Milton Keynes
from persecution for my dear brothers
and sisters in China, such wonderful
people.
Penny, Harrogate
28 March – 3 April
Thank you so much for joining us in prayer.
March We pray for people who don’t have a
Bible, for money to help people get
free Bibles, for people who are tired
from walking to get a Bible and to
have transport to get Bibles.
Melling St Wilfrid C.E. Primary,
Dear Lord, I pray that you will provide
more pastors to encourage and teach
young Christians in China. Amen.
Timothy, Bexleyheath
Almighty God, I pray that you will
reveal your word and truth to the
Carnforth
We deeply value your prayer support, Chinese people. Jesus, may you
especially as we continue living in an come into their lives and be a light
uncertain world. Many of you have written to them, guide and lead them to full
your prayers on our online China Prayer Tree
14 – 20 March knowledge of you, Amen.
on biblesociety.org.uk/chinaprayertree Dominick
and this month we pray with you for China. Thank you, Jesus, for the work being
done by Bible Society, in China. It is
Photography by Dag Smemo
Other seeds fell on good soil and produced a privilege to be part of this mission
grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some to supply Bibles to our brothers and
thirty. He who has ears, let him hear. sisters in Christ in a largely atheistic
Matthew 13.8 – 9 (ESV) country.
Andy, Salisbury
April
‘It is hard to find the right words to
4 – 10 April express our gratitude for getting 25 April – 1 May
the funding for our Bible Society
Happy Easter, Christ is risen: He is to survive,’ says General Secretary ‘The news [of the Fund support] came
risen indeed! Anatoly Kirillov. ‘Just as people who to us like an oasis of fresh water in
fall seriously ill with Covid-19 need the middle of the intense desert that
Bible Society in the West Indies ventilators to help them breathe and we have had to face for more than
describes the devastating effect that recover and return to normal life, this six months,’ says Marco Gomez at the
Covid-19 has had on the Jamaican financial support is helping us keep Bible Society of Panama.
Thanks to your support, and economy, which relies heavily on going and return to our activity.’
supporters around the world, close tourism. Inevitably, this, together with Amid lockdown, the Bible Society
to 40 Bible Societies are receiving the closure of churches and schools Give thanks for the help Bible Society partnered with churches to distribute
the urgent help they need, through during lockdown, has led to a steep in Moldava is receiving and pray for Scriptures to families in difficult
the Rescue and Recovery Fund (see decline in the Bible Society’s income. encouragement and perseverance circumstances, and to police and army
WIA page 11). So far, just over $4 to keep going through these difficult officers. When the country’s borders
million has been raised by 18 Bible ‘Things are difficult, very difficult,’ says times. were closed due to lockdown, many
Societies. Please pray for these General Secretary Courtney Stewart, migrants were trapped in the country
Bible Societies in need as they seek who has been very worried about with no work and nowhere to go. The
to keep Bible ministry alive in their the situation. ‘Our country, like many 18 – 24 April Bible Society provided Bibles and
countries. others, is going through the throes of children’s Scriptures for them, while
lack of funds, lack of work, mounting Bible Society of Namibia General churches distributed food and other
For just as the body is one and has bills and growing frustration.’ Secretary Schalk Botha admits that he relief.
many members, and all the members has been deeply concerned about the
of the body, though many, are one When asked what it means to the Bible Society’s survival, as its sales and One of the migrants, Vielka Morales,
body, so it is with Christ. Bible Society to get support through fundraising income has been badly hit shared how receiving the Scriptures
1 Corinthians 12.12 (ESV) the Fund, Courtney shared, ‘It means by the pandemic. during that difficult time helped her
we are not alone in our struggle for and her family.
survival. It is a wonderful testimony ‘The good news of the Fund support
and demonstration of solidarity has brought us a sense of security and ‘I have always wanted a Bible, so
and biblical compassion in times of relief for the difficult months ahead when you arrived bringing Bibles I
tremendous challenge.’ Please pray of us,’ he says. ‘The funding will help asked you to help. Reading the Bible
for Bible ministry in the West Indies, cover some of our running costs and gave my heart tranquillity and peace.
that people will find hope in Jesus, enable us to continue our mission. Above all, it helped me feel God
through the Bible. People in Namibia are overwhelmed protecting us on our journey. The
with fear and a sense of books the children received helped to
11 – 17 April powerlessness, and there is an distract them from our situation but
increasing demand for Bibles as also gave them lessons that will help
people search for hope to sustain them in life. We are very grateful for
In Moldova, Europe’s poorest nation, them spiritually through these the Bibles.’
the pandemic hit the Bible Society’s difficult times.’
operations hard. It completely relies Give thanks for the ministry that
on its sales income, which dropped by Please pray for the work of Bible Bible Society in Panama is continuing
80%. It has had to reduce its activities Society in Namibia: pray it will be able to provide. Please pray for all Bible
Thanks to your support, Bible and staff in order to survive, but at to minister to people searching for Societies around the world as we seek
Society in Panama distributed the same time, the need for Bibles is hope in the midst of the pandemic. to bring the Bible to life.
Bibles to migrant workers during growing as people are searching for
the pandemic. comfort and hope.
May
and sales income. This means that it
is hard to pay salaries and taxes, and 16 – 22 May 23 – 29 May
also to maintain the two translation
projects that it has been running with Cameroon Niger
local funding since 2019. ‘After the An update
murder of from General
Valente (pictured below left), our two team Secretary
General Secretary of Bible Society in members, Hama Yaye
Mozambique, says, ‘This means that who were (pictured
God won’t allow Covid-19 to stop the responsible far right):
Through your giving, Bible Societies plan for his people to get his word for preparing
in some of the toughest, hardest through the Bible Society’s ministry. the community for the arrival of the ‘The situation in Niger regarding
places in Africa are able to share the Just as Jesus is the same yesterday, Bible in Parkwa, our task becomes Islamic extremists remains tense
Bible, particularly from your giving today and forever, we’ll continue even more urgent,’ Luc (pictured and no less political. There are
to the Rescue and Recovery Fund. making him known while looking above), General Secretary of the Bible still hostilities in the red zones
Please pray for our brothers and for the best ways to be sustainable Society in Cameroon, said. ‘It is this because the churches are unable to
sisters in Mozambique, Cameroon during and after the Rescue and Bible that will bring hope and heal worship freely and there are always
and Niger as they risk their lives to Recovery Fund. the wounds of the Parkwa-speaking kidnappings of influential Christians,
share the gospel. people. You know, when God sends the governors of the regions,
‘Allow me to confess that I was in you on a mission, he doesn’t say the heads of villages and people
Even though I walk through the valley despair and had sleepless nights for what conditions you will face when considered to be rich. Ultimately, we
of the shadow of death, I will fear no weeks and months, but I kept praying you go. He says, “Go, I’m sending no longer know whether they are
evil, for you are with me; your rod and and the answer came in God’s time, you.” He sent us to this people and bandits or terrorists, and this is where
your staff, they comfort me. not mine. Praise the Lord! I pray for all we must accomplish our mission. We the state complicity lies. Because
Psalm 23.4 (ESV) our donors and fundraisers, for God’s are convinced that, with him, we will the country is 98 per cent Muslim,
anointing in their work of being a complete our mission, despite the politicians are unwilling to touch
blessing to our Bible Society and our actions of the enemy.’ these so-called terrorist Islamists
people. because they will lose their electorate.
2 – 8 May and 9 – 15 May Please pray for our brothers and
‘It also gives us great motivation to sisters in Cameroon and in other ‘What encourages us is that Nigerien
Mozambique do God’s ministry, as written by Paul nations in the Sahel region of Africa Christians themselves are not afraid
Covid has in 1 Corinthians 15.58: “Therefore, my who live under the constant threat of Islamists. Christians even in regions
completely dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing of Boko Haram and other terrorist declared red zones are looking for
paralysed move you. Always give yourselves groups. Ask that God will protect more ways to know God. We are
an economy fully to the work of the Lord because them and give them courage so they used to the violence of our own
already you know that your labour in the Lord will not be deterred from worshipping persecuting parents.
destabilised is not in vain.”’ or from spreading the word of God.
by various ‘In my humble opinion God takes
crises, including Boko Haram attacks, Please pray for our team in Please pray for the families of every opportunity to glorify his name.
turmoil with the Anglophone region, Mozambique, that they will be lights Joseph and Jonas, pray for safety I have found that Christians in the
and a political crisis since the 2018 shining in the midst of extremely and protection for our staff in the heat of the moment are more serious
elections. Although the Bible Society challenging circumstances. region, and pray God’s word can bring in their faith, even when they lack
has been able to continue its work healing and hope to communities everything. This is the motivation for
through the previous crises, Covid has which have endured so much. our actions in these dangerous zones,
severely curtailed its ability to operate, but with great caution.’
significantly cutting its fundraisingJune
‘Heavenly Father, we thank you for our
brother George. We thank you for his
passion and great love for you and his
commitment to you and your word, and
to spread that to the people of Syria.
Lord God, we pray for Syria, we lift up
that nation to you.
Our colleagues at Bible Society in ‘Lord, ten years of suffering is ten years
Australia (BSA) recently interviewed too long. We ask that you would give
George, the General Secretary of our leaders wisdom to make
Bible Society in Syria. Syria is still different decisions, decisions that don’t
in the midst of war after ten long hurt and cause pain and damage to
years and they deeply value prayer these people.
support from their brothers and
sisters around the world. Please ‘Father, we thank you that through all
pray with Belinda, our colleague of this suffering and crisis, you have not
from BSA. forgotten the people of Syria; you love
them and you died for them. Father,
The Spirit of the Lord God is upon we thank you for George. And we ask
me, because the Lord has anointed that you would give him wisdom and
me to bring good news to the poor; guidance as he leads the Bible
he has sent me to bind up the Society of Syria.
brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to
the captives, and the opening of the ‘We pray particularly for the trauma
prison to those who are bound … healing project and for all of the other
Isaiah 61.1 (ESV) projects that George is leading. And we
thank you for those. We ask that you
would continue to move the hearts of
people to give generously so that they
can continue. Father, we pray for peace.
We pray for peace and for comfort.
‘And we thank you, Lord, for all of the
great work that you are doing. Thank
you that, in spite of the pain and the
suffering, Lord, we know that you are
still at work. We know that you are
still good. And Father, thank you that
George knows this too. In Jesus’ name,
we pray. Amen.’
Please pray for George and his family
Bible Society, Stonehill Green, Westlea, Swindon SN5 7DG Tel: 01793 418222
biblesociety.org.uk Registered charity 232759 PR000584You can also read
