Sometimes I struggle to pray for people I’ve never met, in countries I’ve never stepped foot in. My husband signed me up for an email listing that sends out information and prayer requests for a different people group of the world each day—I unsubscribed because I wasn’t reading the emails (much less praying for them).Lame. But true.
Enter the Perspectives Class.
Where I learned that there are still 632 people groups in the world (with populations over 50,000) who have no translation of the Bible in their language and not a single missions agency or group of Christian workers engaging their culture. You and I can find a church on every corner and a Bible with the exact pretty pink cover we were looking for. But these people groups are unengaged and unreached with the good news of Jesus.
Three of the speakers in my class last semester were men and women who had dedicated 20+ years of their lives to translating the Bible into the language of three different jungle tribes. They lived with the people, learned the ins and outs of their culture, wrote down their oral language, taught them to read and write in their own language, and then translated the words of life for them. I held a copy of the New Testament translated by one of these missionaries and felt the weight of their commitment and the wonder of God's thoughts and purposes communicated to us through the written word.
How incredible that I have had the entire Bible at my fingertips my entire life! 632 groups of people have never had that privilege. Finishing The Task outlines each of these groups, and going through the compiled list on their site is eye-opening.
So, Andrew and I are adopting. Not one baby, or two, but an entire group of people--The Bantawa Rai of Nepal. We have committed to pray for them (at least weekly) and learn as much about them as we can. Personally, I'm asking God to make them real to me. Not just a name on a page or a statistic. I want to remember them when I sit down in the morning with my Bible and cup of tea. To remember that they can't do the same.
Would you consider adopting, too? Check out Finishing The Task, where you can choose a group and commit to pray for them. Don't discount the huge significance of your prayers or the power of our God to answer them.
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It's Thursday, so if you have a new adventure that you've blogged about recently, link it up here! :) I'll be tweeting and commenting on your posts. :) Read more about Try New Adventures Thursday here.
Very cool Alicia! Thanks for talking about this & linking to it ... can't wait to read more!
ReplyDeleteAlicia, my heart is just bursting right now! I think this is so incredible and amazing! Jonathan and I have been talking about how we can let God use us more and more often. And doing something like this is just so great!
ReplyDeleteOh my gosh, are you talking about Perspectives on the World Christian Movement? I took that class in college and it changed my life! It totally changed the way I thought about the Bible, about missions, etc. I recommend it to everyone. So glad you mentioned it :)
ReplyDeleteI can totally relate to not understanding how to pray for people far away that I've never met. When I start, I get this panicky feeling that I need to pray for all off them individually and I don't know what to say. I love how you're choosing a group and committing. Thanks for the inspiration and encouragement!
ReplyDeleteWhat a blessing you are. This is a great project and thanks for sharing about it.
ReplyDeleteNancy
Thanks for spurring us to consider adopting too. Prayer is an area where I've backslidden and know God wants me to grow. It doesn't seem to be emphasized in churches these days, but I can still embrace the privilege of talking to the Almighty!
ReplyDeleteThat is great!! What a wonderful way to be used by God.
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