The world is at your fingertips. All it takes is the press of a button, a spoken command or a few keywords, and there you have it: access to information about anything, anytime, anywhere. We literally carry a world’s worth of information in our pockets!

Technological advances in the 21st century have changed the way that we approach all aspects of life. Here are just a few examples:

• You can travel to another country and have a conversation with someone who speaks a completely different language, just by pointing your phone at a sign or speaking into an app.


• You can ask your phone a question — “How many people live in the world?” or “What’s the capital of Mozambique?” — and get an instant answer.


• Lost in a new city? Your GPS not only shows you where to go but also tells you when to turn and how long it’ll take to get to your destination.


• With one video call, you can see a friend in Kenya, pray with family in Brazil or attend a church service on the other side of the world.


• Apps like Zoom, WhatsApp and FaceTime bring the global Church — and global friendships — right into your living room at any hour of the day or night.

For most of us, gone are the days of dial-up internet and having to check out books from the library to do research. Now, access is instant, and we’ve learned to not only like it but expect it. Our ability to patiently wait for something is dwindling by the day — when it comes to our daily rhythms and to our long-term goals and pursuits.

How does all this translate to Bible translation? Great question! Let’s take a look.

God’s Plans, Not Ours

Just as access to information is increasing rapidly, access to translated Scripture is too! Today, Wycliffe and our partners are seeing an incredible acceleration in the Bible translation movement. New language projects are starting at a faster pace than ever before, and in numbers higher than we could have imagined! The translated Scriptures are also reaching communities faster than ever before — via video, audio, apps and print!

Yet, if we give in to our human desire for instant gratification, it can be easy to question why things aren’t moving even faster. Even as communities, local churches and partner organizations are initiating, continuing or completing translations every day, there’s still a list of remaining needs — 686 languages that still need Bible translation to begin — and they remain for a reason. Many of them are the hardest of the hard to reach, where geopolitics, remote locations and other major religions can serve as barriers to the gospel.

Our appetite for instant answers could leave us doubting God; after all, isn’t Vision 2025 in alignment with His will that people from every community have the opportunity to worship Him, as described in Revelation 7:9a?

The truth is, the answer to this question is both yes and no. Yes, God wants all people to be able to worship Him, and He is bringing that to reality each and every day. But must He do it in our human timeline? That answer is unequivocally no. Isaiah 55:8-9 reminds us, “‘My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,’ says the LORD. ‘And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts’” (NLT).

It is His desire that all people come to know Him, and He will bring it to pass according to His perfect timeline; we are simply participants in seeing that truth become reality. But every one of us still has a role to play. In fact, our role is incredibly critical. And it focuses on praying for the nations.

Reaching the Unreached

As we continue pressing ahead toward Vision 2025, we’re asking God to help Bible translation start for every language still needing it by the end of the calendar year. It’s a God-sized goal — a miraculous milestone along the way to seeing all Scripture made available for all people.

Don’t know where to get started? Here are a few ways you can integrate praying for the unreached into your daily rhythms:

• Pray for Countries by Name: There are a lot of opportunities to pray for countries if we intentionally keep our eyes open. See a country in the news where civil and religious unrest is being experienced? Studying other world religions and their origins? Learning a foreign language? Be attentive to God’s leading as you encounter other countries throughout your day, or check out the latest Vision 2025 map and pray for each country by name.


• Pray for Jesus to Reveal Himself: In countries where the gospel isn’t welcome, Jesus still shows up and moves — whether through the planting of a local church, gospel-inspired literature or even in dreams and visions! Pray that Jesus would reveal Himself in ways that capture people’s hearts, even if they don’t yet have access to the Scriptures. And ultimately pray that God would open doors for Scripture access in these hard-to-reach areas, knowing that His Word changes everything.


• Pray for Local Churches: The spread of the gospel may appear to be hindered by politics, governments or borders, but God is still doing what only He can do: raising up His Church! As believers share the gospel within their homes, workplaces and neighborhoods, pray that local churches would grow and that God would provide a hedge of protection over all who seek to serve Him in sensitive contexts.


• Pray for the Gospel to Produce Fruit: Isaiah 55:11 says, “It is the same with my word. I send it out, and it always produces fruit. It will accomplish all I want it to, and it will prosper everywhere I send it” (NLT). Pray this Scripture and others like it, trusting that God will send out His Word into all communities! After all, Revelation 7:9a paints an image of the future that shows us the fruit of that. We simply have the joy and privilege of seeing it become reality here on earth today. “After this I saw a vast crowd, too great to count, from every nation and tribe and people and language, standing in front of the throne and before the Lamb” (NLT).

There’s no doubt about it: Prayer is foundational to the work of Bible translation, and it’s one of the most significant — and perhaps easiest! — investments we can make. Whether you commit to praying for a few minutes every day with our online Wycliffe Prayer Community or participate through intercessory prayer using printed and digital resources like our Global Prayer List, your prayers matter!

The Bible Changes Everything

There are still communities around the world waiting to be reached with the gospel in a language and format they understand. They have yet to experience the transformative power that comes from hearing or seeing Scripture come to life in their language. Some are waiting to receive the first Bible verses ever produced in their language; others are waiting for portions, New Testaments or the full Bible.

Regardless of where these communities are in their journey to receiving all of Scripture, their stories matter! For the millions of men, women and children in these communities, Bible translation doesn’t just open the door for an introduction to Jesus — it flings wide the opportunity to truly encounter Him and understand how much He loves each one of them, personally. The Bible isn’t just words on a page; it’s the very heart of God, spelled out for mankind. And it changes everything!

So will you join us? Will you say “yes” to praying that God would equip and empower His global Church to bring the gospel to the furthest corners of the earth so that all people can encounter Him?

With the psalmist, we declare, “All the nations you made will come and bow before you, Lord; they will praise your holy name. For you are great and perform wonderful deeds. You alone are God” (Psalm 86:9-10, NLT). May we be reminded that God is always on the move, and one day we’ll be part of that vast crowd that’s too great to count, worshipping Him together in all the unique languages that create the beautiful tapestry of His global Church.

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