How might you pray for Christian writers and publishers serving in hard places or living through particularly challenging seasons? Our regional Board Chairs share specific ways you can pray.
Perseverance and excellence in Africa
Rose Birenge (MAI-Africa): For African publishers and writers, I desire that people pray for them to not give up. Writing can be so lonely. It can be a tedious journey. It can be discouraging. People can get distracted and feel it’s not worth it. Pray for God’s grace to just keep faithful, and pray that we’ll be there for each other, to encourage each other on this race, this marathon, that no one will ever feel alone.
Pray for creativity—in terms of embracing the digital age, in the whole process of publishing, right from writing to distribution, to just embrace the digital age. And pray for funding. Publishing houses need funds to be able to do an excellent job of the books that they’re given, to do good marketing, to do good launches.
Pray for all who God has moved to write or to produce something will desire to be excellent. That they’ll not be out to do a shoddy job, to do a quick job, but will really value excellence deep down—doing it for Jesus, for the Lord and not for man. And even if they sell two books, to know those are the books God wanted them to sell.
Reaching the diverse peoples of Asia
Aaron Lee (MAI-Asia): I’d say reaching people and cultures whose heart language is not English. There are very many who speak other languages, something that is very pressing. There are still countries around the world where the Bible has not yet been translated, or not all of the Bible has been translated into their own language.
Compelling and relevant content for Latin America
José Carlos Gutiérrez M. (MAI-América Latina): I think one of the main challenges is creating content in Spanish or in the languages that are spoken in Latin America. Not only the official languages, but many other languages spoken in different countries.
For example, having the Bible translated to original languages from Mexico. That’s important. Also, creating relevant content in our own culture, because it’s different when you have translated material, than when you create things that people will understand.
I would like to see more Christian fiction in Latin America. We have many very talented writers who can create wonderful work.
Pray that we can reach children. First, that we can encourage them to read. Then, that we can train young authors, illustrators and artists to create at a young age. Children are the future of our society. It’s important to start reading at a young age. Reading helps you to use your imagination, helps you with language—and on a spiritual level, helps you learn from God in different ways. Reading is one of the greatest habits one can have.
We are the newest regional board, and we are trying to expand the Board and our work in Latin America. I would appreciate prayers in that way, and for all the authors and publishing houses and editors in our region.
Writers who will reach out in Europe
Janet Wilson (MAI-Europe): One of the challenges that we face at the moment is that there is a war in Europe, and there are people who are really very much in need of hearing the good news of Jesus. There are a lot of people who are very anxious and worried, who need to find peace with God and the peace of God in their lives. There are people from many different nations who want to reach out to their neighbors and their friends. Our children are going through a very difficult time at the moment. Mental health issues are very high, and we need writers who will reach out to people who are very much in need.
We need finances to be able to bring students to events (because they don’t have any money—being students). We particularly want them to be there, so we really appreciate the Lord’s provision for events. Pray too for wisdom to choose wisely where we go.
Pray for all writers and publishers across Europe—that we would all be able to write the very best that we can for the glory of God, to point people to Jesus, to build up the church and to reach out to those who have not yet heard of Him.
There are so many needs in Europe at this time, and we want to do the best we can to help the writers reach out to those people. Whether it’s Sunday School materials, devotional materials, biographies, leaflets and digital material—pray for all those writers, that they would do the very best that they can, and that we at MAI will help them the very best way that we can.
We have no idea what the Lord has in store for the next forty years, but one thing we do know: we know that He is sovereign over all, and if we trust ourselves to Him and keep faithful, He will lead us and guide us every step of the way.