USA (MNN) — Easter is coming up this Sunday, April 1st. But even as we celebrate Jesus, our risen Savior, there are still millions of unreached Deaf people who don’t know the Gospel message.
According to Deaf Bible Society, around 70 million people in the world today have a sign language as their heart language. However, 95 percent of the global Deaf community does not have access to a Bible in their heart language. If Christians are serious about reaching all peoples with the Gospel, Deaf communities desperately need to be reached.
Starting Easter Sunday, April 1st, Deaf Bible Society is hosting a 50-day prayer journey to get God’s people praying for the Deaf. They would love for you to join this prayer journey!
Linda Thiessen with Deaf Bible Society shares, “We just really believe prayer is the key to what we are doing at Deaf Bible Society…. We know the Word encourages us over 100 times to be praying, and we want to be obedient!”
To participate in the 50-day prayer journey with Deaf Bible Society, just text PRAY to 444-999. This will give you access to daily prayer texts and a digital prayer journal.
“You will get a text message back saying that you are part of the journey! It is accessible to both Deaf and Hearing people. We have it in print. We have it in sign language. So there will be notifications that come up daily on your text message to let you know and it will direct you to a landing page on our website.”
You can also RSVP to the prayer journey on Deaf Bible Society’s Facebook page here.
“It’s very colorful, it’s very fun, and I think it will be a neat journey!” says Thiessen.
The next 50 days will cover seven weeks, so there will be seven prayer themes throughout the journey that touch on various aspects of the Deaf community and how they need to be reached with God’s Word.
When you pray, you can be encouraged that your prayers — joined with hundreds of other believers around the world — are having an eternal impact among the Deaf and spurring Deaf ministry efforts.
“We appreciate people who are interested in praying for us [and] praying for the work that we do. We are on the frontlines of Bible translation and Satan likes to challenge us. We want to be covered by God’s protection and in the center of God’s will as we go about working in Bible translation. So thank you so much for everybody who is involved.”
As Deaf Bible Society prepares to start the 50-day prayer journey with the Body of Christ in interceding for the Deaf community, Linda offers her own prayer:
“Father in Heaven, I just thank you so much that you give us prayer as an opportunity to link with you, to get to know you, and to just declare who you are in our life, Lord. I pray that you would bring people who have a heart for the Deaf community to be involved in this journey. We pray for Deaf people. We pray for hearing people, Lord. We pray that you would enable us to get on our knees and plead for the hearts of Deaf people to come to know you, to grow in you, to have your Word translated into their language around the world in different sign languages, and we just pray, dear God, that you would be glorified through this journey. We ask this in Jesus’ name, amen.”
Another helpful tool is Deaf Bible Society’s 14-day prayer guide for the Deaf community. It is separate from the 50-day prayer journey, but a great resource to take you through praying for the Deaf anytime of the year. Click here for a free download of Deaf Bible Society’s 14-day prayer guide!
(Header photo courtesy of Deaf Bible Society)
