Today is Day 4 of the Week of Prayer for International Missions. The day’s focus is on West Africans who take the lead in sharing bible stories. I think this is my favorite story so far this week; not that they aren’t all great, but I have a special connection with this one, a heartfelt passion.
I have many heartfelt passions as you’ll learn (or have learned) the more you get to know me, and one of them is Missions College. I attended in 2020 right before the pandemic became a pandemic and it (the conference) changed my life. Well, I mean, God changed my life, but He used the conference to accomplish it. You can consider this a “teaser” to buy my book someday in the future, lol. The working title is, “When God Gives Me Goosebumps: Hearing God’s Voice.” A couple of rabbit trails here–
Rabbit Trails
- I have the first 4 chapters “finished” and need a few more beta readers. Email me at [email protected] or use this handy dandy contact form, if you’re interested.
- Missions College 2022 is just around the corner. I highly recommend it! I’ll be there this year and would love to see you there, as well.
- To stay in the loop as far as what I’m doing: stages of my book, videos I’m making, speaking engagements (hopefully) please sign up for my email list. I have a monthly one and a daily one. You can sign up for one or the other or both. The daily one is my blog delivered to your inbox. I offer giveaways and a drawing for a gift card, book, or some other prize. (You must confirm your subscription by clicking the link in an email you’ll receive immediately after signing up.)
Back to my original path–
The main tract I studied at Missions College was orality. Something that we take for granted here in the U.S. is access to the Bible. We have access to hard copies in multiple versions, online access. We have commentaries and sermons on YouTube. The other huge advantage we have is the ability to read the Bible.
This is where orality fits in. It’s not just telling Bible stories, it’s crafting those stories to illustrate the characteristics of God, of Jesus, and of the Holy Spirit. The stories show His grace and mercy. They illustrate how much God loves us and how He has a plan and a purpose for each of us. It is a vital tool in spreading the gospel to remote areas. The people who hear the stories then can be trained to share and teach others. I honestly believe this is a vital part of how the gospel will be shared to every tribe, in every tongue, to every nation (Revelation 7:9).
Doesn’t that just make sense? The bible says that people must hear to believe (Romans 10:14).
Please pray for these storytellers. Pray:
- For the African orality trainers as they continue to organize and teach others how to effectively use Bible storying to share and teach God’s Word.
- That the graduates of IBBT will put into practice the orality skills they have acquired when they return to their towns and villages.
- For the unreached people groups of Sub-Saharan Africa, asking God to confirm in their hearts the truth of the stories they hear.
Bible Verse of the Day
For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!”
Romans 10:13-15 ESV
