How to Pray for Literacy

Pray for the production process

“Your words are what sustain me. They bring me great joy and are my heart’s delight, for I bear your name, O LORD God Almighty.” (Jeremiah 15:16, NLT)

• Praise God for access to His Word through literacy. Pray for literate members of a community to feast on the Scriptures.
• Pray for creative recruitment strategies and tools to attract and train much-needed workers.
• Pray that international, national and local political leadership will understand how mother-tongue literacy results in nation building. This in turn strengthens God's kingdom on earth as people groups grow in healthy esteem for their uniqueness and how they can best contribute to the larger good.
• Pray for provision of literacy for the roughly one billion non-literate people today, 27 percent of the earth's population. (Two-thirds of these are women.) Pray that community leadership will not exclude sectors of the population, like women, from access to literacy. Pray for equal training opportunities.
• Pray for Wycliffe leaders to be creative, strategic thinkers as they explore innovative methods for encouraging literacy work in local communities.
• Pray for each key part of an effective literacy program—needs assessment, language analysis, program planning, literature production and on-going program evaluation. Pray that God gives program designers clarity and wisdom.
• Pray for the production of books and training manuals. Many locations lack sufficient paper, and do not have access to duplication equipment, such as a copy machine. Pray for divine provision.
• Pray for local, talented artists to be inspired to enhance the written words with culturally appropriate illustrations.
• Pray that the books and materials highlighting critical diseases like Bird Flu and AIDS will be produced, distributed and understood in a timely manner.

Pray for Christ to be glorified

“As your words are taught, they give light; even the simple can understand them.” (Psalm 119:130, NLT)

• Pray that fruit from literacy programs is seen in the local church. Pray for believers to accept and embrace the gift of literacy. Pray that community and church leaders will model the importance of reading and learning.
• Pray the God will be glorified as eyes are opened to the redemptive story of Jesus Christ.