Prayer Focus Stories

Okphela of Nigeria

Although up to 70 percent of the Okphela people would identify themselves as Christians, their exposure to the gospel has been through English or the Yoruba trade language, not through their own Okphela language. As a result, very few have a real understanding of faith in Christ, and their lives continue to be dominated by their traditional animistic religion.

Before the 1990s, the Okphela language had never been written down. But a small group of Christians began seeking translation of the Scriptures, and one well-educated Okphela man, a newspaper writer, approached the Nigerian Bible translation organization looking for a way to do translation for his people. After his initial approach, he and his wife became so committed to Bible translation for the languages of Nigeria that they took a 50 percent cut in pay and joined the organization as managers.

  • Praise God that the Gospels are at an advanced point in the translation process. Pray that any remaining issues needing to be addressed will be discovered.

  • Pray for the team as they seek to finish back-translating Acts in a timely manner so that it can join the four Gospels at the village testing stage and be checked by the consultant.

  • Pray that the Holy Spirit will give the Okphela team understanding, ability, speed and wisdom to complete work on the mother-tongue New Testament by next year.

  • Thank God that James, the Project leader has received a new laptop for the translation work.

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