A Spark of Hope for a Bible-Reading Revolution

Tyndale House Publishers

According to the American Bible Society’s most recent “State of the Bible” report, the number of people disengaged with the Bible has seen a sharp increase. This continues the discouraging trend of people in America moving away from reading their Bibles. Why are people turning away from the Bible? How do we change this? What can bring people back to God’s Word? It’s not easy to find answers to these questions. But we are seeing hope.

Immerse: The Bible Reading Experience is helping people to reengage with Bible reading. By removing distractions like chapter and verse numbers, the Bible is put back into its narrative form. Readers can experience the Bible like the original audiences would have experienced it—as a collection of letters, poems, stories, and more that tell God’s beautiful story of love for the world he created.

Though the Bible engagement numbers can seem daunting, the individual stories of people reading Immerse and growing as communities of believers brings a spark of hope. A spark that can quickly spread as God transforms individuals and communities who are finding their place in God’s story.

Read Their Stories:

“I didn’t grow up in a church home. As a result, I’d never really had the time or energy to read the Bible on my own. It was very intimidating. What Immerse did for me was to make it accessible in so many ways. Short readings that were understandable stories. Any time I’ve been exposed to the Bible, it seems that it’s all these random verses that made sense in small bits, but it was hard to understand why. I’d heard names of people in the Bible but didn’t understand their part in God’s plan. Immerse was in modern language that literally immersed me in the stories of the Bible, which gave me a new perspective on all the people that I’ve learned about. Each week during our study, we would review the four questions included with the readings. I also was able to get to really know the women that I was studying with. I felt as if we were discipling each other, which I feel was Jesus’ intent. I would highly recommend this style of reading to anyone who wants to give it a try. You won’t be disappointed!”

“I worked through a few of the books with groups of guys at church. Six of us went through Messiah, and even though we all had read the NT before, using Immerse made it fresh. One guy remarked, ‘It’s like reading a play.’ We all enjoyed it so much and wanted to bring other guys in. So we split our group into three groups and invited other men to be a part of it as we went through more Immerse studies. Even reading the laws (in Beginnings) was exciting—way more than it had ever been for us!”

“My church has made it a yearly commitment to read one of the Immerse books in the fall. The first year we went through Messiah, and I was instantly hooked. I theoretically knew of the Bible as a story, but I had never experienced it in that way. Suddenly, people like Peter, John, and Paul all came to life for me. I started seeing them as fully fleshed-out people that grew and changed as the story progressed. This new insight was amazing, but it pales in comparison to what happened next. I was working at my church office, and I overheard two of our members talking. Normally I wouldn’t have even noticed, really, but their conversation caught my attention because I realized they were talking about that week’s Immerse reading, and just like me, they were starting to understand Paul as a more full person. All three of us, separately, sat down to read the Bible in a new way, and all three of us had encountered people like us in the story. That encounter built us up; we now understood our biblical heroes as humans, not unattainable symbols. More importantly, it also brought us together because we experienced this revelation as a community.”

“I would have called myself a Christian at any point in my life, but it wasn’t my faith, it was my parents’ faith. In sixth grade, I decided to make my faith my own. Acting on this, I thought it was time to read the entire Bible, but I didn’t know how to begin. In the past, I set out to read Matthew, but I couldn’t even finish that. Reading the Bible seemed unachievable. Then I found Immerse. The same stories are just formatted a little differently. You feel as if you are reading a novel. You can look at the bigger picture and not just the individual stories. Without the chapters and verses as distractions, I made it through the Bible in just over a year. Fast forward to now, I am in tenth grade. I am reading the New Testament again. I am reading with Immerse and annotating. Reading your Bible directly or reading with Immerse will provide the same information, but Immerse provides an easy way to look at the big picture and see the Bible as the unfolding story in which we all fit.”

Order Immerse: The Reading Bible

*Photos are not of the people who shared their story

What Is Immerse and Why Do We Need It?

Tyndale House Publishers

Despite having access to more Bibles than ever before, Bible reading and engagement are in freefall. What can we do? Glenn Paauw and Paul Caminiti from the Institute for Bible Reading have done extensive research to try to answer that question and find ways to change the trajectory of Bible reading. It was from this quest that Immerse: The Reading Experience was birthed. It is a simple yet revolutionary way to reengage with the Bible as individuals and in community.

Watch the Immerse Story:

Not Just Another Article on Biblical Manhood

Tyndale House Publishers

by Stephen Arterburn, teaching pastor at Northview Church, Carmel, Indiana; founder and chairman of New Life Ministries; editor, Every Man’s Bible; and coeditor, The Life Recovery Bible

Is there anything that has not been written about biblical manhood? Books, articles, and videos abound with calls for men to demonstrate character, integrity, authenticity, and especially “servant leadership.” In an attempt to not write what has already been written over and over again, I present the following ideas.

First, the term servant leadership is an inaccurate and inadequate description of Paul’s instructions to men in the fifth chapter of Ephesians. A “servant leader” stoops to serve only when he chooses to do so; it is a very tidy role with a narrow focus on serving others. Yet it is already obvious to most Christian men that they need to avoid misinterpreting Scripture as a call to biblical demandhood instead of manhood. They understand that Paul’s words set a standard far beyond that of servant leadership.

Biblical manhood calls us to “Die to Yourself Leadership,” and it is not easy or tidy, which is perhaps why it is not taught in leadership seminars. It is not about coming in from a day of golf and helping with the dishes after dinner. The biblical mandate calls for sacrificing being the fourth man in the foursome outing whenever the family needs us to be present with them.

It is not just being willing to pay for a child to get Christian counseling; it is also getting help for ourselves so we can lead the way by modeling the humility and willingness required to obtain help.

Biblical manhood goes beyond playing catch with the kids and showing up for their games. It is showing up and supporting a son who would rather rock climb, bowl, dance, or sing because he doesn’t like contact sports.

Being a provider and protecting the family are important, but being present is a far greater priority. When we are with them, we need to be fully there, engaged and connected, rather than glued to a television screen, laptop, or cell phone. We need to be eyeball-to-eyeball with family members, downloading love to them.

“Die to Yourself Leadership” refuses to be a donor to the fatherless generation. Even when we’re tempted to abandon our families and let our kids be raised by their mother, we don’t follow through with it. We stay and work through the problems to prevent all sorts of new problems and traumas that come with divorce.

Biblical manhood requires us to do what we don’t want to do exactly at the time we don’t want to do it. We courageously do what needs to be done, when it needs to be done, no matter the consequences—because it is the right thing for any man to do. All our actions are based on the truths of the Bible—not popular philosophy, current culture, or feelings that would keep us from going beyond being just a man to being God’s man, daily dying to self.

Read an excerpt from the Every Man’s Bible

The Full Life

Tyndale House Publishers

“So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise. Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days. Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do. Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, and making music to the Lord in your hearts. And give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Ephesians 5:15-20, NLT

Article from the Every Man’s Bible

Ever since God gave the Ten Commandments, some have been tempted to think he enjoys making people miserable and taking away their happiness by denying them earthly pleasures.

The truth is, God wants to give us something much better. But in order for us to receive it, we need to clear some room in our lives. Often, that means getting rid of sins or bad habits that are using up the space God wants to claim. Instead of filling our lives with sexual immorality, impurity, greed, and obscene stories (Ephesians 5:3-4), God wants us to be full of thankfulness. Instead of drunkenness (5:18), God wants us to be filled with the Holy Spirit.

Suppose you’re walking along the beach and find an old treasure chest. But when you pry it open, it’s full of sand, not gold coins. Now suppose someone else comes along and offers to give you as much gold as you can fit into the chest. Sounds great, right? Except for one problem: The chest is already full. In order to accept the gold, you’d have to dump out the sand. You’d need to make as much room as possible for the more valuable treasure. Unless you get rid of the sand, the chest will never hold anything of value.

The same goes for the sins in our lives—the sand in the treasure chest. They may provide temporary pleasure, but they won’t deliver lasting fulfillment. Sexual promiscuity may provide an immediate thrill, but the long-term results are catastrophic—it will never provide real happiness. On the other hand, true love for another person and for God can fill us up to overflowing. Drunkenness provides a temporary giddiness or forgetfulness, but it’s nothing like the true peace and joy that come from knowing and loving God.

It’s our choice. We can fill up our lives with whatever silly or sinful things we choose, or we can let God fill us up with the things that will bring ultimate fulfillment.

King Josiah’s Reaction to God’s Law

Tyndale House Publishers

Throughout Scripture we find people being transformed and finding purpose by connecting with God through his Word. Let’s take a look at King Josiah to see what happened when he started reading God’s law. We will also use notes and features from the Life Application Study Bible to find out what can happen if, like Josiah, we read and apply God’s Word to our lives.

2 Chronicles 34:14-21, 31-33

While they were bringing out the money collected at the Lord’s Temple, Hilkiah the priest found the Book of the Law of the Lord that was written by Moses. Hilkiah said to Shaphan the court secretary, “I have found the Book of the Law in the Lord‘s Temple Then Hilkiah gave the scroll to Shaphan.

Shaphan took the scroll to the king and reported, “Your officials are doing everything they were assigned to do. The money that was collected at the Temple of the Lord has been turned over to the supervisors and workmen.” Shaphan also told the king, “Hilkiah the priest has given me a scroll.” So Shaphan read it to the king.

When the king heard what was written in the Law, he tore his clothes in despair. Then he gave these orders to Hilkiah, Ahikam son of Shaphan, Acbor son of Micaiah, Shaphan the court secretary, and Asaiah the king’s personal adviser: “Go to the Temple and speak to the Lord for me and for all the remnant of Israel and Judah. Inquire about the words written in the scroll that has been found. For the Lord‘s great anger has been poured out on us because our ancestors have not obeyed the word of the Lord. We have not been doing everything this scroll says we must do.”

The king took his place of authority beside the pillar and renewed the covenant in the Lord‘s presence. He pledged to obey the Lord by keeping all his commands, laws, and decrees with all his heart and soul. He promised to obey all the terms of the covenant that were written in the scroll. And he required everyone in Jerusalem and the people of Benjamin to make a similar pledge. The people of Jerusalem did so, renewing their covenant with God, the God of their ancestors.

So Josiah removed all detestable idols from the entire land of Israel and required everyone to worship the Lord their God. And throughout the rest of his lifetime, they did not turn away from the, Lord the God of their ancestors.

Notes from the Life Application Study Bible

“The Book of the Law of the Lord” found by Hilkiah was probably the book of Deuteronomy, which had been lost during the reigns of the evil kings. Now that it was found, Josiah realized that drastic changes had to be made in order to bring the nation back in line with God’s commands. This account is also recorded in 2 Kings 22:8-13.

It is human nature to treat sin lightly—to make excuses, blame somebody else, or minimize the harm done. Not so with Josiah. He was so appalled at the people’s neglect of the law that he tore his clothing to express his grief. True understanding of our sins should lead to “the kind of sorrow God wants us to experience” that “leads us away from sin” (2 Corinthians 7:10). Do you tend to excuse your sin, blame others for what you’ve done, or pretend your sin wasn’t so bad? God knows how sin harms us, and he does not take it lightly. He wants us to respond with true remorse as Josiah did.

When Josiah read the book that Hilkiah discovered (34:14), he responded with repentance and humility and promised to follow God’s commands as written in it. The Bible, God’s Word to us, is “alive and powerful” (Hebrews 4:12), but we cannot know what God wants us to do if we do not read it. And even reading God’s Word is not enough; we must be willing to do what it says. There is not much difference between the book hidden in the Temple and the Bible hidden on the bookshelf. An unread Bible is as useless as a lost one.

Learn more about the Life Application Study Bible

Read Naomi’s story of how reading the Bible has impacted her life.

A Love of God’s Word Is Contagious!

Tyndale House Publishers

by Molly Jo Nynam

Naomi was so excited about the Tyndale Bible she bought her husband, Andrew, that she wasn’t sure she could wait until Christmas to give it to him. At age 37, this would be his first study Bible and the first time he would have God’s Word in the New Living Translation—Naomi’s favorite.

“Reading the NLT makes reading the Bible real, regular, and more vivid. I don’t have to wonder about word meanings and definitions. It comes alive so you can connect with it,” Naomi said.

“And study Bibles are great because you have resources right there in your Bible. If you’re not sure about something, it’s explained right there. If you’re wondering how something applies to your life, you can find that too. And when you see how prophecies have been fulfilled, you have further proof that this is the Word of God.”

Her love of God’s Word is not just apparent, it’s attractive—like the warm, magnetic glow of a long-burning, consistently stoked fire.

Having grown up in a Christian home with a single mother and one brother, Naomi is thankful for a heritage that immersed her in the church and God’s Word.

“I don’t remember a time in my life when I didn’t have a Bible,” Naomi recalls. “I grew up dirt poor, but my mom always made sure we had Bibles. Beginner Bibles, Life Application youth Bibles—even if they cost a whole day’s wages. We would line the covers with contact paper to help preserve them and read them until the bindings fell apart.”

Naomi has had the joy of seeing Andrew grow exponentially in his faith since he’s been reading his new Bible. And though he also enjoys reading God’s Word digitally, she said, “There’s something about holding it in your hands. He definitely cherishes his new Bible.”

And what would Naomi say to people who don’t read the Bible or have given up on finding help in God’s Word?

“There are people who think the Bible isn’t applicable. I would encourage them to have a Bible that’s easy to read and to ask God to help show them what they are meant to see that day. And if you don’t have a hunger for reading the Bible, ask God to give you a hunger. You’ll be amazed at what happens if you pray!”

“Recently, I read an article about Christians and Jews in Ukraine praying and reading Psalms 31 and 27. They’re under attack by the Russian army and they’re reading Scripture while bunkered down in the subway. Why? Because they know whatever problem you face, whether it’s an attack on the battlefield, an illness, the loss of a family member, or maybe just struggling to find purpose, the Bible has an answer for that!

“If people are turning to the Bible while listening to air-raid sirens and hiding from actual missiles, surely it has something for you in your situation as well!

“I hear people say things like ‘I wish God would just speak to me’ or ‘I wish God would give me a word,’ but if you aren’t opening your Bible, you’re missing out on hearing His voice. The Bible isn’t just ‘a word’ it’s The Word. So if you want to hear from God, first pray, then open your Bible and start reading and listening to what He has to say.

“God is faithful. He never walks away from us. And if you are far away from God, it’s never too late to walk back.”

Looking for a Bible for yourself or to give as a gift? We can help! Check out our Bible Finder

Easter Gifts Sweeter Than Candy

Tyndale House Publishers

“How sweet your words taste to me; they are sweeter than honey.” Psalm 119:103, NLT

Easter baskets are often filled with sweet treats, but at our house, we wanted to find something sweeter than candy to give to our kids. According to the psalmist, Scripture is even sweeter than honey. And we know it is the sustaining bread of life to help our kids—and us—develop an appetite for a deeper relationship with God. What joy to open a new Bible on Easter morning and together read the Resurrection story! Now that is sweet!

Looking for something sweeter than candy for someone you love? From kids to teens and beyond, Tyndale Bibles offers engaging Bibles that help your loved ones savor God’s Word.

Hands-On Bible

What if you could not just read but also taste, feel, and smell Bible truths? What if the Bible was filled with games, crafts, and even snacks to make Bible stories come to life? Wouldn’t that make it the coolest Bible around? Enter the Hands-On Bible! This Bible takes you beyond just reading to truly experiencing the Bible through activities that you can do together with your child, making Scripture relevant, fun, and memorable. See the options 

Boys Life Application Study Bible

Packed full of notes and features, the Boys Life Application Study Bible is easy to use and helps answer questions that preteen boys may have about God and life. The notes help them learn to think biblically about real issues they face, such as self-esteem, friendship, and peer pressure. Discovering God’s will for their lives has never been this much fun! Learn more

Girls Life Application Study Bible

A one-of-a-kind discipleship resource, the Girls Life Application Study Bible helps girls draw closer to God and establish healthy relationships with those around them. It includes over 800 Life Application notes, plus full-color features that are designed to help girls learn more about the Bible, understand the big story, meet Jesus, know what it means to follow him, learn how to share their faith with others, and gain practical faith and relationship skills that will help them live out what they believe. See this Bible

Inspire Bible for Girls and More!

Inspire Bible for Girls is designed to draw girls deeper into God’s Word and to inspire creativity and connection with God. Over 500 beautiful full- and partial-page Scripture line-art illustrations to color are attractively displayed throughout the Bible. In addition, there are over 300 devotionals, journaling prompts, and interesting Bible facts to enhance girls’ coloring and creative journaling journey through the Bible. Girls can leave traces of their faith throughout their Bible for a unique treasure that will truly inspire! Explore Inspire Bible for Girls

But don’t forget our other titles in the Inspire Bible line. These bestselling coloring and journaling Bibles are perfect for girls and women of all ages.

EPIC Bible

Created by some of DC and Marvel’s best comic book artists, The Epic Bible transports readers through a visual journey of Scripture. From Eden to eternity, this stunning hardcover edition engages even the most reluctant readers with brilliant and dramatic full-color graphic art. Packed with action and powerfully illustrated The Epic Bible brings a fresh lifelike view of Creation, the story of the Israelites, Jesus’ life on earth, and the early church. Order the EPIC Bible

Teen Life Application Study Bible

The Teen Life Application Study Bible is filled with features designed to meet the challenges and needs of today’s high school students. Combining traditional study Bible features like book introductions, textual notes, person profiles, and maps with application-oriented features focusing on choices, real-life issues, and real-life stories of actual teens, the Teen Life Application Study Bible helps answer the tough questions and grounds teens in their faith.

Streetlights New Testament

Linking to remarkably creative audio and video resources, the NLT Streetlights New Testament explains Christian truth to young people and serves as a basic discipleship tool for ministries. Its unique tone and approach to the gospel have strong appeal for those in an urban culture.

A Few Other Ideas . . .

Maybe you are looking for an Easter gift for a young adult or someone else in your life. Here are some ideas:

Filament Bible Collection

These beautifully crafted Bibles offer a simple and engaging reading experience. By simply scanning a page with your phone or tablet, the Filament Bible app gives you access to thousands of study and worship resources, including videos and content curated to the specific page you are reading. See all the Filament Bibles

Immerse: The Reading Bible

Ever had a book you just couldn’t put down? Immerse: The Reading Bible takes away all the distractions and gets you right into the story. With no chapter and verse numbers and a cover that feels more like a novel than a Bible, it’s like reading the Bible for the first time. Start falling in love with the Bible all over again.

Art of Life Bible

This Bible weaves the beautiful NLT text into a rich tapestry of artwork illustrating many living things mentioned in Scripture. Captions highlighting their significance and the wide-margin design offer readers a unique way to meditate on Scripture by focusing on God’s creation. Featuring 450 original hand-drawn illustrations in a unique style, this Bible encourages contemplation and visual interaction with the Word.

Exploring the Filament Bible Experience

Tyndale House Publishers

The Filament Bible Experience is a unique, engaging encounter with God’s Word. It pairs a beautiful print Bible with the Filament Bible app, giving you access to a depth of resources that simply cannot fit in a bound Bible. You do this by simply scanning the page number on the page you are reading to access study notes, profiles, devotionals, videos, interactive maps, music, and more that relate to the page you are reading.

You get a stunning Bible that is easy to read and carry, with nothing but the precious Word of God on its pages, and an amazing portal to a vast array of curated content. The content is divided into three sections: Study, Reflect, and See. We are going to share videos that will help you explore each of these sections. We also are including a video on how to get started so you can see how easy it is to start your Filament Bible Experience.

Explore the Study Section

Explore the Reflection Section

Explore the See Section

Learn How to Get Started

Have more questions? Want to learn more? We can help!

 

Reading the Entire Bible in 30 Days!! What?!?

Tyndale House Publishers

by Molly Jo Nyman

The challenges of 2020 brought about something amazing in the life of Levi Gonzales. When the pandemic, the turmoil of the election, and the uncertainty of life left him feeling anxious, depleted, and desperate for God, he decided he needed a total “reset.”

And he was willing to take what some might call radical steps to revive his heart, steady his soul, and renew his mind. He also knew the source of what he needed was found in God’s Word.

Levi said, “I used to read a lot of my Bible. It was pretty common for me to sit down and read an entire book of the Bible, but over the past three years there was a career change and a move, and I wasn’t reading as much. I was desperate for a reset;  for God’s word to realign my thinking. I needed to run away from the world, ignore the news, delete social media. I needed to get God’s perspective. So my initial plan was to read through the entire Bible in three months.”

Levi talked with his wife about his plan, and she was fully supportive, knowing that after Levi worked his full-time job as a software engineer, nights and weekends would be set aside for Bible reading. As it turned out, Levi most frequently settled into his wife’s comfortable chair, often reading 4-5 hours at a stretch.

His Bible of choice was the NLT Thinline Reference Filament Bible.

“I was in the Barnes and Noble in Salt Lake City and chose this Bible. When I was talking with my wife about getting back into Bible reading, she was looking into the NLT. I also have friends and family that read it and enjoy it. I liked the font size, and the Bible was easy to hold up,” Levi explained.

Three months seemed like a rigorous pace, but after acquiring his new Bible and starting to read, things did not go as planned…Levi read the entire Bible in 30 days!

He said, “I’ve read through the whole bible before but this time, at this speed, I was able to really see the ties and connections back and forth between books of the Bible that align historically and prophetically. And seeing the grand picture of Scripture… witnessing the story of redemption unfolding… it was what I needed to be reminded of the absolute and sovereign control of God.

“I feel like the NLT does a great job of explaining what it is trying to say. It is so easy to read. I don’t have to guess at what I’m reading, and I needed a translation that did all the heavy lifting for me.”

His method, his motivation, and his advice for Bible reading all go hand-in-hand.

“My advice is to soak up as much as God’s Word as you need. Consume as much nourishment as you need. Goals are not for goal’s sake, but for what you get out God’s Word,” Levi shared.

“My method was to not go about it like many who start in Genesis and try to read through. I tried that before and got burnt out in 2 Samuel. I feel like I need a little more Jesus at that point!” So Levi’s approach was to follow his interest.

“I just picked a book and read it all the way through, most of the time in one sitting. As I tackled each book I mixed Old and New Testament, usually not in any order and sometimes historically backwards. I read what piqued my interest at the time, because you put more effort in what you’re interested in.”

It was a method that not only led Levi to far exceed his initial plan, it also led him to achieve the results he needed.

“Who I am now, after doing it, is a much less stressed and anxious person.”

Learn more about the Filament Bible Collection

Their First Request Is for Us to Pray

Tyndale House Publishers

Brothers and sisters in Christ around the world are losing their livelihoods, families, homes, even their own lives because of their faith. It can be overwhelming to hear their stories. We might think, What can I do? When field leaders from The Voice of the Martyrs (VOM) meet with persecuted Christians to bless and encourage them, they also inquire about unmet needs. Often, the first request of the persecuted is “Pray for us!” For many of them, the greatest gift they can receive is knowing they are being covered in prayer by their worldwide Christian family. That is something we can do, and The One Year Pray for the Persecuted Bible can help guide us.

Each day begins with a prayer prompt that was written by a VOM team member. The prayer prompts cover a wide range of needs facing persecuted Christians today. Those needs may include basic physical provisions like food, shelter, or medical help after being attacked because of their faith; Bibles for Christians in nations where owning one could mean incarceration or death; and even transportation for front-line workers advancing God’s Kingdom on some of the world’s most dangerous mission fields.

And then there are the intangible but equally critical spiritual needs: courage for Christians to share the gospel with family members even though they could be disowned for doing so, strength for Christians who are imprisoned for their faith and don’t know if they will see their loved ones again, and wisdom for front-line workers seeking ways to get Bibles to Christians who are surrounded by people who are opposed to the gospel.

Following each prayer prompt is a daily reading from the New Living Translation that includes a portion from the Old Testament, the New Testament, Psalms, and Proverbs. In one year, you will read through the entire Bible while spending focused time praying for persecuted Christians around the world.

This Bible also includes six featured, full-color stories of people who boldly witness for Christ amid great danger. A fold-out map will help you visualize where our brothers and sisters are being persecuted for their faith and learn more about the locations where sharing the gospel is restricted or hostile.

Each month has a different prayer focus, such as front-line workers and praying for people in prison. A short description with more detail about the specific prayer theme for each month is also included in the Bible.

But it isn’t just about committing individual time to reading and prayer. It’s about coming together as the family of Christ to embrace those who are suffering. Would your church community dedicate a month or one Sunday a month to learning about and praying for our persecuted brothers and sisters? Could you carve out a time in each service to pray for a specific country, maybe even a specific situation? What a beautiful gift we can give to our persecuted brothers and sisters—to know we are consistently covering them in prayer. And what a gift to us that we can learn from their perseverance and commitment to sharing God’s Word no matter the cost.

Even though you may never travel to meet your persecuted Christian brothers and sisters in the jungles of Colombia, the Central Highlands of Vietnam, or the desert sands of Algeria, you can fellowship with them through prayer. As you study each daily Scripture reading, remember that the Bible was written by and for persecuted believers. Reading the Bible in this context should spur every believer on to follow Christ more faithfully, both individually and corporately.

When we pray for the persecuted and read their stories of courage, faithfulness, and obedience, we are united with them. As we allow their stories to inspire us to a deeper commitment to Christ and his Great Commission—no matter the cost and wherever God has placed us—the fellowship becomes mutual.

Will you join us in praying?

Learn more about The One Year Pray for the Persecuted Bible

Learn more about The Voice of the Martyrs