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Dear Prayer Partner

Being patient can be one of the hardest things to do. We know that God hears our prayers, but sometimes it can take longer then we want for Him to answer them .

It is important that we “be patient and stand firm” (James 5:8) as we wait upon the Lord and his divine plan.

This month in Prayer News we are looking at how we can pray for
China, Syria and Northern Ireland.

Thank you for joining us in prayer.

Pictured above: Children receive Scripture from the Bible Society in Syria.

Over the last few months we have been having a prayer meeting over Zoom for our projects around the world. It is fantastic to see so many of your faces and to pray with you about the Bible Society work going on.

We are having another prayer Zoom at 1PM on Wednesday the 23rd September, if you would like to come, the link to the meeting can be found here:


This meeting will last approximately 30 minutes. We as a staff team were so encouraged last month and would love to meet with you all again. 

If you are unsure about how to join a Zoom meeting, please contact us and we can help you to access it.
Bibles for China's Millions - China

At the start of this month we were able to catch up with our colleagues in China. Throughout the first half of 2020 the China Partnership (the Bible Society in China) had to scale back their Bible projects due to the COVID-19 pandemic, yet in recent months they have been able to resume many programmes.

The COVID-19 situation in China is improving day by day. Life is slowly returning to a form of normality. People have been questioning recent events, trying to make sense of the last 6 months. This questioning has led many to the Bible, looking for answers. Our colleagues told us that it is vital that Bibles are provided to those who are seeking.

They have also found that there is an ever-increasing need for large print Bibles, as the population of China grows older and people’s eyesight decreases. These Bibles can be more costly to print than regular sized font, but the China Partnership knows that it is of vital importance these people receive the Word of God in a format they can read. For many this will be the first Bible they have ever owned, despite being a believer for many years. For others, their original Bible has been so well read it has become worn out and ragged. 
Pray for this project:

  • Pray for those in China who are seeking answers; pray that God would place Christians in their life and that they would be able to access a copy of the Bible.

  • Pray for those who need a large print copy of the Bible. Pray that the China Partnership would be able to meet demand for these Bibles and that they would be a blessing to those who receive them.

  • Pray for the Church as a whole in China as they navigate the government restrictions placed on them. Pray that above all else they would remain rooted in the Bible.
Scriptures for Syria - An Update

The current situation in Syria is desperate. Not only has war ravaged the country for so many years, but now the COVID-19 pandemic is spreading rapidly through the country. The economic situation has only compacted these dangerous conditions, and life in Syria is currently extremely difficult for all who live there. Our colleague in Syria, Nabil, has asked us for urgent prayer for his country. Many are struggling to feed their families and in the city of Hassake they have been without water for over 22 days. Many people are feeling so incredibly hopeless, unable to see an end to their struggles.

The Bible Society in Syria is still working to provide people with the word of God, a ray of hope in such a dark time. They continue to deliver Scripture, while keeping their staff and volunteers as safe as they can. Nabil told us that in these hard times Psalm 88 is a real comfort to him: “Lord God, my Savior, I cry out all day, and at night I come before you. Hear my prayer; listen to my cry for help! So many troubles have fallen on me that I am close to death. I am like all others who are about to die; all my strength is gone. I am abandoned among the dead; I am like the slain lying in their graves, those you have forgotten completely, who are beyond your help…”
Please pray:

  • Pray for the distribution of Scripture in Syria. Pray that it would provide hope to those who are at their lowest.

  • Pray for the safety of staff and volunteers who work to provide Scripture to those all over the country. Pray that God would protect them against war and sickness during this time.

  • Pray for Syria and all those who are struggling in this country. Pray that God would bring them through this time of hardship and that above all else His name would be glorified through this situation.
An Update on the Bible Society NI Office

Over the last few months work at Bible Society NI has looked very different for all our staff. We have all been working from home since March, and only recently have begun to phase ourselves back into the office. While we were not able to work in the office that did not mean our work stopped. We have continued our fundraising efforts to support projects all over the globe through appeals for Peru, Arab Israeli community and the UBS Solidarity Fund.

Now more than ever we feel it is important that we support our Christian brothers and sisters in Northern Ireland as well as our brothers and sisters around the world. We have been working on several home projects to help Christians and churches to better engage with the Bible. We have had a great response to our online “SOAP” Bible study series - watch out for a new "SOAP" series starting next weekend.

Over the next few months, we are excited for Bible Sunday (25th October for the Church of Ireland and 6th December for the Presbyterian and Methodist Churches) - our Bible Sunday pack will be available on our website from early Oct, Advent Reading plan and the launch of our new family resource “52” - for use during 2021. If you would like to hear more about any of these resources, please check out our website or ring the office on 028 9032 6577. We appreciate your continued prayerful support as we continue to promote Bible engagement.

If you would like to join us in praying for the work around the world, why not join our next Zoom Prayer Meeting at 1pm on the 23rd September - Click Here

Our 2020 Supporters Event 'The Gathering' will be held on Friday 6th November 2020 via Zoom. Keep an eye out on our social media for more information, we'd love to see you there!
Pray for Northern Ireland:

  • Please pray for the continued health all of our staff. Pray that we would be able to maintain social distancing guidelines and that God would keep us all healthy.

  • Pray for our projects promoting Bible engagement in Northern Ireland. Pray that they would be a blessing to those who use them and that they would help people to grow in their faith.

  • Pray for the churches in Northern Ireland as we support them. Pray that God would reach more people in Northern Ireland with His Word and that we would continue to be a Bible centred society.
  • Pray for the Azerbaijan Bible Society as they distribute Bibles to those in need during this time.

  • Pray for the Bible Society in Lebanon as they continue to reach out with the Gospel in light of the recent explosion.

  • Pray for the Bible Society of El Salvador as they have had to cut back many outreach projects due to the virus. Pray that God would provide other ways to reach out.
Pray for the team

  • Praise God for the support He has given us throughout 2020.

  • Praise God for guiding us through the last few months and pray He would continue to give us wisdom on how to continue in our work.
Speaking Engagements

The BSNI Zoom Prayer Meeting will be on Wednesday 23rd September at 1pm.

We would love to see you there and join with you in prayer. Click the picture to get the link to the meeting or keep an eye on our social media pages. If you would like to share this link with your church family we would love for you to pass it on.
"Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night."

Psalm 1:1-2 (ESV)
BIBLE SOCIETY NI
www.biblesocietyni.co.uk
Charity Registration Number NIC102557