By Susan Akyeampong
How do you hold on to God’s word when you can’t hold it in your hands?
For many people in parts of this African country, being a Christian and owning a Bible can be dangerous because of the influence of Islam. While in freer countries, people can choose to follow Jesus and use scripture to learn more about Him, for others simply being seen with a copy could put their lives at risk.
Certainly, in places where the gospel cannot be openly shared, spiritual darkness feels like living under the weight of duty instead of the freedom of knowing Jesus personally. Religion becomes a matter of rituals, rules, and social expectations.
For many, daily life is filled with careful calculation and the life-giving truth of scripture is mostly out of reach, leaving hearts longing for the God who wants relationship and intimacy with us.
Mission worker Daniel*, sent from SIM USA, explains that for these believers, even owning or carrying a Bible could get them into serious trouble with authorities. Because of this, they memorise entire passages of scripture so they can share the good news in secret without putting themselves at risk. It’s extraordinary dedication in the face of real risk.
Stepping into this environment, a small group of students arrived at a Bible conference in this African country. The gathering brought together believers from across the region who are being equipped to translate scripture into their own tongue. According to Wycliffe Bible Translators, around one in five people worldwide, some 1.5 billion, still don’t have the full Bible in the language they understand best.
One of Daniel’s* students at the Bible college, a pastor, attended the conference. He told Daniel* of young men from restricted areas who shared extraordinary stories: no access to written Bibles in their language, so they commit scripture to memory word by word.
For these students, memorisation becomes both a survival tool and a bridge to the written Word. In a place where a physical Bible is forbidden, knowing God’s Word by heart allows them to teach, encourage and strengthen others safely in their communities. But their goal is never only memorisation, it is to see the Bible in print, to engage it fully, and to preserve it so future generations can read, study and live by it.
“Memorisation is impressive” Daniel* says “but God has chosen to give us His Word in text. We’re a literate religion. We read, we write, we study Scripture because God speaks to us through it.”
Please pray
- For believers who cannot openly own or read the Bible. Pray the Lord would strengthen their faith, sustain them in secrecy and surround them with courage and community.
- For Bible translators and students attending conferences. Lift up the men and women who travel, sometimes at personal risk, to be equipped to translate Scripture into their heart language.
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