Mt. Hope Bible Camp

This week we’re going to pray for the Balinese, the people who are native to the island of Bali in Indonesia. There are about 3.8 million Balinese people, and about 95% of them are Hindu. Balinese Hinduism is a little different from what you might picture when you think of Hinduism because it has been mixed with older local beliefs about spirits, ancestors, and the spiritual world. Religion is woven into everyday life—families visit temples, make offerings, and take part in religious ceremonies as part of normal village life. There are Christians among the Balinese, but they are still a very small minority. The Bible has been completely translated into the Balinese language for more than 30 years.

Christians have been working among the Balinese for a long time. The first Balinese people were baptized in 1931, and today there are established Balinese churches with pastors, congregations, schools, and ministries across the island. Even after all those years, though, only a small percentage of Balinese people follow Jesus. The Bible is available, churches are present, and Christians have continued sharing the gospel, but most Balinese people still do not believe in Jesus.

So this week, let’s pray for the Balinese. Pray for the churches that are already there—that God would help them grow in faith and reach their own communities with the gospel. Pray for Balinese Christians who are explaining who Jesus is to friends and family who have grown up in a different religious tradition. Pray that people would read the Bible in their own language and understand who Jesus really is. And pray that God would raise up more Balinese believers who can reach the millions of people around them who still don’t know Him.