Purpose

We hold devotions before translation training for two reasons. First, they help teachers and translators find the meaning of a text through personal thought and group discussion. Second, they help teachers and translators build habits they can use to study Bible stories and passages on their own.

Your first goal is to help them love God's word. You also want to help them connect God's word to their own growth in faith, and to how the group grows in faith together.

There are different kinds of devotions for different needs. Here are three common kinds:

• Team-Building Devotions — These look at topics like the fruit of the Spirit, solving conflict, and getting along with others. They often use a passage or story to show a problem the group has, and a way the Bible helps to solve it.
• Topic Devotions — As teams work through stories or passages, they meet big Bible ideas worth thinking about, worshiping over, or finding comfort in. This kind helps people use Bible truth in daily life.
• Deep-Study Devotions (also called exegetical or hermeneutical devotions) — These help teachers and translators get ready to work with God's word. They give a deep understanding of the passage the team will teach or translate. The steps below show how to prepare this kind.

Your job is to help the team look closely at the text and find meaning they can use. You do this by asking a set of questions. The team answers them as they study the passage.

Try not to give the answers yourself. Instead, help the team find the answers on their own. You may need to ask questions in clever ways to guide them. This helps them learn better than just telling them the answer.

Method

Choose the Bible story or passage the group will translate. Read it yourself first, so you understand it.

Find the Key Words and Ideas

As you read, look for 2–3 words or ideas that carry the main meaning of the passage. These might be:

• Words that repeat — if a word appears more than once, the writer thinks it is important
• Words that surprise you — something you did not expect to see
• Words that carry a big idea — like love, faithfulness, truth, or grace

Write these words down. You do not need a dictionary or a commentary — just look at the text carefully. When you meet with the group, ask about each key word:

• "What does this word mean in this passage?"
• "Why do you think the writer used THIS word and not a different one?"
• "Does your language have a word like this? What picture does it paint?"