When We Pray, God Moves

It’s hard to believe we are closing in on the finish line of 2025. About 250 days ago, many of us set bold goals—those “big hairy audacious goals” that both excite and intimidate us. Here at Come and See, the Translation Team has been working hard for the past nine months to localize Season 1 of The Chosen into 125 languages. And goodness: it’s an epic goal. 

Now, as we stand in the last stretch of this year’s race, we can’t help but ask ourselves: How are we doing? Did we stay the course and wisely steward donated gifts? Did we drift?  

But this season is more than just checking boxes on a list. It’s about pausing, reflecting, and prayerfully considering how God has been shaping us along the way. When Paul wrote to the Philippians, he reminded them: 

I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
(Philippians 3:14, ESV) 

He wasn’t just talking about personal achievement; he was urging believers to stay focused on their heavenly calling. As we evaluate our progress, we not only measure what got done, but also how God grew us in the process. Proverbs offers this wisdom: 

Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established.
(Proverbs 16:3, ESV) 

This year, we determined that prayer is the strategy for reaching our big goals.  

Every day, the Translation Team gathers to pray. And along the way, we’ve experienced remarkable miracles. We’ve connected with partners we never expected. We’ve seen provision show up for our collaborators. We’ve witnessed healing in our own bodies. Some of our family members have even come to know Christ. These moments remind us that God is at work in ways far greater than we could orchestrate on our own. It’s brought me back to another verse in Scripture that I mentioned in a 2024 blog entry: 

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The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.
(James 5:16b, ESV)  

Prayer is what keeps us rooted as a team when fatigue sets in. It’s what guides us when we’re unsure of the next step. And it’s what aligns our hearts with God’s purposes and helps us gracefully persevere through the last leg of the race. 

Truth be told, I am a competitor. And as a competitor, I covet your prayers for this valiant effort to reach the world in 125 languages this year. (We’re so close!) But today, I’m challenging us not to measure progress by productivity alone, but by presence, too—God’s presence with us in the striving, the adjusting, and the finishing. 

As we finish strongly in 2025, my prayer for you is this: May God give you clarity to evaluate your goals, courage to adjust them if needed, and endurance to finish well. And may His favor rest on you as you look ahead to new dreams and new beginnings. 

I’m rooting for you, 

– Wendi 

Wendi Lord, PhD 

Vice President, Content Localization 

Come and See Foundation 

Here are some evergreen ways you can lift up Come and See’s work in Content Localization—that all-important work of making sure The Chosen is shared around the world and in the heart languages of millions of people: 

• In some regions our translators face the possibility of persecution, imprisonment, or harm. Pray for protection over those serving in places of risk. Pray for perseverance and courage. Pray that resistant hearts would receive the message of Jesus in these sensitive regions.
• Many of our translators and their family members face health challenges, economic hardships, natural disasters, societal unrest, and unexpected loss. Pray for God to comfort, strengthen, and provide for translation reviewers and their families—whether they encounter physical, spiritual, or emotional need.
• The translation process faces numerous challenges. Pray for the Holy Spirit to guide effective communication through localization efforts. Pray for the message of Jesus through The Chosen to be portrayed with excellence—engaging diverse cultures and languages with biblical accuracy and cultural relevance. Pray against evil forces seeking to thwart translation and distribution efforts so that millions more may experience the authentic Jesus through this series.