Only God
RREACH’s first operational value is “Only God.” One way we recognize and live our dependence on Him is by beginning, covering and ending every aspect of ministry in prayer, with thanksgiving.
Dr. Richard says, “Prayer precedes ministry,” and as the Lord continues to open doors for his ministry, we realize afresh the need for prayer.
Please take a moment to pray and praise over the updates on this page, featuring a daily prayer calendar at the beginning of each month. Also let us know how we can pray for you!
Prayer Calendar
Prayer Updates
In his words: Ramesh Richard update | June 6, 2017
Dear praying friends,
We’ve just finished a month of birthdays. Bonnie and I are aging at the same pace…even as you are! We are grateful to exchange weariness, weakness and any worry for His strength as we actively wait for the Lord to lead us into the future.
As you can guess I have been in Isaiah 40:31—the verse picked by India’s national and historic missions agency Friends Missionary Prayer Band to celebrate their 50th anniversary. Over 1,000 Indian missionaries were present, and my preparation on “the loftiest chapter in the Old Testament” refreshed me even as the talk rejuvenated others. “God is God. He is not applying for the job.”
Just before that I had spoken in Thailand to 1,000 leaders, with a large contingent from another strategic nation. Forty hours there and forty hours in India made for demanding travel, but gave me the opportunity to advance Christ’s cause through committed leaders representing two of the world’s largest countries. My sentiment after concluding this heavy and rich time was simply: “No servant of Jesus should be given so much opportunity in the space of one week!” Thank you, Lord Jesus. What an honor!
I also spoke at private evangelistic dinner at the fine Shangri-La Hotel in Chiang Mai, Thailand. Sixty of the 100 attendees were pre-Christian, all of them noted that they wanted to know more, and eight of them responded to the invitation to trust the Lord Jesus as their Heart-God.
The World Evangelical Alliance met in Kona, Hawaii, where I shared some of my leadership learnings with top-tier missions and organizational leaders. Except I had contracted an antibiotic-resistant acute bacterial infection that still lingers, four weeks later. Please pray for me.
We are well into the 2017 Dallas GPA. While we faced major visa problems, God provided more pastors than we planned for! If you wish to serve as a host family for a pastor for the weekend of June 10-11, please let my colleague Mary know at mary@rreach.org.
We'd love for you to be our dinner guest for the graduation on June 24, to rejoice at the fruit of your investments with us. Kindly RSVP here: rreach.org/GPAbanquet.
Thank you for your prayers. I am counting on them.
Received: April 29, 2021
"This is what God has made me to do" | May 26, 2017
Dear praying friends,
Great news from Dr. Ramesh Richard in Thailand: “The Lord just gave us a great harvest at a private gathering of about 100 opinion leaders, with 60% being pre-Christian, and all of them want to know about Jesus. Eight or more of them received Jesus today. Follow-up has begun! This is what God has made me to do—Proclaim His Word and multiply Proclaimers of His Word to deliver spiritual health to large numbers of individuals worldwide.”
Dr. Richard also spoke to a gathering of 1,000 Christian leaders about the tremendous need for pastoral training, and this weekend he is to speak to a large group of missionaries in Southeast Asia. Next week he flies back, the Lord willing, in time for the start of the 2017 Dallas GPA. Please ask the Lord to continue to speak through and sustain this “Vagabondslave.”
We’re also praising God for granting 29 pastors the visas they need to attend the Dallas GPA, which begins June 4! Pray for final preparations—on our side to welcome them and on their side to come to the U.S. Pray for smooth and safe travels, protection of loved ones, and a powerful three weeks of connecting, uniting and strengthening.
Please also remember the GProCommission team in their massive post-GProCongress effort to connect and nurture pastoral trainers and pastoral training.
Received: April 29, 2021
In his words: May update from Ramesh Richard | May 9, 2017
Dear praying friends,
On a beautiful spring day, the last day of last month, my beloved Bonnie and I sat in a park to talk and pray. As we thanked the Lord for His mercies in travel safety, health, ease and use, she described the month as “You went, and then went, and then went!”
First, I went to Cyprus, to speak for the Lindell (you’ve seen the My Pillow guy on TV?) Foundation. RREACH has given them fast growth potential through offering our GPA grads to be in-country validators as they seek to provide economic help to pastors’ families and more. The Lord used me there and it is always great to see our pastoral leaders anywhere.
And then I went to speak on behalf of my mentor Fred Smith’s (breakfastwithfred.com) legacy. A “millennial” audience filled the Illinois university chapel and was deeply attentive and responsive. I did not diminish their future potential by stereotyping them.
Before I went off again, the RREACH Board met for 24 hours of deep reflection and decisive action on this transition year of “proclamation reclamation.” How much I appreciate the wise counsel and wide perspectives of multiple voices which speak into my life.
I didn’t realize that I was on a seven-day around-the-world tour till a colleague pointed it out. Bonnie called it a whirlwind. In Bangkok for 28 hours with three different and lengthy speaking engagements, one of which was the first anniversary of the death of the one Thai leader without whom the GProCongress would not have happened last year.
Then I traveled all the way to Eastern Europe to attend the grand finale of GPA Romania—pastors’ wives attended, too! It was fabulous. And simultaneously GPA Guinea Conakry (West Africa) and GPA St. Vincent/Grenadines (Caribbean region) were also happening. Oh! All that God is doing!
Thank you for your terrific and timely prayer support, my friends. Please be our guest at the June 24 celebration banquet of the 2017 Dallas GPA. Keep us in your prayers.
Received: April 29, 2021
Around the world in seven days | May 1, 2017
Dear praying friends,
Around the world in seven days…that was Ramesh Richard’s agenda last week. He stopped in Bangkok, Thailand, for three engagements (and a meeting) in one day to remember Rev. Enoch Sirikul, visionary leader and national host for the GProCongress, one year after his graduation to heaven and to encourage believers from across the nation to carry on proclaiming the Lord Jesus Christ.
A stop in Romania allowed Ramesh to meet GPA Romania delegates and deliver their graduation message, as well as lecture at a Baptist university in Bucharest. “The Lord has graciously helped me again...through a strenuous schedule and its vulnerabilities,” he said. Praise God for His steadfast care of Dr. Richard. Pray for enduring fruit from these ministry opportunities.
GPAs Guinea (Conakry) and St. Vincent and the Grenadines also finished last week. Please ask the Lord to specially connect, unite and strengthen the pastoral delegates as they return to the demands of daily ministry. On the Dallas GPA front, 22 pastors now have visas! Continue to intercede for those still applying. Also pray for provision as they prepare to come.
Received: April 29, 2021
Proclamation reclamation and other good news | April 21, 2017
Dear praying friends,
The post-GProCongress reclamation of the proclamation portion of Dr. Richard's ministry is progressing. During a short trip this week, he spoke to a packed college chapel. When he invited attendees to new or renewed relationships with the Lord Jesus Christ, many responded!
The RREACH board is meeting today and tomorrow, and next week Dr. Richard heads to Thailand, the Lord willing, and then to Romania for the final days of the national GPA there. Please pray for the Lord's special sustenance through a demanding itinerary and a number of speaking engagements.
Two other national GPAs are underway right now: GPA Guinea (Conakry) and GPA St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Pray that delegates in all locations will be powerfully connected, united and strengthened.
We rejoice that 20 pastors now have visas to attend the 2017 Dallas GPA! Thank you for praying, and please continue to intercede for the visa process. We also appreciate your prayers for getting good flights for the pastors. God is providing--ahead of our schedule.