Prayer Updates
Please pray: Continued recovery, National GPAs and more | August 12, 2016
Dear praying friends,
Dr. Ramesh Richard is beginning to pick up his pace after taking time to recover from his schedule leading up to and during the GProCongress for Pastoral Trainers.
Earlier this week he flew to southeast Asia to serve as a mentor at Lausanne’s Young Leaders Gathering 2016. While in the region, he is touching base with long-time friends, thanking them for their encouragement during the GProCongress season and giving them a glimpse of the momentum generated by the Congress.
His agenda next week expands to several speaking engagements and key meetings regarding GProCongress follow-up. His son Ryan is accompanying him on this trip.
Please pray for Dr. Richard’s continued recovery, especially with the physical demands of this trip. He says his brain is slightly ahead of his body in the recovery process.
Pray, too, for those organizing national GPAs in 2017. National GPAs are a strategic part of the GProCommission vision for 100,000 connected, united and strengthened pastoral leaders by 2020. RREACH’s goal for the next four years is to hold 25 national GPAs per year (up from 10 per year prior to the GProCongress). This will require much more coordination, as well as funding. The cost of a national GPA is $25,000.
Finally, yesterday 11 bombings took place in five different provinces in Thailand. Please ask God for His sustaining care for those affected and for the pastors ministering to them.
Remember all our brothers and sisters around the world in ongoing situations of devastation and need. Thank you for praying!
Received: April 29, 2021
Greetings in the name of the Most High One, the Lord Jesus Christ! | July 8, 2016
Dear praying friends,
Greetings in the name of the Most High One, the Lord Jesus Christ! That’s how Dr. Ramesh Richard greeted attendees the first evening and every morning of the GProCongress for Pastoral Trainers held June 15 – 22 in Bangkok, Thailand. Thank you for your earnest prayer for Dr. Richard, the RREACH and GProCongress teams, and the GProCongress itself over many months. God received glory, and many participants are testifying to how He blessed them.
Our prayer now turns to upcoming action. Please pray for:
Dr. Richard, as he now prioritizes his personal proclamation gifting expressed in so many ways, and undergirds his global proclamation calling—facilitating the multiplication of proclaimers
Total protection and global provision as Congress attendees implement accelerated pastoral training plans
The GProCongress follow-up team as they grow GProConneXt, the strategic Congress follow-up platform.
The RREACH board and friends praying over Dr. Richard and Bonnie following a GProCongress debriefing.
Also remember believers around the world as we live for the Lord Jesus amid turmoil. RREACH receives new reports almost daily of shrinking religious freedoms and rising persecution. Overnight last night violent conflict erupted in South Sudan’s new government. Here in Dallas, close to home for RREACH, multiple police officers were murdered. As Dr. Richard tweeted this morning, ”July 8, 2016 is as much a day of badness, madness, & sadness in my city of Dallas as Nov 22, 1963.”
Of course, he has also said, “Pastoral health affects church health, and church health affects societal health.” This is a day when healthy pastors can minister to those grieving, angry and even cynical.
Your prayer and encouragement for Dr. Richard and RREACH are invaluable as we seek to strengthen pastors, the leaders on the front lines of this war, for God’s glory and the very best of many everywhere.
Received: April 29, 2021
Five days…pray for total protection and global provision | June 10, 2016
Dear praying friends,
In about five days, the Lord willing, the GProCongress for Pastoral Trainers will convene in Bangkok, Thailand. Congress team members and volunteers are arriving daily in Thailand for on-site preparation.
When RREACH launched "the year of the GProCongress" last June, Dr. Richard asked for prayer for God's Total Protection and Global Provision. God has answered our prayers in mighty ways, showing His clear intention for this event to take place despite some overwhelming challenges.
Please continue to pray for Total Protection and Global Provision:
for the many participants (especially those coming from West Africa and South Asia) who continue to have trouble getting visas
for the final logistical details for June 15-22 and the four-year follow-up that are being pulled together
for the participants who are beginning to make the journey to Bangkok
that the Enemy’s forces, as they seek to distract and deter, will be deactivated
that God will move people, events and ideas to address the need to exponentially multiply pastoral training through the GProCongress
For the health and beauty of Christ’s bride worldwide.
Received: April 29, 2021
Please keep praying! | June 6, 2016
Dear praying friends,
In less than two weeks, the Lord willing, the GProCongress for Pastoral Trainers will begin. Thank you for your faithful, focused prayer for Dr. Richard and all involved with this event. God is moving. Please keep praying!
Program – the core vehicle for the Congress vision
o Spirit-led final planning and excellent implementation
o Presenters/Coaches: pure hearts, clear messages, safe travels
o Development and execution of the strategic four-year follow-up plan
Participants
o God’s powerful intervention on behalf of those facing visa challenges
o Outpouring of resources for those unable to meet travel expenses
o Heart and mind preparation, health and safety
Funding
o Praise for the generosity of many who have helped us keep in step with obligations
o Completion of funding - $2.5 million by Dec. 31
Currently, more than 2800 have registered for the Congress. Pray against obstacles that cause cancellations. We also continue to hear daily of new interest. Pray for the right 3000 attendees!
Dr. Richard and Bonnie are leaving for Thailand early this week. Please pray for total protection and global provision as they travel and make final physical, mental, spiritual, relational preparations. Thank you.
Received: April 29, 2021
Urgent prayer needs: Congress registrant visa and funding challenges | May 28, 2016
Dear praying friends,
We thank God for two good days of planning Dr. Richard had with the GProCongress program team earlier this week. Please pray that they can move quickly on action items, for positive results, and for the Holy Spirit’s total direction of the program.
Some requests we’ve brought to you before are now critical: visa procurement and participant travel funding. Despite the Congress team’s great diligence and the hospitality of the Thai government, GProCongress registrants in some countries are still encountering obstacles when applying for visas. One pastoral trainer writes:
We are facing difficulties in obtaining the visa. We sent an email to the embassy but we did not receive any response, we then followed up with a call but no one picked up.
We traveled to the embassy city on Tuesday to present all our authorized documents and were asked to come for the visa the following day till today. We were only informed today that we cannot receive our visa unless the embassy receives more information.
Our flight home was this evening but we have to reschedule our flight for Monday. Most of the participants from other West Africa countries are getting frustrated with the hindrance here because of the cost of hotel, feeding and transportation just to get a visa.
We are pleading with you to help in facilitating the visa process.
Some other registrants are regretfully cancelling their attendance because they have not been able to get funds to travel to Bangkok. Please intercede for God’s provision and protection in the face of these visa and funding challenges, and pray that many will see Him at work and glorify Him.