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!
Monthly Prayer Calendar
For brief daily prayer points, click here for our monthly calendar.
Prayer Updates
A moment for praise | October 24, 2014
Dear friends,
Thank you for your continued prayer for Dr. Richard and RREACH. Please take a moment to share in our praise for the many ministry opportunities God has blessed us with over the last month.
Personal Proclamation
Brazil: The Lord answered our prayers for Dr. Richard’s trip to Brazil in a mighty way. About 100 people, 50 percent non-believers, gathered for the evangelistic event, at which Dr. Richard’s talk was translated by our 2014 Dallas GPA grad from Brazil, Pastor N. Sixty people turned in response cards, with 30 of them indicating they had decided to trust the Lord Jesus Christ. A Palestinian attendee said this was the first time he had enjoyed hearing about Jesus.
Greece: We praise God for a recent opportunity for Dr. Richard to travel to Greece—his first time in this land of significant Christian history—where he had the opportunity to encourage Campus Crusade for Christ Global Operations Conference attendees. While visiting Mars Hill, the site where the Apostle Paul proclaimed the Lord Jesus Christ to the very religious (but pagan) people of Athens, Dr. Richard was asked by the tour guide to speak briefly and pray. It was a moving experience for this servant, whom God has gifted and called to proclaim the Lord Jesus.
Ministry Training:
Global Proclamation Congress for Pastoral Trainers: Praise the Lord, RREACH has confirmed the venue for the 2016 GProCongress. The event will take place at the world-class IMPACT Center outside of Bangkok.
The Congress seed team met in September to discuss logistics and program issues, and is meeting today and tomorrow to focus on recruitment and program. Please continue to pray for excellent communication, creativity and efficient execution of tasks toward the Congress.
Also praise the Lord for key GProCongress connections He provided during Dr. Richard's trips to Brazil and Greece, as well as during quick stops in London and Vienna while traveling to and from Greece.
Dr. Richard also has been invited to present the Congress to the Global Alliance for Church Multiplication gathering in San Diego, California. The GACX is working to facilitate the planting of 5 million churches by 2020—but up to 70 percent of church plants fail. They need adequately trained pastors, and RREACH’s GProCommission vision to connect, unite and strengthen 100,000 pastoral leaders by 2020, for which the GProCongress for Pastoral Trainers is a key catalyst, will help meet that need.
National GPAs: Twenty-four pastors from around the country attended GPA Botswana last month, most of them very young, which was to be expected given that the evangelical community in Botswana is only 20-30 years old. Pastor B, a Dallas GPA grad who organized GPA Botswana, was, for example, elected head of the Evangelical Fellowship of Botswana at age 28.
GPA Botswana attendees
Attendees were especially diligent in their studies, which bore fruit during the graduation ceremony when one attendee preached a sermon that "blew us all away," according to a RREACH staff member who attended.
2015 Dallas GPA: We have begun accepting applications to the 2015 Dallas GPA. Please pray for more applicants from countries never before represented at a Dallas GPA, as well as an increase in qualified applicants and additional response from our referees.
Media Outreach:
Dr. Richard is beginning work on his 2015 Media Outreach messages. Although the platform has changed, this is RREACH's 16th year undertaking an effort to use the power of media to share the good news of the Lord Jesus Christ.
For the last couple of years, RREACH has harnessed the reach and power of social media to share this message. Visitors to RREACH's LifeRocks Facebook page (which has garnered 545,000-plus "likes") are driven to our program-specific www.LifeRocks.org website where they can watch a pre-evangelistic message by Dr. Richard, register for more information and connect with our follow-up evangelism team.
For His glory,
Edie Ross
Prayer Coordinator
Received: April 29, 2021
"Blessings from Botswana where the Lions Roar!" | September 19, 2014
Dear friends,
Thank you for continuing to pray for Dr. Richard and RREACH. Please join us in praising God for an update to this request.
GPA Botswana:
GPA Botswana began yesterday with 21 pastors under age 39. Organizers are hoping a few additional pastors will arrive today.
Please pray:
For these pastors to be connected, united and strengthened over the next 10 days.
For organizers and RREACH national GPA staff who anticipate a few challenges—the host will have limited availability, as he is running for office and has a busy schedule.
For Pastor R from South Africa and Pastor N from Swaziland, who are traveling to help (Pastor N is even spending his own money to attend!) Praise the Lord for these faithful friends, generous with both their time and money.
For Rajiv Richard, National GPA coordinator, who is at GPA Botswana and keeping us updated on prayer requests. (He sent us the blessing that entitles this post!)
GPA Togo:
GPA Togo came to a close on Sept. 6.
GPA Togo participants
According to organizers, the participants were "challenged far beyond their expectations." Organizers said participants were particularly interested in Scripture Sculpture as a "new and exceptional method of expository preaching."
One participant said "We never have had such a conference in Togo," and organizers reported that many of the delegates have requested for GPA Togo to be a yearly occurrence. (RREACH helps with the cost of the first National GPA in each country. Several countries, including Venezuela, Liberia and Uganda, hosted subsequent events of various sizes at their own cost! Pray that GPA Togo could be added to this list.)
Please continue to pray for those who attended GPA Togo - that the skills and connections acquired during the GPA will bear fruit in their ministries.
For His glory,
Edie Ross
prayer coordinator
Received: April 29, 2021
Encouraging pastoral leaders in Brazil | September 6, 2014
Dear friends,
Thank you for your continued prayer for Dr. Richard and for RREACH. Dr. Richard currently is ministering to pastoral leaders in Brazil. Would you join us in the following prayer requests:
Last night: Dr. Richard met with key leaders from a local church, Igreja Batista do Morumbi in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Dr. Richard spoke with them on the topic of missions. Pray these meetings bear fruit for Christ's Church.
This morning: Dr. Richard will meet with missionaries who serve in Sao Paulo. Pray he is well-rested and the meetings are mutually encouraging.
Saturday night: Dr. Richard will attend a worship service at Igreja Batista do Morumbi where he will address the youth. Pray those in attendance are encouraged by Dr. Richard's message.
Sunday: Pray God uses Dr. Richard's teaching during three services at Igreja Batista do Morumbi.
Monday evening: Pray God will use Dr. Richard's message at an evangelistic banquet to convict unbelievers in attendance of their need for a Savior and that they would trust the Lord Jesus.
Also, praise God for an opportunity for Dr. Richard to cast the vision for the GProCongress to pastoral trainers in the Sao Paulo area. Pray that Dr. Richard would be able to clearly communicate the vision, mission and outcomes of this historic Congress and that trainers there would not only want to attend themselves, but also would encourage other pastoral trainers in their spheres of influence also to attend.
For His glory,
Edie Ross
Prayer coordinator
Received: April 29, 2021
National GPAs: Burundi, Swaziland, Togo and Botswana | August 29, 2014
Dear friends,
Thank you for your continued prayer for Dr. Richard and RREACH. Dr. Richard returned safely to the United States after his four-country trip to the Middle East. Praise God for that trip, where seeds were sown toward populating the Global Proclamation Congress for Pastoral Trainers and also toward national GPAs in this difficult region. Please continue to pray for fruit from these efforts.
Please also join us in prayer for national GPAs that recently took place, are currently underway or are coming up soon in Africa.
GPA Burundi:
Thank you for praying for this national GPA that took place in early August. Enjoy some pictures, and please continue to pray for the delegates who attended and the ministries that they oversee.
GPA Burundi delegates with their certificates.
To build unity among the pastors, GPA Burundi organizers scheduled several activities, including boating.
GPA Swaziland:
This national GPA brought together 24 pastors from around Swaziland in late August. This group of pastors banded together to endure some difficulties, including the sudden departure of Pastor N, who was one of the organizers and main session leaders for GPA Swaziland. Pastor N, a 2005 Dallas GPA graduate, left to tend to his family following the death of his brother.
GPA Swaziland organizers: Pastor W, 2013 Dallas GPA grad, is center; Pastor R, 2012 Dallas GPA grad, is to the far right. Pastor R has helped with at least three national GPAs outside of his home country of South Africa. Pastor N, who had to leave early to tend to his family, is between Pastor W and Pastor R.
Please continue to pray for the delegates and organizers of GPA Swaziland as they put into practice what they learned and multiply their training by sharing it with pastors in their regions. Also, continue to pray for Pastor N and his family.
GPA Togo:
This national GPA started today. Pray for the organizers, master coaches and delegates, and pray that this 10-day version of the Dallas GPA would connect, unite and strengthen these pastors for God’s glory.
GPA Botswana:
This national GPA is coming up in mid-September. Pray for 25-plus fine, young pastors to attend from multiple regions and denominations within Botswana. Pray for organizers and RREACH national GPA staff as they work out the details of this upcoming national GPA.
For His glory,
Edie Ross
Prayer Coordinator
Received: April 29, 2021
"A hush in the soul" | August 24, 2014
Dear friends,
Thank you for continuing to pray for Dr. Ramesh Richard as he travels and ministers in the Middle East.
Praise God for:
A good trip to Jordan, where Dr. Richard spoke at a dinner the evening prior to the Jordan Evangelical Theological Seminary's graduation and building dedication ceremony.
Encouraging and fruitful meetings with pastoral trainers from this region who are interested in the Global Proclamation Congress for Pastoral Trainers.
A wonderful time of sharing God's word in Jerusalem.
Pray:
Please continue to pray for God's protection of Dr. Richard and believers in Jerusalem, where just four hours ago, the city was attacked by two projectiles believed to be launched from northern Gaza. Dr. Richard tweeted this:
@ this very moment 9pm local time, air sirens blaring, 2 bombs coming in, & intercepted by the Iron dome. There’s a hush in the soul
Media later reported that the Israel Defense Forces struck the rocket launcher used in the attack.
Please also pray for God to strengthen Dr. Richard spiritually, mentally and physically after a long, activity-packed trip. Finally, pray for Dr. Richard's family and the RREACH staff while he is away.
For His glory,
Edie Ross
Prayer Coordinator