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
Ministering in the Middle East | August 19, 2014
Dear friends,
Thank you for your continued prayer for Dr. Richard and RREACH. Dr. Richard currently is ministering in Lebanon, and has a few additional stops to make while he is in the region. Please join us in praising God for a wonderful reunion Dr. Richard already has had with three past Dallas GPA graduates.
And please join us in praying for the following:
* That God would use Dr. Richard's words to encourage and transform individuals attending a workshop on Spiritual Pitfalls he is presenting in Beirut.
* For meetings with pastoral trainers from around the region—that Dr. Richard would clearly communicate the vision, mission and outcomes of the 2016 Global Proclamation Congress for Pastoral Trainers, and that those hearing about it would desire not only to attend, but also to encourage other pastoral trainers in their spheres of influence to attend.
* For God to use Dr. Richard's preaching during an upcoming Sunday morning church service.
* For God to protect Dr. Richard during his time traveling in the Middle East.
Thank you!
For His glory,
Edie Ross
prayer coordinator
Received: April 29, 2021
Terrifying, heartbreaking and urgent request | August 9, 2014
Dear friends,
You no doubt are following the news reports of the persecution against Christians happening in the Middle East. We recently received this report from the front lines. Dr. Richard and RREACH are committed to joining in the effort to mobilize prayer for this region. Please join us not only in praying, but also in sharing this request with your praying friends.
Also, Dr. Richard is to be traveling to this region over the next two weeks. Please pray for God's divine protection, wisdom and resources over Dr. Richard during his time in this region. Also pray that God would use him to bring encouragement and hope to Christians and Christian leaders there.
Greetings in Jesus name.
The situation for the Christians has being deteriorated badly within the last 36 hours, as ISIS has overtake new areas:
•Sinjar ( North west of Mosel) and around = 30,000-plus being scattered around and on mountains as they were fleeing for their lives.
•Telkeif; Batnai; Tel Esquff ( I.e. Bishops hill); Bartella; Qara-quash; Al Gure; Ba'ashiqa; Bahzani.
Apart from Sinjar which is a mix of minorities, all the above mentioned cities are mainly Christians. ISIS has attack churches and raise their flags on churches; and call upon their gods inside our churches.
There was a massive exile yesterday and all night as the the Kurdish army have left their position and fled for their lives, thence people walked out leaving every thing behind just fleeing for their lives - I mean everything.
I was on the phone all night on the phone with brothers and sisters trying to help them find some sort of shelters as Erbil and Duhok were over-occupied. Families covered streets; kerbs; schools & parks. All churches ground being occupied with families. It's a symbol of the abomination surfaced and emerged recently in this land.
We have called for urgent fasting and prayers. I believe it's a spiritual warfare more than a ground battle. During my personal prayer and the intercessory group's prayers I found it's the old days monster, the old stingy serpent filled with hate and poison.
In Sinjar, they kidnap young girls and women and sold them as slaves. Kids and seniors died of thirst and hunger on the mountains.
I trust the Almighty for a Divine intervention, yet we need an urgent move of the Holy Spirit to turn the scale & balance of the situation on the ground.
We need all sort of help:
•We need you pressing on your government and authorities to step foreword and get involved.
•We need NGO to mobilise their gears and move into the country to save life and treat the injuries.
•We need supports to provide: food; medications; shelters; clean waters; baby milk, etc.
•Your prayers and intercessors will make a big difference.
May the Almighty bless richly always, Amen. Thank you
Sincerely Yours,
Rev. F. H.
Senior Minister/ Baghdad- Iraq
For His glory,
Edie Ross
prayer coordinator
P.S. One thing you can practically do is to replace your picture on social media accounts with the following picture as a sign of solidarity. This is the Arabic letter "N" painted on the houses of Christians (marking them for destruction), which is the first letter of the word Christian.
Received: April 29, 2021
Please pray NOW: GProCongress venue | August 6, 2014
“We give thanks to God always for all of you, constantly mentioning you in our prayers, remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.” -1 Thessalonians 1.1-2
Dear friends,
Thank you for your “labor of love” in continuing to pray for Dr. Ramesh Richard and RREACH. As Paul said, we give thanks to God always for all of you!
We ask that you take a moment right now to join us in praying for important negotiations taking place this weekend toward securing a venue and hotels near Bangkok, Thailand for the 2016 Global Proclamation Congress for Pastoral Trainers.
Praise God:
That He has provided a favorable negotiating environment for RREACH. Current political unrest taking place in the center of Bangkok has dampened tourism.The GProCongress will benefit from this situation. The venue and hotels RREACH is considering lie outside of the city—away from the conflict (and the traffic).
That He has provided a skilled and experienced team to manage the event on RREACH’s behalf.
Pray for:
God’s favor and wisdom for our negotiating leader.
Excellence and integrity in communication and agreement.
God’s provision of needed funds for the GProCongress.
For His glory,
Edie Ross
prayer coordinator
Received: April 29, 2021
Urgent requests from friends | August 4, 2014
Dear friends,
Thank you for partnering with us not only in praying for RREACH, but also in praying for others. We have two urgent requests from friends to share with you:
1. Dr. Richard recently received the prayer request (below) from Dr. Hormoz Shariat with Iran Alive Ministries. Please join us in praying for Amir and persecuted Christians around the world. Also, please share this post with others who will pray.
This week, we received a distressed call from one of our Church 7 members who lives in Iran. Her 32-year-old son, Amir*, has been in prison for the past two years after being caught with a truckload of Bibles.
Recently, an execution date was set for the week of August 11th for his crimes against Islam and government.
Understandably, she is very upset. Her only request is for prayers of deliverance for her son.
Pray:
Pray for Amir and his family. Pray for deliverance from this death sentence for Amir and for his frightened and grieving family.
Pray for his jailers, his judge and his fellow inmates to encounter the love of Christ and receive Him as their personal Savior.
Pray for the countless other brothers and sisters, like Amir, who are suffering persecution for their faith in Christ in Iran and around the world right now.
*Pseudonym used to protect identity.
2. Dallas GPA 2014 grad Pastor A from Nepal recently sent this request:
A big river that flows throughout my district which comes all the way down from Tibet, China was blocked due to a huge landslide that came from both sides of the river. There are many smaller towns throughout the river bank that are affected. Now the river water level is growing and going upward, and people in the affected areas are being evacuated.
Praying that our God, under his sovereignty will take care of things. Many houses are wiped out and hundreds are missing, it is known that a believer's family was also victim of the landslide. I will appreciate your prayers.
Here and here are news updates on the situation. Please continue to pray.
For His glory,
Edie Ross
Prayer Coordinator
Received: April 29, 2021
An update: Dallas GPA, National GPAs and the GProCongress | June 29, 2014
Dear friends,
Thank you for continuing to pray for Dr. Richard and RREACH. It has been a busy month since the Dallas GPA graduation banquet. We're blessed to share the following praises and prayer requests:
Praises:
1. The 2014 Dallas GPA graduates made it home safely and have returned to their faithful service of the Lord - some in very difficult contexts. As we hear from them, we are praising God for the impact the Dallas GPA already has made in their lives and ministries.
After returning to Zimbabwe, Pastor J wrote this: "I will live to remember the day Dr. Ramesh challenged me to recommit my calling to serve Him in all seasons and to the end. It was like the Lord was undertaking a heart [surgery] in me. The message was very personal and very convicting."
Pastor M from Nicaragua got to work right away on putting together GPA Nicaragua, and less than two weeks after arriving home reported that he already had 22 potential applicants. GPA Nicaragua is set for mid-November 2014.
2. In early July the "seed" team for the Global Proclamation Congress for Pastoral Trainers met face-to-face for the first time. Praise God for this meeting and for His provision of needed and gifted team members in the areas of logistics, registration, recruitment and follow-up.
Prayer requests:
1. Please pray for GPA Burundi, underway right now. Twenty-nine pastors representing every region of the Central African country are in attendance. 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.
2. Pray in the following ways for the Global Proclamation Congress for Pastoral Trainers, to take place, the Lord willing, June 15-22, 2016 near Bangkok, Thailand.
Last week the official announcement of the Congress and its website (www.GProCongress.org) went out to nearly 2,000 organizations involved in pastoral training around the world. Pray this effort would bear much fruit toward great attendance at the Congress.
Pray for the Lord to provide the needed people to round out the Congress team.
Pray for God's divine wisdom and direction in all areas of planning and preparation for the Congress.
Pray for Dr. Richard as he balances the intense demands of the Congress with the other aspects of his RREACH ministry.
Pray for potential attendees as they become aware of the Congress and begin making plans to attend.
Pray for provision of needed funds for the Congress.
3. Pray in the following ways for Dr. Richard's upcoming trip to the Middle East.
Pray for travel mercies and divine appointments as he travels.
Pray that Dr. Richard will be well-rested as he communicates God's Word at the Jordan Evangelical Theological Seminary's Campus Dedication and Graduation Ceremony.
Pray that Dr. Richard’s overseas travel arrangements are well-organized and impactful as he meets with multiple leaders of organizations involved in pastoral training in the Middle East.
4. Pray for God to fully provide the General Fund budget by Dec. 31, 2014.
For His glory,
Edie Ross
prayer coordinator