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
2013 Media Outreach numbers | December 31, 2013
Dear friends,
God has overwhelmed us with the response to the 2013 Media Outreach effort, which harnesses the power of Facebook to reach unbelievers with the Gospel. Through this initiative, RREACH operates a Facebook page (www.facebook.com/liferocks.org) where we post thought-provoking content from Dr. Richard.
From the page, visitors can link to our program-specific web site (www.LifeRocks.org) where they can watch evangelistic videos by Dr. Richard, get more information and chat with a worldview-trained evangelist.
In 2013 (Jan-Nov) top responding countries included Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Indonesia, India and Egypt.
Some of the response numbers for January through November are below.
Facebook newsfeeds in which our content appeared 47,382,086
People “liked” our LifeRocks Facebook page 385,000+
People “liked” our content on Facebook 267,546
People “shared” our content on Facebook 6,993
Unique visitors to LifeRocks.org 172,558
The numbers we are most attentive to are those indicating response to a prayer to receive the Lord Jesus and desire to communicate over email with a worldview trained evangelist.
From January through November 13,399 people responded to the prayer and 3,536 asked to have follow up conversations with our evangelism team. Join us in praising God!
For His glory,
Edie Ross
prayer coordinator
Received: April 29, 2021
From Haiti to you: A Christmas greeting and more | December 19, 2013
Dear friends,
Thank you for praying for Dr. Richard during his trip to Haiti. He and the team have returned safely and we are excited to bring you a trip report, along with a Christmas greeting sent from Haiti to RREACH friends via email. If you would like to join RREACH's mailing list, please email me at edie@rreach.org.
The joy of this trip centered upon the multiplication of RREACH training by Dallas GPA graduates to the third and fourth generations.
The team was met at the airport by Pastor V (2009 Dallas GPA graduate). They spent time their first evening in Haiti with Pastor B, a 2005 Dallas GPA grad who was referred by Pastor E, a Dallas Seminary graduate who has worked in ministry partnerships with Dr. Richard since the early 90s.
Prior to coming to the Dallas GPA, Pastor B was already training pastors. But since receiving training on how to create and preach expository sermons, he has multiplied his training and has taught Dr. Richard's Scripture Sculpture method to 560 pastors each year. Scripture Sculpture also is taught in the local seminary and was used to craft a written sermon that has circulated through the country. It is estimated that this sermon has caused more than 100,000 people to make decisions toward Christ.
The next morning Dr. Richard delivered the keynote address at the seminary's commencement. Fifty-two would graduate, many at great personal expense. Some pastors traveled back and forth for up to seven hours on extremely difficult roads to attend the two-year training.
Dr. Richard praying with the graduates
All were bivocational, meaning they would work a regular job, pastor a church and also devote time for the two-year course. The seminary was the vision of Pastor V, and so again, the team was blessed to see how RREACH training was being multiplied.
That evening, Dr. Richard spoke at an evangelistic event attended by 90 people including congressmen, senators, doctors, lawyers, college professors and entrepreneurs. He spoke about passion, mission and vision and challenged the audience to consider how this plays out in their personal and professional lives. He asked them to think about how they could make a difference, encouraging them to make God the passion of their lives. We’ve heard that more than 20 people made decisions to trust Christ that evening!
Sunday began bright and early as the team left the hotel at 5:30 a.m. to attend a 6 a.m. service at the oldest church in Haiti, which was packed full of 1,200 people.
Next, they stopped at Pastor V's outdoor church — a young congregation.
Dr. Richard at Pastor V's outdoor church
Dr. Richard addressed the congregation and Pastor V interpreted. Next, the team traveled to Pastor E's church where Dr. Richard spoke during two services.
That evening the team had the opportunity to meet up with Pastor V, who shared about his ministry and its joys and challenges. He is responsible for 17 churches and his vision is to not only train pastors, but also to help provide healthcare and life insurance - especially for older pastors - to assist with medical needs and funeral services.
Dr. Richard with Pastor V
Please continue to pray for the pastors in Haiti, which is still dealing with the devastation caused by the 2010 earthquake. (Pastor V still sleeps outdoors while his home is completed!) Pray specifically for pastors E, B and V that God would continue to use them mightily to bring the Haiti people to Himself.
For His glory,
Edie Ross
Prayer Coordinator
Received: April 29, 2021
Encouraging the hope-less and the faith-full in Haiti | December 13, 2013
Dear Friends,
Please join with us in prayer today and over the weekend as Dr. Richard and a few RREACH staff and friends travel to Haiti to minister there.
Dr. Richard and RREACH have a deep history in this country that is impoverished materially but blessed with giants of the Faith.
Dr. Richard has made several trips there to train and encourage pastors, including in 2010, just a month after the devastating earthquake that claimed the lives of 300,000 people. He and the RREACH team traveling with him, including Dr. Richard's wife, Bonnie, went to provide a day of refreshment for Haitian pastors dealing with their own losses of loved ones and physical property while also trying to minister to their hurting congregations.
Dr. Richard said this of his decision to go then.
Bonnie and I were there ... because the pastors had stopped smiling and singing.
During this weekend's trip, please pray for the following opportunities to proclaim Christ:
Saturday: In the morning, Dr. Richard will deliver the keynote address for the Theological Education Program commencement ceremony. Pray that those attending the commencement ceremony would be transformed and encouraged by Dr. Richard's message.
That evening he will speak to "hope-less" opinion leaders at an evangelistic dinner. The office of Haitian president Michel Martelly called to inform RREACH's Haitian hosts of Martelly's sudden need to go to the funeral of Nelson Mandela, which will cause him to be unable to attend the evangelistic event Saturday evening. Please pray that many opinion leaders would attend, and that many would find hope and place their trust in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Sunday: Dr. Richard will teach from the pulpit during two services at Eglise Baptiste Berée, the church of long-time RREACH friend Pastor E, a Dallas Seminary graduate. That evening Dr. Richard will have a special visit with GPA graduates in the area, who have multiplied their training to the third generation. Dallas GPA graduates from Haiti in 2011 put on GPA Haiti. GPA Haiti graduates, in turn, were inspired to organize intentional pastoral training for 100 specially selected pastors from all 10 regions of Haiti. Please pray that God would use Dr. Richard's preaching at Eglise Baptiste Berée to impact those attending and that the special visit would be of mutual encouragement and refreshment for GPA graduates and for Dr. Richard.
For His glory,
Edie Ross
prayer coordinator
Received: April 29, 2021
Urgent: Global Pastoral Trainers Congress | December 10, 2013
Dear friends,
Thank you for your continued prayers for Dr. Richard and for RREACH. We urgently need your prayers today as important meetings take place regarding the Global Pastoral Trainers Congress.
As you know, a super typhoon has devastated parts of the Philippines. While Manila, where the Congress is scheduled to take place in 2016, has not been affected, much of the Congress' national leadership team now must turn their attention from preparing for the Congress to the urgent need for physical care resulting from the typhoon.
Dr. Richard and the RREACH team have been in prayer over the matter regarding how God would have us proceed in terms of the scope, location, venue and staffing of the historic event.
Please pray for Spirit-led meetings, effective communication, strategic ideas and efficient implementation for mobilization of participants and prayer worldwide, along with follow-up considerations.
For His glory,
Edie Ross
Prayer Coordinator
Received: April 29, 2021
This, that and a gift idea | December 6, 2013
Dear Friends,
Thank you for your continued prayer for Dr. Richard and RREACH! I have some prayer and praise updates and a great opportunity for you to get some Christmas shopping done.
Prayer update: Philippines
Thank you for praying for all affected by the super typhoon that devastated parts of the Philippines. RREACH is working to get aid to pastors there through the Pastor's Family Care Fund. To hear about the situation in the Philippines directly from Dr. Richard, please see the video below, which was sent out to RREACH friends as a Thanksgiving message. (If you didn't receive it and would like to be on RREACH's e-mail list, please email me at edie@rreach.org.)
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gp1jwEqIP9w&feature=youtu.be]
Please continue to pray for the recovery effort in the Philippines, and specifically for the Philippine Council of Evangelical Churches, which is inundated with requests for help.
Praise update: Dr. Richard's Southeast Asia Trip
Before traveling to the Philippines, Dr. Richard spent time in Singapore. He wrote this of his trip there:
In dynamic Singapore, I addressed a denominational convention whose leaders were in great discouragement. Their heyday was in 1978, around the time of Billy Graham’s visit to their ascending city. One member mourned that the committee comprised the same people from 35 years ago!
God used me at a preaching clinic for about 50 pastors from seven countries and at a private, pre-evangelistic meeting of about 30 people, half of whom were unbelievers. Three (20%, they noted!) welcomed Jesus, and there was triple joy in heaven. The climactic talk of the week was to 400 church leaders at a pastors’ appreciation dinner—a fine concept for any pastor, any church, any denomination, in any city.
Please join us in praising God for this wonderful and beneficial trip. Pray for great fruit.
Prayer request: Please be in prayer for the RREACH board meetings, which were scheduled for today and tomorrow but have been delayed because of the weather. We are thankful for every member of our board as they faithfully serve RREACH in unique and wonderful ways. Please pray specifically that board meetings later this month would be Spirit-led and that the board would seek God's wisdom to set the direction of RREACH.
Praise update: Thank you for praying for GPA Ghana. Information about that GPA is rolling in and we'll have a full update soon. Enjoy this picture of GPA Ghana delegates!
Gift idea: We received word from the publisher of Dr. Richard's acclaimed sermon preparation series that they will be offering the e-book of Preparing Evangelistic Sermons for $3.99 today through Dec. 12 on Amazon, Barnes and Noble and ChristianBook.com as part of a special promotion.
Preparing Evangelistic Sermons is the partner book to Preparing Expository Sermons (Scripture Sculpture), which in 2009 was named one of the 25 Most Influential Preaching Books of the Past 25 years by Preaching Magazine. In Preparing Evangelistic Sermons, using principles rooted in his seven-step Scripture Sculpture method, Dr. Richard guides the reader through the foundation, framework, method and special issues of preaching salvation.
For His glory,
Edie Ross
Prayer Coordinator