���ϸ�����

One of the five goals of the Christian Reformed Church’s Our Journey ministry plan is to “cultivate practices of prayer and spiritual discipline.”

As individuals and congregations across the CRC work toward this milestone, they are renewing a commitment to prayer and spiritual practices that deepen our faith and allow us to be agents for God’s work around the world.

Roy’s Journey

One member of ReFrame Ministries’ prayer team recently had a serious health scare that showed the transformative power of prayer in our lives and communities. Roy recently shared his testimony of how his faith sustained him during his illness.

“In August (2024), I was suddenly hospitalized for emergency surgery due to a gangrenous gallbladder, which led to sepsis and multiple organ failure,” he shared.

On the brink of death, Roy said, words from Psalm 23 came to mind: “Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, … you are with me” (Ps. 23:4, ESV). Roy’s body was fragile, but his spirit held on to God’s promises.

“I was so ill and confused that I forgot to pray—until the Holy Spirit reminded me of my prayer practice,” he said.

In the middle of uncertainty, Roy felt God’s presence guiding him to peace and reminding him of the power of prayer.

“God truly guided me beside still waters, carried me when my strength failed, and reminded me of ReFrame’s prayer ministry in the midst of my confusion,” he said.

The Power of Prayer

As Roy was struggling, thousands of people in the ReFrame prayer team were already interceding for him and many others around the world. This team of more than 7,000 volunteers receives weekly prayer requests and prays on behalf of others in need.

“As a member of the ReFrame prayer team, you are part of a worldwide group of brothers and sisters in Christ who pray for the needs of others,” said Emily Vanden Heuvel, ReFrame’s prayer ministry coordinator. “You may not be able to see the faces or hear the voices of those in your prayers, but your impact on the lives of others is meaningful.”

Another prayer team volunteer recently described prayer as “talking to God through an open window.”

“Just as an open window allows fresh air and light to enter,” Vanden Heuvel said, “may our prayers be like an open invitation for God’s presence to fill your life as you pray for others. God hears us and sees us right where we are.”

By God’s grace, Roy said, he was able to leave the hospital a few months after his first message to the prayer team. “God is gracious to us,” he shared. “Challenges remain, but we have come this far by faith.”

Join Us on the Journey

The Bible encourages believers to pray with faith, trusting that God listens and responds. The apostle John writes, “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us” (1 John 5:14).

Roy’s story reminds us that prayer is a powerful means through which God transforms us, bringing peace and hope even in the hardest times.

Together, let us cultivate a life of prayer, opening the windows of our hearts for God’s transformative presence. You can find a variety of resources to help you and your congregation cultivate this practice at .