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The Power of Prayer: Inside the engine room of Thru the Bible

But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word. -Acts 6:4

People frequently ask, “What’s the secret of Thru the Bible’s tremendous longevity and impact?” Of course there is no secret, since the reason is revealed in the verse above. God uses this work powerfully because this ministry is founded on the Word of God and prayer. The Apostles understood the primacy of these pillars of ministry and so did our founder, Dr. McGee.

Our commitment to the Word of God is on display each day as we teach the Bible from cover to cover all across North America and in over 100 languages around the world through a great variety of media. Our broadcasts are heard in more than 160 countries, and people in more than 190 countries of the world have accessed to our Internet ministries.

Since the birth of this ministry, prayer has been the other foundation. Dr. McGee made it clear that we would not make strong appeals for financial support, but we would always ask strongly and unashamedly for prayer. Almost fifty years since the birth of this ministry, those who pray for Thru the Bible form the “engine room” of this global outreach.

Dr. McGee loved the writings of Charles Spurgeon and quoted them often. Spurgeon was known as “The Prince of Preachers.” When visitors came to his church in London, he would take them to a room in the basement where people were constantly interceding for the church. Spurgeon called it “the powerhouse of this church.”

The powerhouse of Thru the Bible is not a physical location, rather it is found in those who offer up their prayers asking God to supply and bless our work of taking His whole Word to the whole world. While thousands of people in North America pray daily for this work, did you know that many of our international listeners tell us that they too are praying for God to bless and expand TTB’s impact? People around the world are so deeply touched that they pray for many others to be blessed as well. Like this listener to our Arabic radio program:

“For my safety I cannot tell you my name or where I live, but I can tell you that the words you speak bring me life. Please do not stop broadcasting. I really want you to continue to help me in knowing the Lord and His Word. You are the only source I have … and I rely on you daily. Although I do not know any other believers, I know I am not alone. As you pierce the darkness in our world, your work will not be easy … but keep up the good fight. I am praying for you and I am praying many more Iraqis will hear God’s Word and accept Jesus Christ as their Lord.”

This woman listens to TTB-German and is not only teaching her sons to pray, but she is recruiting others into the TTB “engine room”!

“What a privilege to listen to God’s Word and to get an explanation in this way. Thank you! I listen with my two young boys and I am overwhelmed by their interest. I pray constantly for them and for you. We can’t give much, but we are happy to support this worthwhile program. We invite everyone we know to listen and pray that through His Word God will revive our country for His glory.”

We praise God for the people who have faithfully prayed for TTB over the past five decades. Without them, this ministry would not be what it is today. To further encourage our prayer warriors, we created the World Prayer Team to provide a coordinated daily focus on a specific country or language ministry. Thousands have indicated their participation, and we are inexpressibly grateful for this vital ministry.

Would you like to be part of supplying power to this global outreach? At any given minute in any given day, someone in the world is listening to TTB! Our dream is that we can make the same statement about those praying for us, as together we take the whole Word to the whole world! 

Be Part of the Thru the Bible Engine Room:

1. Join the World Prayer Team – simply go to ttb.org/pray and join the journey across the globe on your knees! You can also use the companion prayer calendar in our monthly newsletter.

2. Get a copy of our World Prayer Guide – this helpful publication assists you in praying for various areas of the world and has pictures of most of the speakers on our non-English programs.

- Gregg Harris, TTB President