Do you believe prayer makes a difference?  How do you know that it does?  These are just two of the questions that many of us ask about prayer.

Join United Methodists across the Dakotas and beyond in the conversation about prayer through: listening to a podcast about prayer, joining a week of prayer and starting a Breakthrough Prayer initiative in your local church.

Podcast The Vital Connection: Bishop Ough talks about prayer

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More than a century ago, E.M. Bounds, author and Methodist clergy, wrote in the Power through Prayer, "Every mighty move of the Spirit of God has had its source in the prayer chamber."  Are you ready to prayer for the mighty move of the Spirit in your life, in your church and for The United Methodist Church?

In this podcast, Rev. Rebecca Trefz, Dakotas Conference Executive Director of Ministries, talks with Bishop Bruce R. Ough, resident bishop, Dakotas-Minnesota Area of The United Methodist Church, about the need for prayer. Ough also shares what he has learned about prayer over his years of ministry.

Two key insights from this podcast include: Radical attentiveness—Ough states, “Prayer is more about listening than it is about talking." What impacts could attentive listening have on your prayer life?  Power of staying—Prayer is about the power of staying convicted, staying calm, staying connected and staying the course.

One of the resources shared in this podcast is the book, Canoeing the Mountains by Tod Bolsinger.  You can purchase Canoeing the Mountains through Cokesbury or Amazon.

Praying our Way Forward

Bishop Bruce R. Ough invites all United Methodists in the Dakotas to join him in Praying Our Way Forward. The denomination-wide Praying Our Way Forward initiative launched on New Year’s Day 2017 with 75 weeks of focused prayer for The United Methodist Church. Each annual conference will take one week to have intentional prayer for the mission of The United Methodist Church to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world and for the work of the Commission on a Way Forward. The effort began in the North Carolina Conference, and will wrap up in the West Angola Episcopal Area in June 2018. The Dakota's Conference's week of prayer will be August 20-26, 2017. 

The Commission on a Way Forward was proposed by the Council of Bishops and approved by the 2016 General Conference to do a complete examination and possible revision the Book of Discipline paragraphs concerning human sexuality and explore maintaining and strengthening the unity of the church.

Here are ways that you can participate the week of August 20-26, 2017: Sign up online for dedicated times to pray.  Click here to submit a prayer to share on social media and the conference website.  Learn more about Praying Our Way Forward here.

Breakthrough Prayer

Breakthrough prayer is a Spirit-led thing according to Reverend Sue Nilson Kibbey, Missional Church Consultation Initiative. “We all pray for the sick, grieving, for protection and safety," said Rev. Nilson Kibbey. “Breakthrough prayer is not just one person praying. It is engaging large swaths of the congregation, adding to the prayer life of the church. A comprehensive effort allowing God to breakthrough with new possibilities.”

Breakthrough Prayer is about how to incorporate a Breakthrough Prayer initiative in your church. The six-hour training will take place August 27.  Click here to learn more and register.

Listen to a podcast about Breakthrough Prayer initiatives in local churches in the West Ohio Conference here.