WHEN GOD ANSWERS PRAYER

Mega-Church Pastor Proclaims Simple Message—Prayer Works

Bob Russell has seen his share of answered prayer. As senior minister of Southeast Christian Church, where more than 17,000 attend worship services weekly, Russell has seen lost people saved, sick people restored, threatened homes unified and barren wombs opened. And though he doesn't offer readers "easy steps" to getting what one wants from God, Russell 's new book, When God Answers Prayer, does reiterate one iron-clad principle: prayer works. Through examples, drawn from his own experience, the experience of those in his congregation, and from scripture, Russell's new book leaves readers freshly convinced of the power of prayer.

Most personally, Bob Russell notes that he knows prayer works “because of my mother’s prayers. When I was born, my mother began praying that I would become a minister.” Her prayers were answered when he enrolled in Cincinnati Bible Seminary and after graduation was called as the senior minister of Southeast Christian Church. At that time, the church had 125 members and met in the basement of a member’s home. Since then, the church has grown exponentially, outgrowing its facilities numerous times—and seeing miraculous answers to prayer along the way. Today, more than 17,000 attend one of three weekend services at the 9,100-seat sanctuary outside of Louisville, KY.

Even as Russell has seen the power of prayer at work in his church family—often with amazing results—he doesn’t attribute the answered prayers to his own skill at prayer. In fact he still considers himself a “prayer plodder . . . I’m not very good at it.” But because he knows that prayer simply requires belief and faith, Russell assures readers that anyone, himself included, can expect God to answer prayer. Within the pages of When God Answers Prayer, Russell shares his experiences with prayer in three sections:

God Answers Prayer: Rather than teaching the reader how to pray, Russell shares stories to motivate the reader to try prayer in his/her own life. He points to the character of God to reveal how, like a loving father, God is moved by the requests of his children.
God Answers Prayer Dramatically: Using both Biblical and modern-day examples of dramatic answers to prayer—from Elijah calling down fire from the heavens to the recent capture of the Washington D.C. area snipers and a church member’s healing from seizures—Russell declares that God does intervene dramatically in the affairs of men.
God Answers Prayer Dramatically, but not very often: Not every answered prayer is a miracle. Most of the time when God intervenes he does so quietly, humbly and anonymously—in such a way that we are forced to accept by faith that he has answered our prayers. Russell shares stories that remind the reader how God can move quietly in response to his children’s cries.

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When God Answers Prayer/page two

In addressing God’s methods of responding to prayer, Russell also addresses the troubling issue of prayers that seem to go unanswered. He points out that even great men of God like Moses and Paul found their prayers were not always answered affirmatively—yet God still heard and still answered. It is at these times, when God doesn’t answer his prayers affirmatively, that Russell reminds himself of two life principles:

Suffering is inevitable, but misery is optional. Jesus said that we would have trouble in this world but we can choose a positive attitude anyway.
It’s not about me—it’s about God. I’m here to do God’s bidding, not the other way around. Trust God’s goodness and providence.

Howard Publishing is supporting the launch of When God Answers Prayer with national advertising and publicity campaigns. In addition, to celebrate the book’s July release, the publisher will host book-signing events at the National Association of Christian Churches convention and the Christian Booksellers Convention this summer.

Russell has written eleven books to date, including When God Builds a Church (Howard Publishing, July 2000). His ministry also includes a weekly syndicated radio broadcast on more than 30 radio stations and a weekly column in The Lookout Magazine. He and his wife Judy have been married for more 35 years and have two sons. Son and co-author Rusty Russell is an associate minister at Southeast Christian Church who works behind the scenes in sermon preparation, research and writing.

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WHEN GOD ANSWERS PRAYER

By Bob Russell, with Rusty Russell

Available August 5, 2003

Howard Publishing

ISBN: 1-58229-317-1

$18.99, hardcover, 220 pages