Category: Uncategorized

Today marks the end of TGP’s summer series featuring prayer requests drawn from different hobbies. Thank you to all who submitted their personal hobbies for inclusion!

The following interest areas have been featured:

Nature Walking

Reading & Listening to Audiobooks

Card Making

Weaving

Gardening

Writing Fiction

Knitting

Fishing

Quilling

Fast Draw

Cooking

Modeling

Collecting

Embroidery

Singing

1. If you enjoy a hobby that is not on the list above, pray for someone else in the world today who enjoys the same activity to meet Jesus.

2. Pick any activity from the list, and pray for the Lord to use Christians who enjoy that activity to be a light for Him to their fellow hobbyists who do not know Him.

3. When God created the world, He did so ex nihilo – out of nothing. Part of being made in His image is the fact that humans enjoy creating things out of the raw materials He has provided. All of the activities above illustrate that principle. Thank God for sharing this aspect of His personhood with us.

John 4:13-14

Cooking is a hobby that turns the necessity of eating into a delightful art. God has created a myriad of foods, and the possibilities of combining ingredients in different ways and techniques are limitless. Putting an appetizing and wholesome meal on the table is the starting point for great family conversations / bonding during meal time, as well as a way to extend the love of God to one’s own family and beyond.

1. Pray for God to give you an opportunity to share something about Jesus the next time you are in a grocery store.

2. The greatest banquet of all time will take place at the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. Thank God for His amazing hospitality that invites all to come!

3. Just as we must have food to survive physically, so Jesus is the Bread of Life on which our souls depend. Indeed, He has said that “…Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.” Pray for a professional chef who does not know Christ to realize the value of Him as the Bread of Life, and treasure His words as more important than necessary food (Job 23:12).

John 4:13-14

2 Corinthians 2:14

Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place.

1. Fishing: Pray for the Master Fisherman to bless the efforts of His churches around the world to be fishers of men.

2. Fast Draw: The US National Fast Draw Championship wil be held in Oroville, California, on October 3-5, 2025. Pray for someone preparing for that event to come to know Jesus, and learn to handle His weapon well.

3. Please pray for a request you remember from one of the other locations featured this week:

Kaohsiung City, Taiwan

Mitsamiouli, Comoros

Lanzhou, China

Thank you for praying!

Fast Draw (aka Quick Draw) is a hobby enjoyed by a Vermont TGP team member. Fast Draw is a safe, enjoyable hobby / competition that involves speed in drawing a handgun and accuracy in hitting the target. Participants choose aliases such as Colorado Circuit Rider, Northwoods Nell, Johnny Lightning, Old Leatherneck Lynn, or Texas Pete.

Because the Bible compares itself to a weapon (a sword), the two elements of Fast Draw – speed and accuracy – are also important to Christians. Just as with a cowboy in the Old West (the paradigm for Fast Draw), a first century Roman soldier’s life could depend on his deft agility in wielding his weapon. In describing the armor of God, Paul admonished all believers to take up “the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.” Hebrews 5:12-14 describes that ideally the longer people have been Christians, they will “…by reason of use [of the Scriptures] have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.” Jesus illustrated this by His immediate response to temptation; quoting Scripture that hit the bull’s eye of truth. One of the Holy Spirit’s great gifts to God’s children is that He brings verses to our minds that we have previously read / memorized.

1. The US National Fast Draw Championship wil be held in Oroville, California, on October 3-5, 2025. Pray for someone preparing for that event to come to know Jesus, and learn to handle His weapon well.

2. Pray for believers in your family to make/maintain the habit of spending time in God’s Word, “rightly dividing the Word of truth” (2 Tim. 2:15).

3. Some Fast Draw aliases aren’t the greatest: Dirty Harry, Hard Hearted Hannah, Snake Oil, or Evil E. The Christian’s real life enemy satan often tries to distort Scripture for his evil purposes. Pray for young men in churches today to exhibit the description of 1 John 2:14 – “…you are strong, and the Word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the wicked one.”

2 Corinthians 2:14

Fishing is a hobby that offers several benefits: outdoor relaxation, time with family, and a source of food. One study tracked a record number of 57.7 million Americans ages six and older who went fishing in 2023.*

Fishing is another hobby found in Scripture. Mark 1:16-20 records the story of Jesus calling two sets of fishermen brothers to be His disciples. He gave them the intriguing call to “Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men.” Their response was immediate obedience. That call echoes through the centuries to all His disciples.

Another parallel between fishing and discipleship is the high percentage of participants who begin early in life. The following data from the study referenced above is very interesting: “These numbers…underscore the critical importance of introducing fishing at a young age…Eighty-seven percent of current fishing participants fished before the age of 12…”* Most people who fish have early memories of doing so as a child with an older family member. The same is true in the spiritual realm. After research, George Barna found that “the probability of accepting Christ is highest among kids under 14.”** This is not to minimize older age salvations, just to highlight the importance of beginning discipleship at an early age. Just as fishing doesn’t just happen without someone being intentional, so it is with discipleship.

1. Choose any country, and pray for a family who lives there and is planning to go fishing this weekend to grow in their relationships with God and each other.

2. Pray for Christian parents and grandparents to be intentional about discipling the children in their families.

3. Pray for the Master Fisherman to bless the efforts of His churches around the world to be fishers of men.

2 Corinthians 2:14

*https://www.tackletradeworld.com/record-numbers-people-go-fishing-usa

**Accepting Christ at a Young Age https://share.google/eXpr0Y90oqpGjLRYa

Isaiah 40:29-31

He gives power to the weak, and to those who have no might He increases strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall, but those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.

1. Special Request Update: After nine days in a Kenyan hospital with postpartum eclampsia, missionary Katlyn Amuku is going home, and will be closely monitored as she continues recovery.

2. Singing: Pray for a Christian in each of the fifty US states who is discouraged today to be deeply encouraged by the truth of a song about the Lord.

3. Your Choice: Please pray for a request you remember from one of the other locations featured this week:

Mitsuke, Japan

Barletta, Italy

Riga, Latvia

Port Louis, Mauritius

Thank you for praying!

Note: For those who receive the monthly prayer list for specific lost individuals, please send in updates or additions before August 20th. For anyone else who would like to receive this monthly list, simply reply to this email.

Singing is today’s featured hobby, enjoyed by a junior TGP team member.

From beginning to end, singing is an intrinsic part of God’s work on Earth. The Lord Himself says that when He created the world, the angels sang (Job 38:1-7). In praise of the Lamb Who brings redemption and restoration, believers in heaven sing a new song (Rev. 5:9-10).

Singing also fills in the middle space of Earth’s existence, the time we currently occupy. Music has been part of every culture. The capacity of both the words and melodies of songs to capture all the emotions and themes of life, stirring our souls in many ways, is truly a gift from our gracious Creator.

For the Christian, singing bolsters our faith; in the declaration of what is true about our God our focus is re-oriented on the anchor of our souls that is greater than anything else. Both in singing (or listening to / meditating on a song) in the solitude of one’s home, or joining other believers in corporate worship, every child of God should follow His many directives to praise Him in song. It blesses Him; it encourages us; it ministers to other believers.

Musical talent is not the basis for deciding whether to sing to God; love is. Let our hearts echo the words of Psalm 104:33, “I will sing to the Lord as long as I live; I will sing praise to my God while I have my being.”

1. Pray for a Christian in each of the fifty US states who is discouraged today to be deeply encouraged by the truth of a song about the Lord.

2. Pray for the families of Christian musicians to abide in Christ, and know the provision of their Father in all realms.

3. Pray that a lost person in each of the fifty US states who has heard the song “Jesus Loves Me” will think of the words today, considering what they really mean, and believe the gospel.

Isaiah 40:29-31

Matthew 21:22

And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.

Praise the Lord for two new TGP members that joined our prayer team this week!

1. Persecution in Nigeria: Pray for the Lord to comfort and provide for grieving families who have lost a family member(s) this year due to targeted attacks against Christians.

2. Newton Ground, St. Kitts and Nevis: Pray for John Newton’s song “Amazing Grace” to find resonance in the lives of many people in Newton Ground.

3.Your Choice: Please pray for a request you remember from one of the other locations featured this week:

Embroidery

Modeling

Calabar, Nigeria

Thank you for praying!

Embroidery is one of the oldest textile arts, examples of which have been found from hundreds of years before the time of Christ. It has spanned cultures and continents, and the basic stitches and techniques of hand embroidery have remain unchanged (machine embroidery is fairly new). Young and old alike enjoy this inexpensive and versatile craft.

Embroidery has included everything from monogramming initials to portraying detailed pictures of historical events. There are many subcategories of embroidery, such as cross stitch or candlewicking. Adding beauty to everyday items (pillow cases, handkerchiefs, kitchen linens, etc.) is a way to simultaneously exercise creativity and express love for the people who use those things.

1. Sashiko is Japanese embroidery that began as a way to mend or reinforce clothing, using eye-catching shapes and patterns. It typically uses white thread on denim colored fabric, and is now often applied decoratively. Pray for both the youngest and oldest two people in Japan who will do sashiko embroidery today, that they may have (and take) an opportunity to put their trust in Jesus Christ for salvation.

2. Crewel embroidery uses wool threads to create designs. The wool thread is thicker than regular embroidery floss. Though originating in medieval England, today the center for crewel embroidery is Kashmir, India. Pray that a skilled crewel embroiderer in Kashmir will let the Good Shepherd work His design in her life, just as she does what she wills with the wool thread.

3. Pray for a Christian whose eyesight is decreasing, and with it the ability to thread a needle / embroider. Giving up a long-enjoyed hobby is difficult, so pray for God’s grace to continually encourage that person.

Matthew 21:22

Our Tuesday/Thursday summer hobby series will conclude at the end of August. There are a few open slots left, so feel free to send in your favorite hobby if you would like to see it featured.

Modeling involves several components:

1. Studying the “real thing” to  understand minute details,

2. Making scaled down measurement applications so that the model will accurately reflect the original,

3. Patience in construction of intricate parts – including internal components that will not be visible upon completion of the project, and

4. Enjoyment and satisfaction in the finished product’s accurate representation of the original.

Each of these components of modeling as a hobby is also true in the lives of Christians. In fact, the word Christian literally means “little Christ.” At the moment of salvation, the Holy Spirit comes to indwell all believers, beginning the transformational process of making them like Christ. He does not stop until a Christian enters heaven, at which time the model is beautifully finished (Ph. 1:6). Jesus said, “…everyone who is perfectly trained will be like his teacher.” (Lk. 6:40)

1. Pray for yourself and other Christians in your church to yield to the Spirit as He works today toward the goal of making all of us more like Christ.

2. Pray for unsaved individuals in your town to meet Christians who accurately reflect the Savior, and for the Lord to use that to draw them to  salvation.

3. The airplane model above is being made from layers of cereal box cardboard glued together, paper, thread, bits of metal from a soda can, etc.  Hours and hours of work have occurred to draw the plans and get the model to the stage it is at in the picture. A hobbyist doesn’t mind the painstaking labor because he enjoys what he does. Praise God for His loving patience – which far surpasses any modeling hobby project – in all of our lives!

Matthew 21:22