The prayer booklet connecting with sceptics

Trypraying is a seven-day prayer guide for non-Christians inviting them to offer prayer a go and discuss with God. It’s been two years since I last spoke to Emma Weaver, development co-ordinator at trypraying, and since then engagement has gone from strength to strength. The booklet has proved an ideal success in Europe and further afield, and has been endorsed by Bear Grylls. Christian Today caught up with Emma to listen to about how trypraying is impacting much more people and why a straightforward invitation to prayer works.

What developments have taken place throughout the trypraying sphere? 

We redesigned our youth booklet, so it’s got a complete latest feel to it for teenagers. The most enjoyable update is the brand latest launch of our Armed Forces booklet. It’s for the Royal Navy, Royal Airforce, the British Army and the Royal Marines. We managed to get a foreword by Bear Grylls which is amazing. He’s put a beautiful piece in there for veterans and serving personnel they usually can get the booklet without spending a dime by getting in contact with us. In just over two months we gave out 10,000 booklets to service personnel going out on exercise and on leave. We launched in South Africa, Germany, Spain and France and we have now just finished printing the Ukrainian copy in Ukraine. 

What engagement are you seeing in those countries? Is there an openness towards prayer?

We are seeing increasingly more people who find themselves open, who’re willing and in search of. We know that there’s a hunger and a necessity in all of those countries and that is just a complete latest avenue for them to go down in a straightforward way.  The book encourages them to try praying for per week and see what happens. We are hearing testimonies of individuals praying for the primary time and things shifting; God has answered their prayers. It’s an exciting time!

There have been reports of growing church attendance and interest in Christianity, particularly amongst the Gen Z population. Have you seen a big increase within the variety of Gen Z picking up a booklet?

Over 1,000 churches and individuals within the UK alone ordered trypraying booklets last 12 months they usually have been doubling their orders, and the orders have been more frequent. On the back of the quiet revival our orders have doubled – roughly 75,000 books were ordered last 12 months alone. And our teenage booklets have also doubled in orders. It is just amazing what God is doing. From starting 16 years ago in Edinburgh, we at the moment are in 12 countries world wide.

What do you think that resonates with first time readers of the booklet?

They love the simplicity of it – that’s the success of trypraying. Some people do it daily for the seven days; others will read it multi functional go because they’re so excited, they usually just love the testimonies inside it. The testimonies are encouraging – whatever it’s you’re battling, just pray. 

I believe what really resonates is the primary prayer – that’s one among the important thing moments within the book: ‘God when you’re there, and I don’t think you’re, but when you are I need to know you.’ When people pray that prayer, with an open and honest heart, that’s when God is available in. 

God is standing beside us waiting to be invited into our lives; He is waiting to return and help us with whatever issue we’re battling. God isn’t going to return and impose himself on us. Like it says within the Bible, “I stand on the door and I knock.”  

Many people don’t realise the simplicity of prayer and that’s been a problem for thus long. Some Christians struggle to wish, they think they should quote scripture and use big words. One of the good things in regards to the booklet is that, even though it’s for non-Christians and the non-religious, it also helps Christians to return to the fundamentals of prayer.

How can the Church support people who find themselves curious yet sceptical?

Encourage them to read the booklet and in the event that they prefer it, good, and if not, that’s high-quality. They won’t read it right away; it is likely to be in a month’s time and that’s okay. It’s as much as them once they are able to read it. 

I even have run Alpha courses for a very long time and I find that it is a superb place where people include all their questions and scepticism. You have just got to step back and allow them to ask questions and also you’ll find that they’ve some really interesting questions. God will just are available in and answer that query for them at a later date. 

We aren’t there to fight, we don’t have to fight God’s corner, we don’t have to have an argument or defend God. God does all of the work, and that’s the sweetness. If you pray openly God is available in, not us. We are only planting the seed and stepping out in faith. The booklet is a improbable evangelistic tool to assist ask those questions, and to share our faith with others in a non-threatening way.

What is next for trypraying?

God is just expanding it in a way that we didn’t foresee. We will take it one 12 months at a time and deal with the campaign and reaching as many individuals in communities as possible. 

Our mission is to equip and help others to share their faith through this quite simple resource. We are praying for more people to become involved with an aim of two,000 people this 12 months within the UK.  

We now have teams the world over, within the Caribbean and the Grenadines, in Australia, New Zealand, America and Canada. We are praying that the booklet will gain popularity in these countries identical to it has in Scotland and the remaining of the UK.

People can request a free copy of the trypraying booklet from the trypraying.org website. For churches and individuals searching for more details about joining the spring campaign and helping people to start out a conversation with God, including bulk orders, church banners and resources, visit the do.trypraying.org website.