History and Legacy of Our Prayer Ministry

80-Year History

Milestones give us an opportunity to celebrate God’s faithfulness. Eighty years ago—in December of 1939—The Back to God Hour broadcast its first radio message. Since then, the ministry has grown into Back to God Ministries International (BTGMI) and now shares the message of Christ to ten major languages, using web pages, podcasts, mobile apps, printed copy, radio, and social media. ReFrame Media, the English language ministry of BTGMI, produces programs that proclaim the gospel to people in all ages and stages of life. One example is the Today devotional, first published in 1950 as a followup Bible study for radio listeners. We now mail over one million Today print devotionals and send over 73 million devotional emails annually.

Prayer Ministry Legacy

Right from the beginning, listeners and readers responded to the radio program and devotional, writing in comments, questions, and prayer requests, to which staff responded to by letter. Through all the changes and growth that took place in the following decades, our producers’ commitment to prayer remained a constant. At one point, our ministry even had live TV broadcasts early in the morning. Volunteers staffed call centers in New Jersey and Chicago. These volunteers were some of the first members of our Prayer Team; offering real-time support, they answered phones, prayed with callers, and sent literature to people seeking spiritual support. Since then, the Prayer Team has grown to over 6,500 people. Together we serve as a safetynet of partnership and protection, lifting up the concerns of people from around the world to our faithful God.

Community of Prayer Partners

As a member of the ReFrame Media Prayer Team, you are part of the BTGMI story that echoes through eight decades. This story flows from God’s story of redemption, which invites us into a community of believers who actively participate in prayer. Just this week, Rachael, a member of the Prayer Team, asked us to pray for her brother, who was facing a complicated surgery due to multiple health issues. She shares this update:

Thank you so much for praying for my brother and me! I felt God’s peace all around us. He is recovering well. I believe in the power of prayer and the healing that comes with it physically and mentally. From the bottom of my heart, thank you, Prayer Team. I am forever grateful for this team and continue to pray for all of you.

We hope this update from Rachael—along with God’s faithfulness to ReFrame Media and BTGMI—will encourage your heart