…and He gave some…prophets…for the perfecting of the saints
for the work of the ministry for the edifying of the Body of Christ.
Ephesians 4:11,12
Our Role In The Church
Prayer Resources was founded as a mode for exercising the God-given gift of prophetic ministry in the life of Dr Rob Finley. We believe that God’s ministers to His people in both the Old Testament and the New Testament can be classified into two categories: localized ministries and mobilized ministries. Localized ministries include priests, Levites, pastors, elders, and deacons; while mobilized ministries include apostles (sometimes called missionaries or church planters), evangelists, and prophets (sometimes called seers, reformers, or revivalists). The prophet or revivalist has his focus upon God’s people as contrasted to the evangelist, whose focus is upon the lost. The fruit of the revivalist is spiritual awakening among God’s people. He is uniquely gifted with discernment into people and events and with keen awareness of how God’s Word applies to them. Leonard Ravenhill, one of America’s leading 20th century revivalists, described the work of a revivalist as one who sets into line that which is out of line.
During the past century of humanistic organization within the local churches, there has been a neglect of local church involvement with some of God’s gifts given to the church as stated in Ephesians 4:11, 12. This neglect has caused much deformity in the Body of Christ. The ministry of Prayer Resources offers the local church an opportunity to receive God’s gift of a prophetic ministry.
Birth of the Ministry (Testimony of Dr Rob Finley)
Every fiber of my being quivered, every nerve became strained, and the very fabric of my soul chilled at what I had just read in the fall of 1978. Could its words be for me? Though my heart yearned for the reality of its statements to be in my life, at the same time with all the strength of a Goliath, my flesh raged a life-death struggle to resist its truth. I returned again to the printed words of one Edward McKendree Bounds written at the turn of the 19th century. Was it his words that disturbed and moved me or was it the call of the Holy Spirit? No question at all! I knew it was His call. I read the words once more knowing intuitively the cost of responding to His voice: The greatest benefactor this age could have is a man who will bring the preachers and the Church back to prayer.
The greatest battle of my life waged and in the heat of the battle I lay wounded—a broken man! When the wrestling and striving was over, I knew my life had been changed! I saw things differently. My steps were not the same. My purpose for living altered. My ambitions shattered. My self dead! From the very soil of that battlefield began to grow a yearning to recapture Biblical praying, to move the Church to revival, to motivate the preachers to the lost art of prayer, and to preach to the perishing multitudes the glorious message of the Gospel.
The Lord began to move me to several verses from His Word. Out of I Peter 4:7 (Berkeley translation) I read, The end of all things is near; therefore, be self-controlled so that you can pray. From Matthew 21:13 I saw the priority of Jesus as He spoke to the crowds at the Temple, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but you have made it a den of thieves. I read in Isaiah 59:16, And he saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor. Though not understanding it all, I knew God wanted me – Rob Finley – in a prayer ministry.
My final response was: Lord, I have heard Your call! Unworthy I will step in the gap and seek to fill the void! Recognizing the enormity of this task, may I not shoulder the load alone. Father, raise up others who will stand alongside me.
Thus began, in infancy, the ministry of Prayer Resources. My wife responded with loving acceptance and equal commitment. My daughters exhibited persistent understanding and unexpected maturity. With a committed desire to shoulder the load, co-laborers have joined from throughout the country. Truly, God has been answering my prayer with a rising tide of precious saints who have recognized the call upon this ministry.
Dr Rob & Judy Finley
As president, author, and primary speaker for Prayer Resources, Dr Rob Finley has conducted over 1000 meetings. His educational training includes degrees from Rhodes College, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, and Luther Rice Seminary. His ministerial experience of pastoring Southern Baptist churches for 12 years and teaching Bible in Christian schools for seven years has provided a thorough command of Scripture capably communicated in both pulpit and teaching forums. He has authored the encompassing manual on prayer entitled Recapturing Biblical Intercession, Recapturing the Biblical Epic of Prayer, and a six week preparation guide entitled Meditations for Revival, based on the 42 parables of Jesus. He has also written articles for several Christian periodicals.
Judy Finley serves as author, speaker, and administrator for Prayer Resources. She has studied with her husband throughout his education. Her experience as a pastor’s wife and as a group leader in Bible Study Fellowship for 10 years has equipped her in the field of counseling women and speaking at women’s conferences.
The Finleys work together in writing and material development for Prayer Resources and are committed to traveling together. They have two grown daughters and six grandchildren.
