Pray.Network Interview with Featured Member Lewis Turner

[Reimagine Curator]

Pray.Network interview with Lewis Turner

Pray.Network ~ Lewis, before you introduce your new project, explain the resources/groups you already have on Pray.Network

Lewis ~  Currently on Pray.Network I have five groups:

 One is called ‘Intercessors’. It is a group where Intercessors can share and encourage each other about their experiences and issues faced in interceding for others.

 Another is the Praying Together Course. This course encourages one to pray and reach out and join with others as they pray. It was compiled from over 10 years of personal experience, and with the help of my wife, put into a course to encourage other people to learn about prayer and praying together.

 The Children and Prayer Course—this course was designed to help children learn to pray, and learn about their spiritual heart. The course was developed when my wife and I worked on a joint project, which was an activity of the ‘Praying Together Course’.

 Encouragement to Pray—The ‘Encouragement to Pray’ group uses prayer minutes that I have written and recorded, and gives opportunity to examine issues about the message of the Prayer minute.

 Names of God—This groups is a study into the meaning of the Names of God utilizing the ancient meanings of the Hebrew letters, giving an application of the meaning of the each of the Names of God, and a prayer focused on the meaning of the name.

There is a wonderful benefit of being actively involved with a group on Pray.Network. I have learned that by sharing and encouraging others that my spiritual life has grown. Also through sharing, I have gotten to meet and know others who I might never have gotten to know had I not shared.

Pray.Network ~ What prompted you to develop your latest project?

Lewis ~ In answering that question, I must scratch my head and go back a few years. In the past, I have seen examples of studying ancient languages where the meanings of the letters helped to understand what was written. I am not sure if any one event pushed me to dig in and study or research about finding the meanings of Hebrew letters. All I can say is that starting about 4 ½ years ago, I started to study the meaning of just a few letters of Hebrew—I felt a desire to look at more of them—and eventually all of them. As I discovered the meanings of Hebrew letters, I tried taking the letter meanings of the Hebrew letters used in spelling a word and develop a probably meaning of that word. Working on a number of Hebrew words, I became experienced in developing probable meanings of Hebrew words. I reached a point that something in me gave me a desire to look at the Names of God and develop the meaning of the name from the meaning of the letters. I believe now that this desire was the Lord encouraging me to examine the Names of God and the meaning of Hebrew words. A Hebrew friend looked over my work on the Names of God, and shared with me that what I found through my research, was the ‘Ancient Meaning’ of the Names of God. The meanings that were developed have provided depth of meaning. Many of the current meanings used today, don’t convey a real depth of meaning and much is missed. Seeing the Names of God with these ancient meanings helped me learn to Praise God! I found the whole gospel contained in the meanings of the letters used in spelling Names of God.—Wow! This study has helped me learn more about who God is and that He is interested in us personally.

Pray.Network ~ Explain the focus of the content and how members of our community can use it in their personal life.

Lewis ~  This document is a study of 31 Names of God looking at what may be called the ‘Ancient Meaning’ of the name. The ancient meanings of the Names of God are as close as we can get, I believe, to the original meaning. The study develops these ‘ancient meanings’ and applies them in a way that can encourage our praying.

Pray.Network ~ How could this content be used with a prayer team or small group in a congregation?

Lewis ~ Let me share that currently I am using the Names of God study to help a prayer group that I am a part of that prays on the telephone three days a week. We share one name of God, and let that meaning help us praise or thank God for who He is. It has added depth to our time on the phone. That example could encourage other groups to do the same. The ‘ancient meanings’ of the Names of God are very significant and give us reasons to praise God.

Pray.Network ~ Share the burden the Lord has given you for mobilizing prayer through this network.

Lewis ~ My desire is to encourage others to pray. This may involve teaching, encouraging others, or just listening to the experiences of others. I have a desire to both learn from and encourage others in the area of prayer. The combined experience of what I have learned from others, and my own experience have fueled my desire to encourage and help others. My heart desire is to see all of us encouraging each other, especially in the area of prayer.

Pray.Network ~ Lewis, please write a prayer we can pray with you that lifts the name of our grand and glorious God . . .

Lewis ~ Father, we come to You, JEHOVAH ASAH, The Lord Our Maker. I ask that You lead us forward with Your wisdom and encouragement helping us to be filled with the fruits of righteousness, as we learn about You, and help us to praise God from our hearts, and to reach out to others as You have to us. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.