Becky Tirabassi spoke during the sixth session of the 73rd annual Torrey Conference. The conference was titled “Sex and the Soul.” She spoke on “the Fellowship of the Burning Hearts” on Thursday, October 23, 2008 at 11 am. Becky told a story of a woman that spoke a powerful message in 1947 on being expendable for God. The message especially impacted three men that later became known as the Fellowship of the Burning Hearts. The group of men held each other accountable for one hour of prayer a day, a goal of leading one person to Christ each year, and to sobriety. Becky’s goal is to continue the group’s mission for prayer, purpose, and purity. “How do I have a burning heart?” asked Becky, “I have a one hour appointment with the king.” Becky talked about how she was involved in a small group that meets on Friday mornings. The group has all committed to the same covenant, which is the same vow taken by the original Fellowship of the Burning Hearts.
Becky ended with a challenge for students to commit to the oath taken by what was known and is still called the Fellowship of the Burning Hearts. She challenged student to commit to sobriety, evangelizing, and spending an hour a day in prayer. Becky encouraged students to set aside time for “quiet time.” “My mountain top is my quiet time, “Becky exclaimed. Becky focuses on P.A.R.T. (praise, admit, request, and thanks) in a notebook during her quiet time. A majority of the attending students responded to her challenge. I however was frustrated by the quick and numerous responses. I felt pleasure to stand due to the over whelming numbers of students responding. I feel that there was not enough time to prayerfully consider the commitment which was not made to a speaker or other students but to God. While I am encouraged by my fellow students’ commitment, I fear that it was made in hast.
I do however; applaud Becky Tirabassi’s passion for prayer and her testimony to the power of prayer. “Prayer is a conversation between two people that love each other,” Becky simply explained. Benedict Carey reported in the New York Times on March 31, 2006 about a medical study that evaluated the power of prayer. The New York Times article quoted Mr. Marek, who works in a large medical center, as saying, "You hear tons of stories about the power of prayer, and I don't doubt them." I do not doubt the effectiveness of prayer of the impact of the fellowship’s commitment, but I do doubt the mass number and the quickness of so many people’s decision.
Becky concluded by challenging students to learn what it meant for them to be holy. “Holiness is not about you,” warned Becky. She reminded students that, “people want Jesus and that people need Jesus.” She reminded us that if we got Jesus then we need to open our mouth and share it. Becky Tirabassi was a wonderful, charismatic and influential speaker.