Praying to Change the Parish

God has been speaking in this parish of St Barnabas for men and women to pray.  These men and women would make prayer their sole business. These will not only pray that God intervenes in their lives
but the life of the parish as well.  In the last eight months a group has met faithfully in the chapel to pray
each Wednesday, others have me in the morning Tuesday to Thursday. The men of
the courage met during lent in the mornings. These examples say to us God is calling us to prayer, deep prayer. Last Saturday the 21st of April, Clive Heron took us through contemplative prayer as Church Councillors this
served again as an example of God continue persistence for this parish to prayer, to communion with God in the deepest parts of our hearts. There is a  song that says ‘Be still and know that I am God.’ 
This call to pray for the parish in not only left to intercessors but it  is a DUTY of all to pray. At least
for an hour each day without fail and to observe the Wednesday fast and to
attend the 0900 service ON Wednesday, if one  can and the evening intercessory prayers
at 1700 in the Chapel at the bottom.  We need not be impatient, but to be steadfast in prayer. 
Prayer and indeed the intercessory prayers is the highest ministry in the  Church.  It is the life line of the
Church. Without being rooted in prayers then we will began to follow our own
agenda and not that of God. Prayer will change and even challenge us. God
listens to heart that is humble and not the one that is boastful God will not
listen. Continued prayer life in the parish will make us have breakthrough in
the parish and in our individual lives.  We have entered a season of preparing for the lay witnessing ministry;
this period should be marked by intensity of prayer by all parishioners. As
parishioners we should set aside at least one hour of day in prayer. Those who
are called to intercessory should cultivate this ministry that more are added.
We need prayer warriors for this mission to succeed. We need to be soaked in the
life of prayer. The devil lost the war with our God, but he has not stopped the
wild cat’s attacks on the faithful.  He continues to roam around seeking who
to devour. We need to be alert to these attacks and prayer is our formidable
tool in our tool kit.  When we make
prayer central and intercessory prayer the root of our parish life then we will
begin to pray into the will, plan and purpose of God over this parish and our
lives. Prayer says to God we have submitted ourselves to him, unequivocally.



Fr.
Barnabas Nqindi