Prayer warriors embark on 21-day challenge
Published:Sunday | March 8, 2020 | 12:08 AMShanna Monteith - Sunday Gleaner Writer
With February having been celebrated as the Month of Love, members of the group Pray for the Bride, a ministry campaign-turned-movement, embarked on a 21-day prayer challenge under the theme ‘Love Thy Neighbour’.
The group, which began as a ministry campaign in June 2018, has developed into a movement of prayer warriors making intercession to God on behalf of the bride of Christ, which is the Church.
Speaking with Family and Religion, leader of Pray for the Bride Tamalcia Johnson said, “The ‘Love Thy Neighbour’ 21-day prayer challenge was simply about loving as Jesus loves. Throughout the Bible, Christians are urged to walk like Jesus walked, to imitate Him, and if God is nothing else, He is love. The aim, therefore, was for the bride to develop the heart of Christ, the bridegroom, or at least to begin the journey towards accomplishing that.”
CULTURE OF PRAYER
She explained that the challenge was an assignment of Pray for the Bride and was generally inspired by the aim of the ministry – to redefine the culture of prayer in the Church.
“I’ve seen where Christians generally don’t pray until after the fact. In the case of loving others, the prayers prayed are often prayers asking for forgiveness after they would have mistreated someone, reacted improperly, or whatever the case may be. However, if we are intentional about being like Christ, when challenges present themselves, we will respond in a way that represents Christ well. The ministry and this challenge, then, are inspired by the pressing need, in my opinion, for the Church to reflect Jesus in all our ways. Additionally, I’m also of the belief that the Lord, in this time, is seeking to refine the Church, for where He’s about to take it, we must be pure in heart,” she said.
With the 21 days having come to an end last month, Johnson admitted that when taken into consideration, the true success of the challenge cannot be measured because it’s not achievable overnight. However, she noted a remarkable reception to the assignment.
“People have acknowledged that they truly have not been loving their neighbours, sincerely repented, and have begun to seek the Lord for deliverance and emotional healing so that they can love as He loves. Several have been brought face to face with matters they didn’t even know they were bitter about and characteristics they didn’t know they had. That, for me, is a point of success. The first point of change is to accept that something, in fact, needs to change.
“I hope that this challenge did not end at day 21 but that it has awakened a level of righteous consciousness that will continue for the rest of our lives. People’s eyes have been opened to just how apathetic they’ve been towards something so important to Jesus like exercising love towards each other. It is my prayer that we never slip back from this point but instead double our efforts in imitating Christ. This has already begun in some, and I trust that there will be a ripple effect across the body.”
Johnson shared that those wishing to make contact or stay up to date with the assignments of the Pray for the Bride ministry may visit them @prayforthebride on Instagram.