First Baptist Women’s Prayer Group

First Baptist Women’s Prayer Group

 

Abstract

The existence of religious institutions such as churches, temples and synagogues, has led to the development in the society in several ways. For instance, people join prayer groups in places of worship with intentions of improving their lifestyle as is the case at Baptist women’s prayer groups. Joining prayer groups has affected the lifestyles of individuals positively. This makes this study highlight the dynamics that characterize prayer groups.  Consequently, it is necessary to examine the role of prayer groups in fostering spiritual growth. The observations in the research are made over a period of eight weeks. My interaction with church members’ personal level enabled me to gather enough and conclusive information.

In my position as a Christian and having been a member of the church for the past one year, I have had experiences that have changed my perception regarding Christianity despite being a Non-Baptist member. The teachings of the Baptist church have given me a glimpse contrary to my pre-conceived perception about the life of Christians. According to, Cross & Livingstone (1997) Baptist’s believe in the supremacy of the Bible, the autonomy of the church, individual growth, use of the Holy Communion and the separation of the role of the church from the State. My impartiality enabled me to understand the teachings of the Baptist church. Presently, the church is one of the biggest liberal protestant organizations known globally.

In my research, I was able to gather more information since there are no restrictions to with taking notes during the women’s prayers groups. The church only restricts using a person’s name when interviewing of the members of prayer groups.  The members of the church provided me with information concerning the mode of prayers at the church though they did not disclose their identities.

At the church, the prayer group met weekly every Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. The study participants’ ages were between twenty-eight to seventy-five years old. Ten to twenty women showed up during the study, and it involved an all-female prayer group. Furthermore, a peaceful environment and fellowship was safe. From my studies, I discovered that prayer groups were not a new concept in Christianity. Records indicate that the history of the woman’s participation in prayer group dates back to November 1959, the year in which women began uniting weekly for devotional gatherings. At the time, women took part Bible study to empower themselves. During their meetings, they used to gather at a small church in their area before moving to their present location. According to Ymker (2010), prayer groups are not a new thing in the area since they have existed for years.

In addition, meetings start with prayers from the leader of the group. Thereafter, the women share their personal experiences before requesting a prayer for their problems. The women also make a request for each of their struggles. At the beginning of the study, the leader chooses the topic of study for the congregation, thereafter she engages with the congregation in suggesting the contents of the study. On rare occasions, members of the study group suggest the subject for the day. The meeting begins with a prayer by a church leader who leads the gatherings throughout the study.  In choosing the topic of study, Jane Doe picks a subject she feels is appropriate to the audience. Sometimes she gives a video series for members to watch while studying the book. In understanding my contents of the study, impartiality is important. This is because impartiality is essential in understanding my teaching. For instance, an impartial observer is more likely to benefit from the group teachings.

During the study, the leader begins with focusing on the interests of the people before choosing a topic. Thereafter, she prepares the studies in books valued at around ten dollars. The books have to be inspirational, and in some cases, videos accompany the books. In the absence of a video, the prayer group begins the meeting with a prayer before proceeding to study the guide presented to them by the prayer leader. While using the guide, the members fill out the questionnaire with appropriate answers. The guide contains information essential for enhancing the growth of the members of the prayer group. Additionally, the guide has readings of scriptures together with questions for testing the understanding of the readers. The subjects of the readings are not restricted to any teachings. The subjects range from teachings on Christ’s life, spiritual growth and personal growth.  For the past eight weeks, the congregation has been discussing matters on spiritual growth by comparing physical food with the spiritual food.  After this comparison, the group concluded that spirituality is essential for the happiness and health of Christians.

At the church, Jane Doe, the leader of the prayer group appeared overwhelmed with work. Consequently, she was unhappy with the participation of some of the women in the prayer group. Despite complaining about the conditions of her job, she had devoted herself to serving as the leader of the prayer group.

Furthermore, she exuded commitment to the prayer group. She encouraged members to support others who were new to the group.  Her idea of help was to encourage members to engage fully in the prayer group. I discovered that a good number of people who were studying the guides did not complete their homework. I believe they felt guilty. Surprisingly, I was not the only one who felt relieved by the decision of the prayer leader, to excuse the members for failing to read their guides.  During the session, the youth pastor’s wife, the leader Jane Doe, the school bus driver, the oldest member of the women’s prayer group in her eighty’s and the coach’s wife shared their views with other members of the congregation. At the time, the youth pastor’s wife was doing most of the praying, yet she was fairly new to the church.  She had devoted her life to praying with the group for the past 5 to 6 years. Indeed, the prayer group was a great source of inspiration to her. Hence, she felt that she had gained freedom from attending the prayer group despite being a mother of three, and overburdened with domestic duties.

Among the participants, the school bus driver was very shy and hesitant. She appeared stressed, but she showed seriousness in her commitment to God. She had the feeling that she was the least active among the participants in the prayer group. However, the group members comforted her through her challenges that she was experiencing. From her response, it was evident that she benefited from the group.

The other member who exuded confidence in her participation, in the group was an elder in her eighties. She was a dedicated Christian who was nonjudgmental woman in her actions. She had served as a teacher in her younger years and is a mother of two. Despite being older, she devoted herself to serving the group. She was a role model to many in the congregation. Just like other members, the coach’s wife who had been diagnosed with breast cancer was an active member of the group. She had been encouraged by the support she received from one of members of the group. However, most members of the group did not listen to her plight. Instead, they feared associating with people diagnosed from cancer.

It is encouraging that Baptist women’s prayer groups begin prayers with pre-prayer discussions on the prayer items. This includes burdens, praises and  prayer request.  Secondly, the leader guides the group in prayers using a  format in which sentence prayers are recited for a  problem. Thirdly, the group intercedes silently on issues requested upon by the members of the congregation. The group assumes that God knows the request. During the process, people remain silent in the prayer. Thereafter, they address their strong personal needs, which include a prayer request by a non-member who is facing trouble in their life. In the fifth stage, the members pray aloud. From my observations, praying loud involved preaching, teaching, giving advice, passes along information, and praises or blessings (Longman, 2011). The common words used by the members of the group in prayers includes words such as amen, pray requests, praises, struggle’s, strongholds, praise the lord, sin, pray about it and worship, Baptist, sins, anti-Christ, Satan, great tribulation, atonement, baptism, denomination, Christ, and born again.

Moreso, the women offer support to each other.  They use comforting words such as ‘I understand’ and ‘it will be okay’ in their prayers. Interestingly, many people shy away from leading the group in prayers.  As witnessed, the only woman who was willing to lead other members in a prayer session was a driver who had challenges praying aloud at the women’s prayer group meetings. However, the group leader takes out who showed her mutual support by assisting her. As a result, she developed confidence of addressing the group aloud despite having difficulties in communicating. At the meeting, Jane Doe asked the members to read the Bible beginning from the book of John. Members were required to volunteer in reading the passages in the Bible. Then, the members discussed among themselves the contents of the passage. Surprisingly, there was a member who appeared reluctant in giving her views concerning the readings. This forced the leader to provide explanations about the passages from the readings. The leader extended the discussion on topics she felt were important for the group.

In conclusion, it was fascinating watching people’s experiences and spiritual growth as we discussed the Bible and prayed in the period of eight weeks. Every woman has her own opinions, and nobody was too judgmental. Indeed, this was the best place for women to express themselves and grow as Christians since women supported each other in this prayer groups.  I noticed the women shared a lot from the prayer meetings, and it was a way of uniting women spiritually with God.  The lesson learned from the meetings offered a great experience to the prayer group. It was fascinating to observe the leadership styles, the communication skills, rituals, and personalities of people during these prayer meetings. For instance, people join prayer groups in places of worship with intentions of improving their lifestyle as is the case at Baptist women’s prayer groups. Joining prayer groups has affected the lifestyles of individuals positively. I gained insightful cultural information from observing this group.

References

Cross, F. L., & Livingstone, E. A. (1997). Baptists. In The Oxford dictionary of the Christian Church (pp. 154-155). New York: Oxford University Press.

Ymker, B., Pastor. (2010). First Baptist Church of Lockport. First Baptist Church of Lockport. Retrieved April/May, 2013, from http://www.firstbaptistchurchoflockport.com/tp40/Default.asp?ID=110216

Longman, R. (2011). Small Prayer Groups. Prayer Groups. Retrieved February/March, 2013, from http://www.spirithome.com/prayer-group.html