The Intercessory Prayer Ministry

On 17th July, 2000, the Intercessory Prayer Ministry, called I.P.M. for short, was inaugurated as the first new ministry of the millennium. Around 26 volunteers from among the congregation signed up in response to the call to pray for the needs of others by coming once a week to the church. The room designated for the new prayer ministry was a steep climb up a narrow circular staircase leading to a secluded room above the choir area, where there would be no disturbance. The congregation was encouraged to give in their prayer requests by writing them and putting them in a box kept at the entrance to the church.

The volunteers came to the church once a week on a day of their choice and spent an hour praying over the requests, which were maintained in a file for a month. Many reported wonderful times of spiritual communion with God in the high and secluded room where there was no one else to distract or interrupt. Those who were elderly or unable to climb up, sat in the room at the foot of the stairs and prayed. Over time more volunteers were added and some moved away. Over time the IPM underwent many changes. In 2004 we changed over from praying in the upper room to praying from our homes as most of the prayer volunteers found it difficult to come regularly once a week to the church to pray. A list of prayer requests was distributed to the volunteers every Sunday in church. Many more joined when the system became more user friendly, especially the elderly, who were earlier unable to participate. The advent and popular adoption of technology brought more changes and the volunteers could now receive their weekly list of prayer points through email and urgent prayer requests were sent to them immediately via SMS text messages on their mobile phones. When WhatsApp became the preferred way to communicate, the IPM moved to a Whatsapp group and that is how it still functions today. God has blessed this ministry by answering many prayers. This ministry has also been a blessing to the members within it, who give of their time and energies to intercede for others.

Over the past 21 years, close to a hundred people from this church have at one time or another been a part of the IPM as prayer volunteers. A handful of those who joined on the first day are still with us two decades later.

Praying for others is a command of God for all his people. All who believe in Christ must do it. "Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ." ~ Galatians 6:2. The law of Christ is the new commandment he gave before he went to the Cross: "Love one another as I have loved you." "Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective." ~ James 5:16. If you are a born again child of God, your righteousness comes from Christ, because he has cleansed you from sin. Apart from individual prayers, we pray for our church, our city and our country. By organizing periodic prayer events in the church, where anyone may participate, we provide opportunities for our congregation members to engage in corporate prayer. The Fasting and Prayer Day on Good Friday has become an annual event that many in our congregation attend with enthusiasm. People of all ages participate, including children. Other regular group prayer events taking place at the Kirk are the Monthly Night Prayer, held on the last Friday of every month, the Weekly Thursday Fasting Prayer and the Weekly Saturday Revival Prayer. The Women's Fellowship and the Youth Fellowship also meet weekly for prayer.

God's Word says in Isaiah 56:7 and Matthew 21:13, "My house shall be called a house of prayer." When we, the body of Christ become more prayerful, that is when God can fulfil His will in and through us more perfectly and make us co-workers with Him in His plans and purposes for the world. May His will be done in and through the Kirk in every generation.