An investigation into the phenomena and practices of spiritual ...

Prayer for distant healing takes place in every COGIC service on request, or simply formembers who are absent from the service and who have requested or had prayersrequested on their behalf. The URC focused prayer is directed by the minister whoselects appointed elders to assist him in the laying of hands during healing services. Inthe URC prayer for distant healing take place every Sunday and healing services arefocused in the fifth Sunday of the month.Prayer meeting 1: COGICCOGIC has a session that is focused on prayer or prayer meeting where members of thechurch meet and are asked to pray. This meeting is not always led by the minister. Thepastor may delegate the leading role to a well trusted church member such as an elder,deacon or ‗mother‘. Older female members are afforded the title of ‗mother‘ asrecognition of their long service of commitment to attend service, pray with youngermembers and also provide support for church members including the Pastor. Thisfocused prayer may also take place during a divine or other service ‗under the directionof the Holy Spirit‘ and at the request of a trusted member.The prayer meeting is moderated by someone chosen by the Pastor. The Pastor directsthe moderator (or mother) by specifying the scripture to be read and the focus of theprayer meeting. The prayer meeting opens with a prayer song from the RedemptionSongs hymn book. A scripture reading and another song follow this. A member of thecongregation hands prayer cushions to others in the meeting. The ‗service‘ is thenhanded back to the Pastor, who states that the prayer meeting should focus on a series ofmeetings over the Easter weekend. At the prayer meeting attenders kneeled and prayeda Pentecostal prayer where each person prays their own prayer, but everyone prays at250