Faith Seeds Visits Women’s Facilities in North Carolina

On June 5th and 6th, Faith Seeds traveled to North Carolina for a time of teaching at two women’s correctional facilities. We conducted two-hour seminars on the Prayer and Intercession Discipleship Program (PAID) at the Southern Correctional Institution and at the Raleigh Correctional Center for Women. We also shared the word of God at a women’s luncheon, which focused on the 1st chapter of the Book of Ruth.

The women we met at Southern were wonderful! There were twenty-eight women who attended the seminar and received the 75-page curriculum to study. The chaplain, a new chaplain in training, and bishop also were in attendance. It was truly something to watch the women taking notes, asking questions, and hungry to learn all they could about how to pray more effectively and to intercede for their families, loved ones, and the prison population. After the completion of the seminar, the women expressed their thankfulness and appreciation for the teaching and the materials. The group seemed very excited about the opportunity to complete the correspondence section and receive feedback from our ministry. The new chaplain in training shared with us that it was her first day on the job – and she happens to be the Prayer Coordinator at her church. She was thrilled to be able to receive the materials and teaching.

On the 6th of June we traveled to Raleigh Correctional Center, a minimum-security facility. We were told that there might not be much attendance, if any. To our delight, we had a group of ten women. The small group setting allowed for some in depth questions and a time of prayer with some of the women. The women were excited as well about doing the exercises for each chapter and sending them in to the ministry. There was a gentle move of the Holy Spirit as some of the women shed tears at the truth of just how very important they are to God. One woman shared after the program how she had been asking God to help her pray better – and then she saw a flyer for the seminar! Another woman was so thankful to have us pray in agreement with her for a complete healing of cancer in her body.

Each seminar focused on sharing seven principles of prayer with the women, taken from the chapters in the curriculum that covered:
• Praying for those in Positions of Authority;
• The Plowshare Principle of Prayer;
• Our Legal Authority to Pray;
• Prayers of Thankfulness and Praise;
• Prayers of Repentance;
• Understanding Intercession; and,
• Intercession in Action.

We thank Debbie Walsh and Cindy Powers for coordinating the schedule of visits. Our appreciation is extended also to the chaplains and correctional staff for allowing the seminars and taking very good care of us.

Thus far this year the PAID curriculum has been taught to 84 women in correctional facilities. Plans are underway to bring the seminar to other women’s facilities later this year.