Prayer: The Common Denominator

My maternal grandmother was considered a prayer warrior among her peers, family members, and friends. She was the product of what she called the sanctified church, which I now understand to be a conservative version of the Pentecostal denomination of Christianity. She carried herself as a prayerful and sanctified Black woman. My grandmother spoke to me often about how her prayers, Bible study, and singing old spirituals and gospel songs helped her survive and maintain her sanity while growing up during the Jim Crow era in Mississippi.

People would often visit my grandmother for prayer. Those she prayed for often received incredible results. I recall hearing about healings and breakthroughs from family members and friends who went to her for prayer as well. She even started a weekly prayer meeting. During these meetings, I found myself picking up women who had fainted on her living room floor—“slain in the Spirit”—because the Holy Spirit was moving through my grandmother so strongly when she prayed.

Prayer, Worship, and Singing

There were many times my grandmother would drag my older sister, Lisa, and me to several churches on Sunday. We would watch her pray, sing, and play the piano for the various ministries. Although I seldom wanted to go to all those churches, and even begged my mother to intervene, I was exposed to prayer, worship, and singing at an early age.

Prior to my preteen years, I stopped attending church with grandma. Simultaneously, my mother joined a new church. Mom’s church had a fantastic choir and while I had no idea what they were teaching, their choir and the praise and worship made a strong impression on me.

During the latter part of my teenage years, I began questioning some of the basic tenets of fundamentalist Christianity. I didn’t question the existence of God or prayer, rather I was seeking answers about life that my upbringing hadn’t answered.

I now realize that my upbringing with my grandmother and mother, coupled with all those gospel songs and prayers I heard as a child, paved my way to New Thought. My church background assisted my realization in the power of God in everyday life.

When I was 20 years old, my mother asked me to play a cassette tape on my stereo while she cooked. The tape was of the motivational speaker Les Brown preaching at his home church, Christ Universal Temple in Chicago. I was very impressed by his sermon. Eventually, I heard a tape of the founder/minister of Christ Universal Temple, Rev. Johnnie Colemon, D.D. This is when my mind was enlightened. Her New Thought message answered most of my questions, so I began attending her church.

Less than a month after attending Christ Universal Temple, I was having difficulty breathing and was rushed to the hospital. Earlier that day, I had taken medication that activated a dormant asthma and nearly caused me to die. I remained hospitalized for about five days. Upon my release, I was required to stay home for an additional two weeks.

I held two New Thought books in my emergency room hospital bed and told my mother, “Ma, according to these books, I don’t have to have this if I don’t want it.” She looked at me and knew I was serious. When my grandmother visited me in the hospital, I assured her that I was going to be fine and completely healed.

Prayer Power

Now I had a better way to understand the prayer power I witnessed as a child. This deeper insight was due to the New Thought lessons I had learned in the short time I was attending services in a New Thought church, along with the books I was reading.

I wanted more, so I began to read three to five New Thought books a week. I created denials and affirmations that I affirmed multiple times each day. I attended every Sunday service and didn’t miss one class. I affirmed the “Prayer of Faith” by Hannah More Kohaus, sometimes 20 times a day, until I received a complete healing within months of my health experience, with no relapses to date. The “Prayer of Faith” includes the line: “God is my health, I can’t be sick.”

I now realize that my upbringing with my grandmother and mother, coupled with all those gospel songs and prayers I heard as a child, paved my way to New Thought. My church background assisted my realization in the power of God in everyday life. When I found Christ Universal Temple, I was still able to enjoy powerful preaching, music from a dynamic choir, and prayer and worship in a New Thought context. I healed my body and transformed my life through the power of prayer.

This article first appeared in the Unity booklet From Black Church to New Thought.