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The Five-Minute Prayer Ministry: Joining Together to Call on the Holy Spirit
In the Acts of the Apostles, the Holy Spirit fills the Apostles and gives them the words they need. As we read in Acts 4:31, “As they prayed, the place where they were gathered shook, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness.”
“In the time of Jesus, the Holy Spirit was everywhere — He was in everything,” says Deacon Tim Weinmann, who is a part of the Charismatic Prayer Group at the Cathedral of Christ the King.
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This prayer group has a team called the Five-Minute Prayer Ministry, through which group members pray with people in between the Sunday Masses. The team’s name originates from members praying with someone for just a short time. While this ministry is currently on hiatus until it’s safe to be close with other people, the team has been finding other ways to pray with others, whether virtually, over the phone, or in small groups.
In October 2019, Shelley Parkerson, with the Diocese of Lexington, gave a presentation on the Five-Minute Prayer model. Since then, more and more people have been getting involved.
“We’ve got some really great prayer warriors,” says Patsy Bunnell, who has been a part of the Charismatic Prayer Group since the beginning.
Deacon Tim says many Catholics — especially cradle Catholics — might not be familiar with charismatic prayer and praying with someone for their intentions.
“When someone asks for prayers, we pray with them on the spot,” he says.
“We never know what God is going to do,” Patsy adds. “It’s not up to us. It’s up to what God wants to do. Sometimes He heals, and sometimes it’s inner healing that you can’t see.”
Patsy says that no matter the outcome, intercessory prayer provides a lot of peace. The prayer team is working on getting comfortable praying with people outside of the Cathedral walls.
“Jesus is alive and real, and He wants a relationship with every one of us,” Patsy says. “We want to introduce people to Him, and let them feel that love.”
Deacon Tim encourages all parishioners to learn more about charismatic prayer and get more involved. It might seem intimidating at first, but it provides so many blessings.
“I would consider myself a rookie,” he says. “I am really figuring all this out and being amazed at what I see, hear and experience. The first thing to realize is that the Holy Spirit is within you, and you actually received Him at Baptism — He’s not just out there. He’s right in your very being.”
