General
About the website: www.gloryofgodprayergroup.org
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Ownership of the website
This website belongs to the Glory of God prayer group, St. Cecilia’s parish, Wa Diocese, Ghana. This group is a member of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal, a spiritual movement in the Catholic Church.
Purpose of the website
The main intention of this website is to spread the word of God; to tell people about Christ, to lead people to the love of God through Jesus Christ. We are attempting to accomplish these in two main ways. 1) Uploading activities being carried out by the group to the website. 2) Writing articles.
1. Activities
Activities that are being uploaded include, but not limited to, Sunday prayer meeting talks, Friday vigil talks, three days fasting and prayers talks, sermons by some priests and radio talks. These will be uploaded as text, audio or video or a combination of all three or any two of them, as available and appropriate. In which ever mode (text, audio or video) you are, links will be provided to the other modes.
Our readers, listeners and viewers should note that these are spiritual activities; they are not business activities. What we know is that God works in all spheres of our lives: spiritual, social, business, etc. But the spiritual aspect is the foundation and God will accomplish the rest through the spiritual aspect. So, we encourage our readers, listeners and viewers to look at our activities from the spiritual perspective and try to acquire something spiritual from them. Through the spiritual, God will reveal things to you about the social, business, etc.
Most of the talks, except where specified, on this website are given by lay members of the Catholic Church who either have very little or no theological background. What the Lord has done in our lives, we share. What the Lord has revealed to us, we share. How the Lord has touched and inspired us, we share. We share in order to encourage one another and uplift ourselves spiritually. We are sharing this on the internet because we feel that others in any part of the world can benefit from what we share.
Also, the people who give these talks are not English professors. Some are university graduates (but not in English), some are Senior High School graduates, some are still in Senior High School and some have not even reached Senior High School yet, while some are also Vocational School graduates and some completed the old middle school system. We, therefore, expect a good number of grammatical errors or inconsistencies in our messages. However, the grammatical errors are not so bad as to obscure the intended general message. Therefore, it is our deep conviction that anyone who reads, listens to or watches our talks spiritually, hoping to experience God, will get what he/she wants.
Also, we try to present the messages as originally as possible, so very little editing is done.
Another thing to note is that some of our audio and video recordings may not be up to professional standards. This is because we are not using professional recording gadgets; because of financial constraints, we are making do with what is available to us, i.e. our mobile phones and simple cameras. For example, some of these audio were recorded from just 2 combos and 1 speaker, using simple mobile phones, not even smart phones. But we believe that the quality that we present will be enough to carry our messages across and not cause too much discomfort to our listeners and viewers.
You can send us your recommendations as to how to acquire better gadgets or improve our use of what we already have to deliver better quality content.
2. Articles
Concerning the articles, I we can say similar things as we have said for the talks. As we noted above, the people who give these talks are not English professors. In a similar vein, the people who write these articles or transcribe audio talks to text are not English professors. We, therefore, cannot declare our articles free of grammatical errors. However, the grammatical errors are not so bad as to obscure the intended general message. Therefore, it is our deep conviction that anyone who reads these articles and talks spiritually, hoping to experience God, will get what he/she wants.
Again, you can make your suggestions.
Notes
We would also like you to take note of the use of the the terms 'bro' for 'brother' and 'sis' for 'sister'. These (except the term 'Rev' is attached) are not titles for the religious (as in Rev. brother' or 'Rev. sister'). They refer to brother or sister in Christ, terms we use to address one another as members of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal.
Webmaster
Felix Dordaa Mahama
Email:
Mobile: +233201135125
Address: HNo 196 BLK C, Napogbakole, Wa, Upper West Region, Ghana
Credits
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Website Design and Development
Felix Dordaa Mahama
Logo Design
Herman Nuobatolo
Contributing Authors
Felix Dordaa Mahama
Matthew Mwindong
Charity B. Lankono
Rena Ullo
Jacob P. Duorinah
Albert Dagbale
Audio Editing
Denis Sasu
Felix Dordaa Mahama
Video Editing
Felix Dordaa Mahama
About the Glory of God prayer group
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A brief history of Glory of God prayer group, St. Cecelia’s parish, Wa diocese
How the Glory of God prayer group started
The Glory of God prayer group was formed in 1990. Until 1989, there was only one parish in Wa town. As such there was one Catholic Charismatic Renewal prayer group at St. Andrew’s Cathedral parish. St. Cecilia’s parish was carved out of the Cathedral parish in 1989. For some time all members of the Renewal in Wa continued to have activities and programmes together at the Cathedral. By the beginning of 1990, the Catholic Charismatic Renewal members from St. Cecelia’s parish had thought it was time to stand on their own as a parish. A new prayer group was formed at St. Cecilia, even though members of this new group were members that came from the Cathedral group. This was done to enable the group reach out to the new parish for members.
Challenges at the beginning of the Glory of God prayer group
The membership of the group was small and seemed not to have impact on parishioners and the parish as a whole. Even derogatory names were given to the group and its activities e.g. “frustrated people group’’ “puori hahaa” (uncoordinated prayer), and others. This attitude of people towards the group never discouraged the members, who remained faithful to their meetings for prayers, sharing of scriptures and intercession for the way forward.
Improvement in the music
A time came when the Glory of God prayer group saw the need to improve upon their music since that could attract the youth to the meetings. The group started acquiring musical instruments: drums, organ, guitars and other equipment, to improve their music during prayer meetings. This enhanced the performance of the music ministry. Wherever the ministry performed it drew the attention of both the youth and the elderly alike. Some decided to join the group and the group began to grow in numbers. Prayer meetings became livelier.
Ministries in the Glory of God prayer group
A number of ministries were instituted to minister to the group.
Music ministry
The music ministry takes care of singing during prayer meetings, celebration of mass, weddings to which they are invited, and any other gatherings where the group is invited to or needs to sing.
Teaching ministry
The teaching ministry takes care of preparing a programme of teachings that are given in prayer meetings. Its members give the teachings at the prayer meetings.
Service ministry
The service ministry takes care of preparing meeting venue and other services required by the group.
Healing and deliverance ministry
The healing and deliverance ministry ministers to people with both physical and spiritual problems by counselling and praying with them for God's intervention.
Outreach ministry
The outreach ministry came about when one of the group members felt the call for the group to go out to other parishes in the Diocese of Wa to witness to fellow Catholics. This was the time many young Catholics were leaving the Catholic Church for newly established charismatic and Pentecostal churches. The ministry had challenges at the beginning with the Catholic Charismatic Renewal leaders and the Church hierarchy. However, the ministry continued to seek the face of God in prayer and was given the go-ahead in 1992 to stand as a recognised ministry of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal. To depict the objective of the ministry, it was named “Faith Outreach ministry”. Objectives include:
- To share their faith with fellow Catholics by sharing life testimonies
- To educate and challenge Catholic youth to take interest in understanding their faith and the power available therein.
Intercessory ministry
The intercessory ministry is dedicated to interceding for the group, group members, the Church, the Nation, the sick, the persecuted, and many other issues.
Youth ministry
The youth of the Glory of God prayer group make up the youth ministry. They meet to discuss issues concerning the life of the youth and how to live faithful christian lives.
Women ministry
The women ministry trains women in areas that will make them successful in their homes, businesses and in the Church.
Programmes of the Glory of God prayer group (weekly)
The Glory of God prayer group has weekly programmes that all or specific ministry members are expected to participate in. The group currently has the following programme line-up:
|
Day |
Time |
Activity |
Expected participants |
|
Monday |
5:30pm |
Bible sharing |
All group members |
|
Tuesday |
5:30pm |
Rosary prayers/Eucharistic adoration |
Rosary confraternity members (which is expected to include all group members) |
|
Wednesday |
5:30pm |
Intercessory ministry meeting Praise and worship ministry meeting |
Intercessory ministry members Praise and worship ministry members |
|
Thursday |
5:30pm |
Youth ministry meeting Counselling |
Youth Healing and deliverance ministry members |
|
Friday |
8:00pm |
Vigil |
Outreach ministry members (but open to all other members and non-members) |
|
Saturday |
2:00pm |
Praise and worship ministry meeting |
Praise and worship ministry members |
|
Sunday |
2:45pm |
Main prayer meeting |
All group members |
Other meetings include:
Children ministry meets on the Sunday during the teaching session of the prayer meeting
Women ministry meets on Saturdays/Sundays
Teaching ministry meets on the second to last Monday of every quarter
Three days of fasting and prayers are held during the last week-end of every month (Wednesday to Friday)
Achievements of Glory of God prayer group
- Life in the Spirit Seminars are organised every year (including for other groups in the chirch).
- Members are encouraged to be assertive and to play leadership roles in the group and in the parish.
- The group has a number of elderly members taking active roles and playing the role of mentors
- Members have cultivated the spirit of sacrifice of their time and resources for the good of the group and the parish
Challenges of the Glory of God prayer group
- The Glory of God prayer group has an unstable membership base due to transfer of workers and schooling of the younger members.
- Increasing cost of outreach and other group programmes.
In spite of the challenges, membership of the group is resolved not to be discouraged. Instead, they are willing to sacrifice to resource the group financially to be able to carry out its programmes. The Glory of God prayer group is also committed to mentoring younger members to take up leadership of the group as older members retire to the background.
How do you join the Glory of God prayer group?
You do not need to do anything special to join the Glory of God prayer group. Just pop in at any of our programmes, especially the Sunday prayer meeting, and you are a member. The group welcomes people from all walks of life (see the Profile of the Glory of God prayer group), as long as they are willing to surrender their lives to Jesus Christ. In short, the group accepts everybody, just as our Lord Jesus Christ did. Contact us for more information.
Where can you find the Glory of God prayer group?
The Glory of God prayer group is Located in Wa town in the St. Cecelia’s parish, Wa Diocese, Ghana. We hold our prayer meetings at the main parish, behind residency, Mangu. For more information, contact us.
Contact persons
Mathias Badu Dery
Email:
Mobile: +233205363549
Address: HNo KW/34,
Kambali,
Wa, Upper West Region,
Ghana.
Felix Dordaa Mahama
Email:
Mobile: +233201135125
Address: HNo 196 BLK C,
Napogbakole,
Wa, Upper West Region,
Ghana.
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The Glory of God prayer group welcomes people from all walks of life: all sexes, races, colours, tribes, ages, working classes, social status, educational backgrounds, political backgrounds, religious backgrounds (as long as they are willing to accept Jesus Christ as their Saviour and Lord) and religious status in the Church. In short, the group accepts everybody, just as our Lord Jesus Christ did.
Sex
The Glory of God prayer group is made up of both males and females, both young and old. Both males and females are eligible to participate in all the activities of the prayer group, except of women ministry, which is an all female ministry. Even then, the males are sometimes invited to support.
Age
The age distribution of the Glory of God prayer group is very broad. It ranges from toddlers to people over 70 years of age.
Children
Members of the group introduce their children to the Catholic Charismatic Renewal as soon as they are born (in fact they are born into the Catholic Charismatic Renewal). There are many of such children who have grown up to become very committed members of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal and the Glory of God prayer group in particular.
Youth
Some of those children have grown up to become the youth of the Glory of God prayer group. Most of the youth, like me, joined the Catholic Charismatic Renewal, and the Glory of God prayer group in particular, as youth. This group makes up the majority of the prayer group.
Elderly
There is quite a good number of elderly men and women in the group. Some of these joined the group when they were already elderly while some joined from their youth and grew old in the group. This shows the level of devotion of some of the members of the Glory of God prayer group.
Working class
The Glory of God prayer group can boast of people of a wide range of working classes. Some people are into white-collar jobs while some are self-employed. There are traders, weavers, seamstresses, mechanics, pharmacists, teachers, nurses, doctors, students, etc.
Social status
Jesus Christ came to call all people to Himself. He even associated more with the poor, the outcasts, the neglected and the down-trodden. In fact, while such people are normally ignored and looked down upon, the Glory of God prayer group seeks to give them hope.
Jesus also said that it is easier for the camel to enter the eye of a needle than it is for a rich man to enter heaven. This means that, in terms of salvation, the rich and the well-recognized in society also need ministering to.
At Glory of God prayer group, we strive to minister to each one according to his/her needs. Therefore, irrespective of your social status, you are warmly welcome to the Glory of God prayer group. There are the poor and the rich, those of high social status and those of low social status all in this prayer group.
Educational background
The Glory of God prayer group does not reject people with any particular educational background; we accept all. Therefore, there are Basic School children, Junior High School students, Senior High School students, university, Polytechnic, Nursing, Agric and College of Education students. There are also Certificate holders, Diploma holders, HND holders, First degree holders, Masters Degree holders and PHD holders. There are even people who have never been to school at all.
Because of this, meetings are run in both English and Dagaare (which is the local language here) so that everyone can benefit.
Political background
Because we believe in unity, and for the fact that political issues often lead to division rather than unity, we, the members of the Glory of God prayer group, do not indulge in political talks at our prayer meetings. However, we believe that each person should support a political party if he/she sees it fit. Therefore, we accept everyone irrespective of the political party they belong to or the political opinions they hold. In fact, we do not seek to know anyone’s political affiliation. We pray that God directs His people to vote for the leader He Himself chooses. People of all political status are also welcome. The president of Ghana, the Ministers, the UN Secretary General, etc are all welcome. Therefore, we have people of all political affiliations and opinions.
Religious background
We accept people of all Christian denominations, especially people who left the Catholic Church and wish to return (some people left the Catholic Church because there wasn’t something like the Catholic Charismatic Renewal). Aside that, we also welcome people from other religions, since their joining us would mean they have decided to or are thinking of accepting Jesus Christ as their Saviour and Lord. We are made up of Catholics born into the Church, converts from other churches, Muslim converts and Traditional converts.
Religious status in the Church
The Glory of God prayer group comprises lay Catholics, priests and Rev. Sisters.
Tribe
The Glory of God prayer group is made up of members from all the tribes in the Upper West Region: Dagaaba, Waala, Brifo, etc.
Apart from these there are also members from other parts of the country. For example, there are Ashantis, Frafra, etc. Apart from Ghanaians, there are also members from our neighbouring country Nigeria.
Conclusion
In short, the Glory of God prayer group accepts everybody, just as our Lord Jesus Christ did. Therefore, the group is made up of people from all walks of life.
Do not be terrified
Praise the Lord, my soul!O Lord, my God, how great you are!You are clothed with majesty and glory;you cover yourself with light.You have spread out the heavens like a tentand built your home on the waters above.You use the clouds as your chariotand ride on the wings of the wind.You use the winds as your messengers and flashes of lightning as your servants.You have set the earth firmly on its foundations, and it will never be moved. Good day dear one, the God... Read more>>>
Hail Mary ...
Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you. Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen. OR Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of... Read more>>>
The art of quiet time: prayer
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, I greet you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. May the grace and peace of God be in your heart. Friends, in {bib=Luke 22:39-46}, Jesus admonished us to keep watch and pray so as to avoid trial. Beloved, there will at some point in your life be a moment of trial, but at those times you need strength from above just as in the case of Jesus. ({bib=Luke 22:43}) Importance of prayer Dear friends, prayer... Read more>>>
Guarding friendship
Teaching for Sunday 21st June, 2009Teacher: Felix Dordaa Mahama Text: {bib=Sirach 22:19-27} Friendship = companionship History of friendship Friendship has existed since the beginning of creation: When God created man, he saw that it was not good for man to be alone, so he created woman – {bib=Genesis 2:8-23}. God used to come down and interact with Adam and Eve in the Garden. Destruction of friendship But man broke this friendship through disobedience by eating the forbidden fruit. We also frequently break our friendship with people... Read more>>>
Who pushed me?
A wealthy man had only one daughter. When the daughter was of marriage age, the father sent news around town that all the eligible young men should come to compete in a test which would determine who was fit to marry his daughter. On the set day, all able-bodied young men came out. Some came with paper and pen and others with cutlasses and swords. The rich man took them to his swimming pool and addressed them:“Any of you who can swim from... Read more>>>
I have decided
There is nothing we go through that God does not know. He sees, He feels, He hears and He knows. God knows all the challenges, difficulties and problems His children go through. He is not unconcerned. He is not indecisive about your situation. In fact, God has made a decision to deliver you and He will do it! When the people of Israel were in captivity, it looked as if the Lord had abandoned them. They were in need of deliverance... Read more>>>
There is hope
There is hope for a tree that has been cut down; it can come back to life and sprout. Even though its roots grow old, and its stump dies in the ground, with water it will sprout like a young plant. ({bib=Job14:7-9}). Take heart, the Lord of Hosts is still able, the mighty God of wonders is still at work, the rock of ages is gracious and Jehovah Jire is still providing our needs according to his riches in glory in... Read more>>>
Should transgender people be baptized or…
Report of the Catholic Church's position on baptism of transgender people Recently, there has been a report claiming that the Catholic Church has decided to permit transgender people to be baptized and become godparents. I first read the report on graphic online website, titled "Trans people can be baptised in Catholic church and be godparents, says Vatican," through a link posted on WhatsApp. Though I have not read the original document supposedly released by the Vatican, an online search at the time... Read more>>>
Reckoning my past as loss for the sake o…
Three days fasting and prayers -28th - 30th May, 2008Teacher: Felix Dordaa Mahama Text: {bib=Philippians 3:7-9} Background of St. Paul St. Paul was a Pharisee. He was a scholar well respected. He had the right to be called a Jew and to be hailed by his own people and by other people. Everyone loves uniqueness and the Israelites were unique; and St. Paul could choose to hold on to this uniqueness without caring about the rest of the world. He could choose to stick to... Read more>>>
What does God say about your problems?
A personal reflection on 23rd July 2011{bib=2 Kings 19:1-37} (start at {bib=2 Kings 18:13}) OR {bib=Isaiah 36, 37} {bib=2 Kings 19:3} – When you are in grief, do you pick a boyfriend/girlfriend for help; do you consult another god, do you start looking for a way to extort other people, do you throw your hands up in despair? – When you are in shame do you show your enemies? {bib=2 Kings 19:6} – What are you going through now? Sickness, joblessness, underpayment, frustration... Read more>>>
Pack your things and give them to me to …
Drama this Morning: My wife and I were having a serious quarrel when I said to her, "Pack your things and ...." At that moment her phone rang, so I had to stop for her to receive the call. It was her dad. The phone was on speaker so I could hear what he was saying. After the usual pleasantries between father and daughter, he said: "my daughter, I have transferred $1,000,000 into your account, give your husband $500,000 out... Read more>>>
In your presence: prayer
Lord Jesus I need your presence in my life. Your presence is so sweet because you are a sweet Lord. When I rose from bed this morning, I felt so lonely, I felt so fearful because of all the difficulties I faced yesterday. I felt so uncertain about what was going to happen today. Review of previous day's events Early in the morning Ok, Lord, let’s review some of the things that happened yesterday. When I woke up in the morning, my children... Read more>>>
Auto-panic
It is as if most human beings are configured to be automatically afraid whenever there are challenges. This auto-panic device makes even some Holy Spirit filled Christians to cry out, complain and wish for a return to their former ways of life when they go through a test. In fact, when this auto-panic device is activated, it automatically uninstalls any faith application. Therefore, at this stage, anxiety, fear, worry, hopelessness, dejection etc. begin to control such a person. The people of... Read more>>>
Advice to young girls
The moment you agree to date a married man,you agree to be a second class woman andevery second class person is classified as a person of lower value.Now look at it this way.If he is with you and his wife calls,he lies that he is still in the office or on an official assignment.You dare not interrupt his conversation or quiry him, but you can't call him when he is at home....... My sister you be toy? He sneaks you from... Read more>>>
Living in a changed life
Three days fasting and prayers - Wednesday, 26th November, 2008 Teacher: Felix Dordaa Mahama Text: {bib=1 Peter 4:1-6} “When you go to Rome, do what the Romans do” Once we want something from a certain place, we have to identify ourselves with that place and live like the people there (“When you go to Rome, do what the Romans do”). Once we change our state of life, we have to change the things that we do or the way we used to do them. In our... Read more>>>
Glory be to the Father ...
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning is now and ever shall be world without end. Amen. Read more>>>
The agenda is on - The six stages of soc…
Social Deception very often is a process by which wrong becomes right, and right becomes wrong. It’s a complete paradigm shift of opinions, standards and morals that is achieved softly, subtly and often takes a generation to entrench into society. Those who engineer it are very deliberate and structured in their approach. If you want to know what I am talking about, find out your mother’s views on things like sexuality and marriage and compare them with yours. The contrast in... Read more>>>
The 7 UPs
1 . Wake Up !!!Decide to have a good day. "Today is the day the Lord hath made; let us rejoice and be glad in it." {bib=Psalms 118:24} 2. Dress Up !!!The best way to dress up is to put on a smile. A smile is an inexpensive way to improve your looks. "The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at outward appearance; but the Lord looks at the heart." {bib=1 Samuel 16:7} 3. Shut Up... Read more>>>
About the Faith Outreach Ministry
Introduction to the Faith Outreach Ministry “But when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, you will be filled with power, and you will be witnesses for me in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Acts 1:8 Background information on the Faith Outreach Ministry Basis of the Faith Outreach Ministry In 1991 the Catholic Charismatic Renewal organised a Life in the Spirit Seminars (LSS) program for some members, and as the Lord promised in Acts 1:8, He poured... Read more>>>
Pursue Your Strengths
God has equipped each one of us with specific gifts and talents. It’s up to each of us to identify those gifts and be disciplined enough to develop them. You have to learn to stay in your strength zone. What are you naturally good at? What do you enjoy doing? Take the time to identify your strengths and weaknesses, and as the Scripture says, give yourself to your gifts. In other words, don’t spend all your time trying to improve... Read more>>>