Angela Williams could not hold back her tears as she shared how a student she had prayed for many times—encouraging her in the Lord—turned the tables and ministered to her one morning.
“The student came over to me and said, ‘Auntie, every morning you’re praying for me. Can I pray for you this morning?’” Williams recalled.
Williams said the student had her diary and showed her that she had been documenting her prayer journey and researching how to consecrate herself from sin.
“My heart was moved—my heart melted. My eyes filled with tears when she took out a bottle of Vaseline (Magic Blue hair oil) and said to me, ‘Auntie, I’m going to anoint you.’ She opened her hand and rubbed some of the Vaseline into her palm,” Williams said. She added that she gently stopped her and told her she had a bottle of olive oil instead.
She then instructed the student how to use it—by dipping her finger into the oil and making a cross on her forehead.
Williams has been engaged in the Peaceful Prayer Protest since January last year, and she has made it a commitment to focus primarily on students in her outreach.
She prays over students, seeking divine intervention in their lives and exams, and speaks excellence, blessings, and favour over them. Williams shared that she even prays for students she encounters in taxis while on her way to work.
Her focus on students, she told Freedom Come Rain, was inspired by the Holy Spirit. On weekdays, Williams can be seen at the Rubis Gas Station along Half-Way Tree Road, near the courthouse, coming from the direction of the fire station.
There are times, she admitted, when she is extremely tired—often coming straight from work and feeling ready to fall asleep. Yet she continues, crediting the Holy Spirit for giving her the strength to carry on the ministry.
The non-denominational peaceful prayer gathering is now active in more than 80 locations islandwide in Jamaica. The initiative focuses on advocating for spiritual and societal change through prayer, scripture reading, and non-violent protest. Its ultimate goal is to encourage righteousness and national transformation through faith while reminding citizens that prayer can play a central role in shaping the moral direction of a nation.
Since becoming involved in the prayer protest, Williams said there have been many memorable moments. She recalled ministering to a group of students, and one girl in particular stood out.
“I told her, ‘Do you know that you are beautiful, and you are going to become something? Don’t let anybody pressure you into doing anything you don’t want to do.’ The little girl nearly fainted—as if she was saying to herself, ‘I’ve never heard those words before.’ She almost dropped,” Williams recounted.
She has since become known as the “friendly auntie” who looks out for students—not only through prayer, but also by sharing her resources.
At times, she assists with phone credit, purchases school bags, and helps connect troubled students with counseling support when they are facing overwhelming situations.
“There is nothing as fulfilling as making a difference in the lives of students and others,” she said. It is for this reason she is encouraging other believers to “go out there and get involved in prayer ministry”.
Before ending the interview, Williams shared the story of one student who has deeply touched her heart and whom she continues to lift up in prayer.
The student recently lost her father, who died at 46. A diabetic, he accidentally stepped on a needle in the kitchen and later collapsed. The child tried calling her mother but was unable to reach her, so she called an ambulance for her father. He was taken to the hospital, where he died.
The trauma left her overwhelmed, and she began harming herself.
“It was then I ministered to her. I told her that I, too, have had challenges—that when I’m stressed, I sometimes ‘suck my teeth’. I had stopped, but it came back the other day when I was dealing with some things. I told her, ‘It’s tough.’ And I said to her, ‘Please, the Holy Spirit is real. I want you to talk to the Holy Spirit.’”
She did not respond immediately, but eventually she did—and there has been a noticeable change.
