Every morning before dawn breaks over Spanish Town, Annette Lewis stands at a stoplight near Tastee on Washington Boulevard, armed with prayer and conviction. She is part of a growing prayer protest movement that has transformed the busy intersection into an unlikely pulpit.
“I am a part of the evangelism team at my local church, and one morning I heard Apostle Jeffrey Shuttleworth talking about the prayer protest,” Lewis explains. “I was not working, and I felt a bit guilty. Matthew 28 reminds us to go out and tell, and so I wanted to win souls for Jesus.”
This non-denominational peaceful prayer gathering is now active in over 80 locations islandwide. It is centred on advocating for spiritual and societal change through prayer, scripture readings, and non-violent protests. The ultimate goal: to encourage righteousness and national transformation through faith.
What began as a personal calling has evolved into a daily ministry. From Monday to Friday, starting as early as 6:20 a.m. and sometimes lasting until 10 a.m., Lewis and fellow believers take shifts at the intersection. On most mornings, Lewis arrives first, staying until 7 a.m. when someone relieves her, though the physical toll is evident.
“Sometimes my knees hurt and they pray for me, and sometimes the pain is gone,” she says with quiet gratitude.
The group’s banners display bold messages: “Hell was not made for you. Repent or Perish”, “No to cashless”, “No to NIDS”, “No to LGBTQ”, “No to shacking up”, and “No to abortion”. Above all, they proclaim, “Jesus is the way, the truth and life. Jesus loves you. Jamaica for Jesus.”
The response from passersby has been mixed, but ultimately encouraging. Lewis describes an early encounter that exemplifies their mission’s impact: “The first day I got there, this gentleman would say, ‘Jesus, a B man.'” We prayed for him, and now he tells us good morning. He didn’t curse anymore, and we still pray for his salvation.”
The group has learnt to navigate obstacles with spiritual discernment. “I have seen one or two people drop by and say they are part of the prayer protest, but with conversation, I realise they are not,” Lewis reveals. “They just come to watch and see what is happening. We recognise what is happening, so we just pray and shut them down, and you don’t see them come back again.”
For Lewis, the transformation has been as much internal as external. Once self-described as shy, always working behind the scenes, she credits the Holy Spirit for her newfound boldness.
“Most mornings when I come out, I do not know what to say. “I simply open my mouth,” she clarifies. “God did not give us the spirit of fear but of power and of a sound mind, and the Lord will give you the grace to stand for him.”
The prayer protest, now in its second month, continues to grow. Lewis and her team remain committed to their mission of evangelism, despite the early mornings and physical demands.