Being a part of the Peaceful Prayer Protest is a vision finally being manifested for Opal Rodney Chambers.
In an interview with Freedom Come Rain, she shared that having lived in a community that was at times prone to violence, she had received several visions over the years. In those visions, she saw herself standing at the entrance or exit of communities, praying over them. She even shared these dreams with her daughter at one point.
“Like if I’m living in Clarendon, you’ve got an entrance and you’ve got another—the exit from Manchester, where we come in from Manchester—so you can go to both exits and pray,” she explained.
Everything fell into place when she attended a Spanish Town satellite gathering with her daughter and granddaughter, and heard Apostle Jeffrey Shuttleworth speak about the prayer protest.
“You know, when I heard about this, I never hesitated to be a part of it,” she said.
Since February of last year, when she officially became a member of the team, Sis Rodney has been ministering from Monday to Friday (with the exception of Wednesdays) between 7:30 and 8:30 a.m., near the clock across from Lumsley Pharmacy in May Pen Square. There are times, however, when the team branches off to other locations, such as the Vere taxi stand or other entrances—“wherever the Spirit leads.”
The non-denominational Peaceful Prayer gathering is now active in over 80 locations islandwide. 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 there have been many powerful and impactful moments, Rodney admits that the journey has not always been smooth sailing, as there have been obstacles to overcome.
She recalled that on one occasion, over three consecutive weeks, the team encountered disturbing scenes. One week, they found a chicken feed bag filled with feathers, intestines, and blood. They prayed and recommitted themselves to the location, declaring that nothing would chase them away.
“Another week, I went back and we saw some drawings on the wall, because we are in front of a wall. Some looked shiny—you had to look closely to see them,” she shared.
“Another week we went back and saw a bag with chicken meat tied above where we stand.”
Despite these incidents, they continued to pray and sing, choosing to ignore what had been left there for them to see.
The negative experiences, however, pale in comparison to the fulfilling ones. Sis Rodney recalled an encounter with a young woman who, on first observation, appeared deeply saddened. She called out to her and asked if she was okay. The young woman said no and began sharing her situation, admitting that she felt like giving up.
“I said, ‘No, man, you are special,’ telling her it was the plan of the enemy,” Rodney recalled. After ministering to her, the young woman said she felt different and revived.
The encounter did not end there. After the young woman returned home, Sis Rodney received a call from her mother. She later prayed on separate occasions for both the mother and another sister. To this day, they remain in contact, with Sis Rodney serving as a prayer partner for the family.
The frontline ministry has resulted in unrighteous altars being removed and souls being saved, leading to baptisms. The stories are many and continue to encourage Rodney and her team to press on.
These memories lift her spirit on days when she feels discouraged—especially when attempts to reach people are met with indifference.
“Some of the time when we try to reach out to them, they either shun us or are not interested. We just pray. We say we are just doing our mandate; we are just doing what God sent us to do. Whatever we do here is recorded, and we are not here on our own. Especially for me—if I didn’t get the push, I wouldn’t be there,” she stated.
Looking ahead to the new year, Rodney says she has no intention of easing up on the ministry—even on days when she has company, sometimes as many as four people, and on other days when she stands alone.