Pray First, Pray Always 

A specific area in life that is inevitable and constant is death but yet sometimes it seems to spring on us suddenly and without warning.  This was the experience of my Church family, and the community at large, on December 13^th, 2020 when we got the numbing news that our beloved Pastor, Rev. Dr. Genius Wells, had passed.   

When I received that midnight call I was overcome with emotions. Fond memories of my Pastor consumed my mind all day long; to the point that I could not focus on my regular task that unforgettable day.  As I reflected on my overwhelming reaction it hit me like a ton of bricks that Pastor Wells had been a father figure to me for some forty- five (45) years.  God orchestrated that Pastor Wells and I would meet at the Chapel on the Hill just two years after my father passed. 

Pray without ceasing. (KJV) 

1 Thessalonians 5:17 

“Pray first, pray always” was a motto that my Pastor lived by and as my spiritual father, he prayed me out of many difficult situations.  

I remember walking into his office shortly after my mother’s death in 2015 and sharing with him that sometimes when I think of her my heart would literally hurt.  He said “my beloved you have a broken heart, let me pray for you that the Lord will mend your broken heart.”   Pastor prayed and the pain in my heart vanished, I was healed instantly in answer to his fervent prayer.    

I thank God for Pastor Rev. Dr. Genius Wells and his labour of love to me and so many others.  He has gone on to his Heavenly Home from labour to reward but his memory is forever engraved in my heart.   

My Pastor indeed “…fought the good fight, …finished the race, … kept the faith.”  (2 Timothy 4:7) 

My encouragement to us all as we mourn the demise of our beloved Pastor is to imitate him as he imitated Christ: “Pray first, Pray always”.