Beyond the Pulpit: The Unshakable Faith of Pastor Chichi Bismark
While many pastors' wives can fall into the shadows of their husbands' ministries, Pastor Chichi Bismark has carved her own path of purpose through prayer, trial, and unwavering faith. As co-founder of Jabula New Life Ministries International, she has become one of Africa's most recognized intercessors, a teacher, and an author whose life is a testament to the power of God's solutions over man's.
The Journey to Purpose
Pastor Chichi recalls a time when her prayer life felt limited. "I would be in prayer and not have the urge to continue. After 15 minutes then I would be done," she said. Unsatisfied, she made a deliberate decision to ask God to teach her to pray. "So the Lord started teaching me. It was not just about kneeling down, it was all kinds of things – being quiet, being in meditative prayer, crying, calling out to Him and being in warfare."
This deep dive into prayer unlocked her teaching gift and inspired her to become an author. Her books, including "Teach us to pray," "Prayer Strategies," and "Altering Lifestyle," have taken her around the world. She was inspired to write "Altering Lifestyle" to challenge Christians after observing the discipline of Muslims who pray five times a day.
Trials, Faith, and Testimony
In the midst of discovering her purpose, Pastor Chichi faced a significant challenge. Her fourth son, Bernie, was born with a severe heart problem. Doctors gave him a slim chance of survival, predicting he would not live to see his 18th birthday, and quoted US$350,000 for a surgery unavailable in Zimbabwe. "We are pastors and we don’t earn that much... I think at the time I was earning maybe $429 Zimbabwe dollars," she recalled.
With two other asthmatic sons and her husband often traveling for ministry, Pastor Chichi turned to prayer as her only solution. "I would lay them on the bed, kneel and just pray," she recounted. Today, Bernie is a living testimony, turning 23 and having developed his own powerful prayer life. "He has set a time, his own altar to pray," she says with a smile.
The Power Behind the Throne
Pastor Chichi sees her role as a vital support to her husband's international ministry. "When he is on assignment, there is prayer that goes in his travel to cover him," she explains. She prays against territorial spirits as he crosses borders and intercedes specifically for each service he preaches. "If he is preaching during the night, I wake up to pray, fighting every human spirit, because human spirit is the hardest of them all as you will be dealing with human will."
Beyond prayer, she ensures her husband's practical needs are met, from meals to airtime. On handling disagreements, she says, "When Bishop says something, I have to submit. If there are things I don’t agree with, I will go into prayer... I found out that submission is the place of power. If you step out of the way and let God deal with your husband in any issue, you will have victory because who can challenge God?"
Life Lessons from Pastor Chichi
"We cannot swap a man’s solution for God’s solution. Our problem is that we want quick solutions... When God stops something, nobody can start it again."
"God said you have to work out your own salvation. It is not an if – with fear and trembling. There is going to be things that cause you fear and trembling but you have to work it out and it becomes your salvation."
She shares a lesson from her son Bernie: "Don’t forget once you pray for something, you cannot speak against it."
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