Over 10,000 clergymen, men, women, youths and children of the Anglican Communion family, have gathered to seek God’s intervention in the face of the numerous challenges facing the country.
The 2016 Anglican Prayer Rally held at Dr. Alex Ekwueme Square, Awka, pulled people from the nine dioceses of the Ecclesiastical Province of the Niger.
The prayer led by the Archbishop of the Province of the Niger and Bishop of Aguata Diocese Anambra, Most Reverend Christian Efobi, also sought God’s wisdom and direction, on behalf of the leaders of the country.
Prayers were equally said for the church to continue to wax stronger in the face of tribulation and temptations.
Delivering a sermon on the topic, “Prayer for Boldness,” the Bishop of Mbamili Diocese, Right Reverend Henry Okeke, taking a biblical perspective, urged the church to embrace prayers in the face of challenges.
He said, “all we need is boldness to speak, because it is in the hands of God to take care of the enemies.
“When He directs us on how to pray, He is the bulldozer. The early Christians understood this and that was why they never joked with prayers.”
The State Head of Service, Mr. Harry Udu, who represented Anambra State Governor, Willie Obiano, noted that, “Nigeria presently needs prayers to survive its challenges.”
Mr Udu said that Nigerians were facing a lot of difficulties presently and speaking of Anambra state, he said “we realized that there is a connection between prayer and good governance and that is why we support everything the church is doing, because without God all is in vain.”
He stated that the present economic recession in the country had resurrected a lot of crimes which according to him, Governor Obiano however circumvented in Anambra by introducing an economic stimulus package to cushion the effect of recession on the people and also ensured that workers’ salaries were paid promptly.
Speaking on the importance of the programme, which was instituted three years ago, the Bishop of Awka Diocese, Right Reverend Alex Ibezim said that it was aimed at seeking God’s intervention during difficult times such as the current economic recession.
Bishop Ibezim noted that, “not only that prayer is important, prayer energizes us in order to fall into the perfect will of God.”
He decried the increased suffering in the country, the high level poverty and untold hardship that had held the poor masses down, “look at the rate of poverty, things are very hard.
“A bag of rice is twenty five thousand Naira, will mothers be able to feed their children?.”
Furthermore, the bishop called on the leaders of the nation to ensure that the infrastructural developments they embark on were the ones that would benefit the poor masses.
“I use this time also to call upon leadership to think about the things that will touch the poor people because the poor people in this country are suffering.
“Let them forget about maybe building of airports, they should construct the roads. 90% of the people move on the roads,” the bishop said
He concluded that it was a miracle that most Nigerians were still alive in the face of acute hunger, inflation and scarcity of money and food.
Similarly, Reverend Okeke, pointed out the fact that the present challenge in the country is beyond the leaders because “they are also human beings”.
With the next prayer rally being fixed for November 4, 2017, he as well as the people expressed hopes that the country would overcome the hard times as soon as possible and would return with thanksgiving.