The president of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Archbishop Daniel Okoh, has encouraged Nigerians to remain steadfast amid the ongoing economic difficulties in the country.
Archbishop Okoh delivered this message while speaking with journalists on Wednesday during the National Day of Prayer 2024 in Abuja.
The interdenominational prayer event, themed ‘In His Hands,’ was orchestrated by CAN to provide dedicated prayers for the nation and its leadership amidst prevailing challenges.
Archbishop Okoh emphasized the importance of Nigerians persisting in prayer for policymakers and leaders across all levels, seeking divine guidance for their decisions to enhance the welfare of the populace.
“By today’s prayer, the Lord will do something great, and the Lord will touch the hearts of those policymakers to enact policies that will touch the lives of the people positively.
“We are believing God, and we are giving hope to our people that we shall not die of this hunger.
“We shall survive it; this one, too, shall soon come to pass, but we need to endure a little bit.
“And, we know that even at the point where we think that all our abilities have been exhausted and we have come to our wit’s end, that is when our God will come forth in the form of power,” he said.
He suggested that the government remain attentive to the plight of the people during this period, emphasizing that the government wouldn’t be content either if its citizens were enduring hardship and hunger.
“No government will be happy and celebrating when his people are suffering and in hunger. It doesn’t give it a good name. And so, we know that the people in government are also feeling our pains.
“So, what I tell Nigerians is to continue to depend on God as they do what is right.
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“They must try at this time, as much as possible, to remain accountable, to remain consistent in prayers, to remain transparent, and to remain persons of integrity,” he added.
The guest speaker, Prophet Isa El-Buba, stressed the importance of seeking divine intervention through prayer for national healing during these challenging times in Nigeria.
Mr. El-Buba highlighted prayer’s pivotal role in addressing the nation’s difficulties, asserting that “the power to mend a nation comes from above through prayer.”
He underscored how prayer can offer wisdom when leaders face challenges, enabling them to make righteous decisions and govern effectively.
Mr. El-Buba emphasized that prayer serves not only as a starting point but also as the ultimate solution capable of transforming seemingly insurmountable circumstances.
Furthermore, he emphasized the government’s essential role in heeding the people’s needs and aligning their actions with the populace’s will.
“Leaders are seen as serving a higher purpose and guiding the nation towards positive change and healing.
“The only way our nation can be fixed is by divine intervention. We need the supernatural hand of God to rest on our leaders.
“We can see that when leaders are exhausted in terms of wisdom and knowledge, they need a supply of wisdom from above, and when wisdom comes, leadership begins to do what is right and proper.
“The message is that we prayed, and we asked God to release a new dimension of wisdom for our leaders to be able to lead the people right.
“When the head is alright, the whole body will be alright too,” he said.
The cleric urged Bola Tinubu-led government to listen to the cry of the people as they were serving the interest of the people.
“The voice of the people is often said to be the voice of the Lord. When you listen to the heart of the people and respond to them by giving guidelines, the nation comes out from the challenges it is facing.”
(NAN)
