From right: Pastor Olusoji Adewumi in Charge of RCCG Church of the Nazarene; his Wife, Pastor Temitope Adewumi; and guest minister Adeyinka Alaseyori, at the RCCG Feast of Worship, on Thursday in Lagos
The Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) has urged Nigerians not to lose hope in the country but use prayer and responsible citizenship to build a better nation.
Pastor Olusoji Adewumi in Charge of RCCG Church of Nazarene, Zone 5, Lagos Province 15, gave the charge at a six-hour Feast of Worship he convened to mark Nigeria’s 66th Independence Anniversary.
The event took place on Thursday in Lagos.
Adewumi said the church chose Oct. 1 for the worship to celebrate God’s faithfulness on Nigeria with songs.
The pastor said that the occasion was also planned to be used to pray for peace and security, good governance in Nigeria.
He said that the church also planned to pray for economic opportunities, families, young people, businesses and vulnerable Nigerians.
Adewumi said the programme was designed to take participants beyond routine church services and provide an extended period for worship, prayer, Scripture reading, thanksgiving, reflection and spiritual renewal.
According to him, worship is more than singing, as it is an expression of love, gratitude, surrender and dependence on God.
“Prayer does not remove our responsibility to act, but it reminds us that there are dimensions of life that require God’s intervention and wisdom.
“When we pray for peace, we must also become people who promote peace.
“When we pray for integrity in leadership, we must also model integrity in our own spheres of influence,” he said.
Adewumi said the programme, the maiden edition, was inspired by the church’s desire to establish a deeper culture of worship and dependence on God amid economic challenges, insecurity and other difficulties.
He said the six-hour duration was intended to give participants enough time to move beyond regular worship services and immerse themselves in God’s presence.
The convener said the programme also aimed to encourage participants to develop a lifestyle of worship.
He said the church’s message to Nigerians was that there was still hope for the country, adding that citizens had a role to play in building the Nigeria they desired.
“Let us choose peace over violence, integrity over corruption, service over selfishness and unity over division.
“Above all, let us continue to pray for Nigeria and believe that a better future is possible,” Adewumi said.
He added that the future of Nigeria was not only in the hands of government but also in the hands of citizens.
The guest minister, Pastor Oluwatosin Affinnih of RCCG First Born Assembly, spoke on the theme, “Atmosphere of Worship: Climate of Conception”, citing Luke 1:31-35.
According to Affinnih, the Holy Spirit is sufficient for believers in Jesus Christ.
He urged Christians to develop deeper intimacy with God through worship and prayer.
He said, “When the Holy Spirit becomes your deepest hunger, His presence becomes your greatest sufficiency, and when He is enough, no impossibility can intimidate you.”
He urged Christians to cultivate discipline in prayer, saying that it would make the Holy Spirit to deposit values that would make them valuable in their various spheres of influence.
Affinnih said worship should not end with spiritual experiences but should produce responsible action in society.
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“When the Holy Spirit encounters a yielded heart, divine possibilities can become earthly realities,” he said.
He encouraged participants to become “receptacles for whatever Heaven wants to conceive” in them, stressing the need for Christians to hunger for deeper intimacy with God.
The programme featured praise and worship, prayers, Scripture reading, exhortations, thanksgiving and other spiritual ministrations. (NAN)
