By Ikhili Ebalu, Benin City
Traders across Benin Metropolis in Edo state on Thursday closed their shops to honour Rev. Fr. Andrew Obinyan’s who organized a Thanks Giving Programme at the popular Cooke road in the town to appreciate God ahead of the cross over into the year 2024.
Rev Fr. Andrew Obinyan, a prominent Catholic Priest in the state, urged the traders not to forget where they are coming from but to continue to ask God for Mercy .
In his sermon taken from the book of Psalms 124 verse 1, “if the Lord has not being on outside where would I have been ,they would have swolled us.”
Obinyan said, “Don’t forget Where you are coming from and don’t forget where God brought you from.
“This is the reckless mistake I am appealing to everybody never to make.”
Rev Fr. Andrew Obinyan, said, as you are asking God for your favour, you should not be a stranger in the house of the Lord. He noted that the mercy and love of God had supported the traders in coming out for the prayer meeting and their daily activities stressing that they should never forget to ask for God’s mercy.
He said , the only time some people come to God is when they have problems. They forget God when their trade is booming. When you rise hold on to God as God will never let them to have misfortune and trouble will not bring them to church.
According to him, ” David discovered that he was a victorious man. He will look at other Who say they are better than him. He goes to battle he defeat them. He look at his soldiers he will see that they don’t train, they don’t carry weight. He look at his pocket no enough money, yet they will win, everywhere David, David. David concluded is not about him, is the Lord that takes side.
He noted that the mercy and love of God had supported the traders in coming out for the prayer meeting and their daily activities stressing that they should never forget to ask for God’s mercy.
Speaking at the prayer session, the President New Benin materials Association, chief Chukwunso Ibeh,
said, “today is the last prayer session for the year and we have invited the priest to pray for us. We are also letting the traders know that God is faithful and can turn situations around when we pray.”
“Today is our last prayer of the year, we welcome our very Rev Father Andrew Obinyan, who most people have being praying forward to see. He has come to give us the blessing and everyone here today is happy as they have been blessed spiritually.”
Commending father Obinyan, the Secretary of the Market fellowship, Pastor Joshua Asuzu described Obinyan as a messiah who had come to save lives and alleviate the suffering of the people.
Asuzu stated that the priest has dedicated himself to winning souls for God while also ensuring their total well-being.We are also letting the traders know that God is faithful and can turn situations around when we pray
He noted that the essence of the prayer meeting was to seek God’s intervention in the affairs of the state and nation adding that the hardship was becoming unbearable and families were finding it difficult to feed and pay bills.
Also speaking the vice President of New Benin Materials Association, honourable engineer, Osahon Gabriel, said, ” I am shocked by what Rev Andrew Obinyan did today, I am seeing it as a new diamension on the new generation, because we were all blessed spiritually.”