FROM IKHILI EBALU, BENIN CITY
Traders in the New Benin market in Edo, on Wednesday commended Rev. Fr. Andrew Obinyan for his evangelical works and dedication to the well-being of Christian faithful in the state.
The traders gave the commendations during the monthly prayer meeting organised by the Christian Market Fellowship, Edo State Chapter on Wednesday in Benin city.
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.
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.
“We usually organise this type of prayer session every month to pray for traders in the market and their families.
“You also know that in a market like this, people normally use charms, so when we pray, those charms are cancelled by the man of God,” he said.
According to him, this 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
In his sermon during the prayer meeting, Rev Fr. Andrew Obinyan, a prominent Catholic Priest in the state, urged the New Benin market traders to continue to ask God for Mercy as the year draws to an end.
Taking his sermon from the book of Lamentation 3, 22–23, Obinyan said that the love of God never ceases his mercies never come to an end adding that they were new every morning.
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.
“All that I want you to know today is the benefit of God, God may not give in Naira and Kobo, but the most expensive benefit you have now is more than your CV, your bank account, your store, your house ,your car, or your title.
“More than anything that you have, is the breath from your nostrils .
“You breath in and out and it begins and end with that. The bible says when that breath stops, you return to dust through which we came.
“You are here today, you have a store, people surround you because you are breathing.
“They are not material riches but they are in glorious forms, they are from God. God gives you what money can not buy.
“So today , we are preaching things that are in glorious form. I want to appeal to you, the Lord told me that being the end of the year, do not preach for too long. Just ask for mercy,” he said.
It would be recalled that traders, spare parts dealers, students, youths and other well-meaning Edo citizens have been calling on Fr. Obinyan to run for the position of governor come 2024.
Whether the Catholic Priest would agree to run, that we will find out in the coming days