Annual Thanksgiving: We must praise God despite challenges -Assemblies of God women

Assemblies of God Nigeria Lagos Mainland District Women’s Ministry recently held its annual district Thanksgiving at AGC 111 Clegg Street Surulere. It was an event where women came from different sections of the Church with their gifts to praise God. The theme of this year’s programme was HIGH PRAISE.

CHINYERE IKEANYI, who was at the progamme, first spoke to the Coordinator of the Women Ministry in the District, Pastor (Mrs.) Charity Awazie, followed by the President, Women Ministry of District, and Barrister Joy Ezeigbo. The duo talked about the need for women to praise God either good or bad.

The District Women Coordinator, Assemblies of God Nigeria Lagos Mainland District Women’s Ministry, Pastor (Mrs.) Charity Awazie,

Why are we here?

We are here to give praise to God. Our theme is:  ‘HIGH PRAISE”. God is our God, our healer; He is all and all let us open our Bible from Psalm 149. Seven powerful ways to praise God: God wants us to praise him in music, clapping of hands, lifting of our hands etc. We are here to praise God because he has chosen us and he has helped us to overcome all the challenges of the earth. Praise is appropriate, it is beneficial, it is necessary and attractive in Psalm 147:1

It is the right thing to praise God. It is an act of expression to a deity or to God and it’s also an act of worship and you’re glorifying the name of the Lord. If you want to give praise to God, give Him High Praise.

You see the mercy of the Lord make your attitude and renew your love every day in the Lord.  Let your attitude and gratitude be new every day. So, if we want to give God the praise give him high Praise. The Bible says: ‘Make a joyful noise unto the Lord’

Why did you choose this theme, High Praise?

I didn’t choose this theme; the Lord dropped it in my heart that we should give him high praise in the midst of difficulties and in the midst of challenges.

 Ma, this is your first time of conducting this programme as the Coordinator. What are your challenges?

The challenges I’m facing to gather them is distance and sometimes bad network.

Within the week, there was a free eye test. What other programmes were conducted during the week?

We did medical outreach. We gave out eyeglasses. We gave out drugs and for people with cases we couldn’t treat right away we referred them to Federal Medical Centres or hospitals.

People, who are not your members, how are you encouraging them?

On Thursday that we had the medical outreach, people who are not our members came, we preached to them and also gave them the kit.

How are you helping the widows in your ministry?

We are having a get-together for the widows this month. On that day, we celebrated them and gave them rice and other items.

The people in the world (especially women) how would they come closer to God?

We organize ourselves in our community; we normally clean our community; and with that, we can use it to reach out to them.

Some youths in our Society are not behaving well.  Some said this is from their mothers. What can you say about this?

It is the society we are in; the environment. Maybe when they enter University the environment affects them. Mothers will keep on praying for their children; daily equip them with the word of God so that they will not fall short. The home training will help them to stand aright

The investigation has shown that women are now the breadwinners of their homes. What will they do to cope?

It is a problem now that some mothers have to cater for their families including their husbands. My advice is that we mothers should pick up a business or a job that will help to pay attention to the home front. They should not take a business or job that will keep them away from the family all day. They should take a vocation that makes them to be at home and pay more attention to their children.

President, Lagos Mainland Women’s Ministry of the Assemblies of God Nigeria, Barrister (Mrs.) Joy Ezeigbo:

We are celebrating annual thanksgiving; it is a yearly service we render to God in appreciation of His goodness, His loving kindness, His faithfulness to us, our family, the Church of Jesus Christ and even to the nation.  If not for God, we would have been disintegrated.  Problems here and there, different religious crises in our country, we pray and ask God to bring peace to our Nation and in His mercy, He has preserved this nation as one and we know that He will answer our prayers and our joy will be full.

 Why the theme ‘high praise’?

When we offer our prayers, prayers go up. When we give praise, the Lord comes down to the midst of the people, as we offer our Praises in appreciation, in thanksgiving, in adoration, the Lord will hear us and attract His attention. We also pray that we don’t want to offer praises from a sinful heart; the heart that does not know God.  We have asked the Lord if there is any among us that is yet to come to our Saviour Jesus   we are praying that this is an opportunity that the Lord will revive such person   to surrender her life to Christ

How are you helping widows in your midst?

God knows what we are going through; we have encouraged our members that today is a day we must thank God despite what we are going through; despite the challenges of life, our God is greater.  He knows the issues we brought before Him; that is why at the beginning of our services,  we sing, count your blessings;  name them one by one, it will surprise you what the Lord has done. You may think that God did not answer you, but if we sit down and reflect, we will know that the Lord is good despite the challenges.

We try to encourage one another; we said bring wrappers for widows, bring rice, bring money; that is why you have seen the wrappers at the altar. We encouraged our women in our district; we have about 400 widows; every year, we do this, not only at this time of the year in the district, we do this at the sectional level and local level.  We encourage people to remember the orphans, the fatherless and we try to encourage one another.

Many more wrappers are coming and those who couldn’t bring, pledge. We encourage the widows; even me l am a widow;   l also brought. We are visiting people who are widows.  Indeed, lam a widow but there are some l’m much better. You can be a widow it does not mean you will be at the receiving end; you can also bring; as a widow is for everybody to participate to reach out to the needy.

How can women come closer to God?

The Bible tells e me that it is appointed for man to die, after that, Judgment. Every one of us living must keep to the appointment; that is death. While we are here, we prepare for life hereafter. It is good to live for God, and it is good to see God. You Life is not what you live as it pleases, we are accountable for that life. The owner of this life will say today I’m taking it. It is time for us to know God and serve Him. Belief in the Lord Jesus Christ Thy Shall be saved, ask God to give you the grace to live for, there is life after.

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