Taraba Christians seek God’s intervention over calamities in the state
By Jethro Yerga, Jalingo
Following incessant cases of innocent killings, kidnapping, communal crises and arm banditry among other evil acts in Taraba State, the Taraba State TEKAN Ecwa Block has taken a very bold spiritual step towards seeking God’s intervention and consequent healing of the land.
As part of the spiritual efforts to appeals God, the church last Sunday organized its 2nd quarter special mourning and prayer session at the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) Center, where Christians of different denominations came together to rent their hearts before God, seek for His forgiveness and healing of their land.
In a sermon at the event, the (CAN) Chairman, Taraba State chapter, Rev. Dr. Isaiah Magaji Jirapye , encouraged Christians to shun all kinds of evil and cry to God from their heart and not only from their lips because of the horrible situation the state in particular and the country in general is passing through.
Rev Magaji who titled his sermon, “Help us Oh Lord” called on believers to rent their heart before God, confess their sin and genuinely repent of their sin to allow God heal Taraba State and the country in general.
“We are here to take the blame. We are here to stand in the gap, we are here to mourn. We must take upon ourselves all the sin that are committed in the land and seek for forgiveness”. He stated.
Citing the book of Joel 2:12-14, the man of God likened the situation the country is passing through to what happened to the children of God, the Israelites in those days.
He noted that there was hunger in the land of the people of God, the Israelites, occasioned by locust following Israelites disobedience to the world of God until God told Prophet Joel to cause the people to genuinely rent their hearts before Him, confess their sin and genuinely repent that the land was healed.
Just like Prophet Joel, Rev. Jirapye called on brethren to stop blame games and embark on aggressive prayers even in their various homes and to search for divine forgiveness and unquenchable thirst for God’s words to enable God rid the country from the present predicaments.
He applauded the vision of TEKAN ECWA for gathering men of God in such a special session for such a wonderful mission, maintaining that the step was a clear mark that God has found people in Taraba State who will stand in the gap of others for forgiveness and blessings of God.
Earlier in his welcome address, Rev. Philip Micah Dopah, Chairman, TEKAN ECWA Block, Taraba State said the entire country was in a mess following the activities of kidnappers, arm bandits, herdsmen and persistent communal crises.
He stated that as Christian leaders, the only option they have at this instance was to mobilize Christians to return to God in prayers and genuine repentance.
Rev. Philip Micah Dopah who expressed displeasure over all the evil happening in Taraba State and the country in general emphasized that there had never been a time in the history of Nigeria as bad as it is in the present time.
He called on Christians to eschew laziness and pray fervently at all times to attract God’s intervention over all the predicaments the country is passing through.
Meanwhile, the Special Prayer session featured prayers for the Executive Governor of Taraba State, His Excellency Arc. Darius Dickson Ishaku. There was also prayers for the peace of the land, prayer for workers in the state and prayers for exorbitant rise in price of commodities in the market among other prayer points.
