A cleric, Rev. Samuel Adebiyi has admonished Nigerians to always give thanks and praise God in all circumstances no matter what challenges they may be facing in life.
Adebiyi gave the advice on Saturday, May 10, 2025 at the 20th anniversary of a Christian group, the Message of Salvation Women Ministry (MESAWOM) held at first ECWA Church, Ilorin, Kwara state.
The clergyman who was guest speaker at the occasion, observed that God has a purpose for making certain things happen in the life of human beings. Adebiyi, who drew his lecture from Psalm 150 in the Holy Bible, emphasised the significance of praising God always.
The speaker who is also the minister in charge of 12th ECWA Church, Ilorin, narrated the story of a king who jailed his aide for his (aide's) carelessness in allowing him to lose a finger during a hunting outing. The king however, later realized that the loss of his finger saved his life when his captors who were ritualists realized that he could not be used for sacrifice because their god would not accept a man with nine fingers.
According to the clergy, Christians should continue to praise God adding that, "we can pray amiss but we cannot praise amiss. We should always be thankful to God.
"If we recognize the mightiness of God in our lives and what He is capable of doing, we will always praise Him.We should praise God because He is our creator and He created us to praise Him. It is our duty to praise Him."
A cross-section of the attendees
He said praise "attracts miracles and blessings of God. Praise can be done by living a life of sacrifice in the hands of God. We can equally do that by testifying to the goodness of God always."
In her speech at the event, the founder of Message of Salvation Women Ministry (MESAWOM), Mrs Florence Ajagbe said the ministry focused on women in the last 20 years because women especially needed to be taken care of to have peace in the society.
"For peace to reign in the society, women must live exemplary life worthy of emulation ", she said.
She urged Nigerian women to "live a life of good example. This will engender peace and serenity in the society. And a life of example starts from the home. The scriptures admonish women to submit themselves to their husbands notwithstanding the economic status of such women.
"The training of children should start right from home including how they should dress, adding that women should also train children to be God fearing as well as inculcate in them age-long referred values."
She explained that over exposure to modernity is eroding the spiritual and cultural values thus leading to an upsurge in divorce rates. Speaking with journalists, Ajagbe disclosed that the ministry had empowered no fewer than 12,000 widows and less privileged women in Kwara state in the last 20 years.
Rev Dr Abiodun O. Ogunjinmi Presbyter Methodist Church Cathedral of Blessing Ilorin at the conference
According to her, the empowerment has been in the forms of cash, food items and clothing materials which were given to the poor particularly widows.
Ajagbe who said that the ministry's activities transcend religion and church denomination, stated that the ministry in December 2024 empowered over 700 women in the state.
The 20th anniversary of MESAWOM with the topic "Praise the Lord," featured songspiration from First ECWA Main Choir, First ECWA Women Choir, Shalom Band and Methodist Church Choir.
By Tunde Oyekola, Ilorin
