DAILY GRAPHIC, Monday, January 9, 2012, Pg. Children asked to pray for Ghana

Story: Mary Ankrah & Marian Ansah

CHILDREN have been urged to pray for mother Ghana as their contribution towards ensuring peace during this year’s elections.

They have also been asked not only to be advocators of peace in their homes but equally in their schools and communities.

The Mission’s Director of the Church of Pentecost, Apostle Gyasi Addo, gave the advice during the children’s prayer festival which was dubbed “Children in the gap for peace for Ghana” held at the National Theatre in Accra at the weekend.

The event brought together children from various schools and churches.

The prayer festival which was held to pray for peaceful elections for this year, was a collaboration of the Children’s Ministry of the Church of Pentecost, the Christian Community in Ghana and the Ministry of Women and Children’s Affairs (MOWAC).

Apostle Addo said children needed to pray for mother Ghana because God was the author of peace and would use their prayers to make this year’s general elections peaceful.

He noted that anytime there was going to be elections in the country, a lot of unfortunate incidences occurred which even included murders which he said should not happen under any circumstances this year.

The Director stressed the need for continuous prayer as the key to sustaining peace in the country.

”We pray so that God would destroy all forces of darkness and wherever they stand to plan against the nation God would destroy them so that Ghana would have a peaceful election,” he said.

Apostle Addo said Ghanaians had a role to play in ensuring peace in the country, adding that they must love, respect and tolerate each other so that there would be peace.

He expressed concern about the use of abusive language by some people, a practice, which he maintained caused divisions that resulted in conflicts and, therefore, stressed the need for all to be polite and express their views without being abusive.

Paapa Yaw Manu Boateng, a child from the New Testament Assembly of the Pentecost Church, said he had learnt to pray for the peace of Ghana.

“If there is no peace, the children cannot become what God wants them to be. The children of this nation need peace. The government should continue to maintain peace in the country “he added.

For her part, Lydia Asamah of the New Hope Junior High School (JHS) said through the event, she had learnt to pray for the country.

A child from the Bright Future Academy School, Sandra Boateng, said peace brought about development in every country.

She, therefore, advised citizens of Ghana to live in peace and learn to understand each other.