Coronavirus: Ghanaians observe day of fasting and prayer

Following an appeal by the President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo for the entire nation to observe March 25, as a ‘National Day of Fasting and Prayer’ against the spread of the COVID-19, many Ghanaians adhered to the appeal.

The Ghana News Agency on Wednesday morning from around the 0600 hours observed a number of spiritual teachings and prayer being led by religious leaders including; Pastors and Imams on various traditional and social media platforms.

Viewers and listeners including; children also joined the prayer by phoning into the studios, all to call for divine intervention to control the pandemic. Other media platforms also invited gospel musicians to lead the nation in worship and praise songs to create an ambience of reverence.

Mrs Gifty Afenyi-Dadzie, the National Prayer Director of Aglow International, who led a prayer with her team on a number of media platforms, advised that people observed with all seriousness, the preventive measures set by the Ghana Health Service to control the spread of the coronavirus even as they prayed.

She cautioned the public to desist from all unrighteous conducts as she believed the pandemic was allowed by God as a result of the sins of the world. The Pentecost Church from its Headquarters led by Apostle Rigwell Ato Addison (Retired), engaged the nation in prayer on the topic, “God is in control”.

He reiterated that God would have mercy on humanity and heal the land, only if humans acknowledged his commandments and surrendered to him in humility. “Every citizen must see him or herself as ‘Ghana’, which might have sinned against God and pray for forgiveness and spiritual intervention to control this COVID-19 canker,” he said.

The Reverend Dr Stephen Wengam, the Lead Pastor of the Cedar Mountain Chapel on television, said for his part, the nation would not experience any positive change if her people fasted without denying themselves pleasures of immorality and sin.

The nation and the world at large, he said, was sick of greed, immorality, backbiting, political enmity, murder, and other unrighteous deeds, and had to turn away from them with urgency to experience the blessings of God.

Sheikh Muhammed Bagnya, an Imam at the Osu Castle, speaking on television said for Muslims, spiritual solidarity was important, even if the directive did not come from the Muslim leadership.

Things were out of hand in the fight against COVID-19, especially as efforts to get a vaccine for it had proved futile, he said. “So the only option we have, is to turn to God and we Muslims are more than willing to join this fasting and prayer,” he added.

Sheikh Bagnya was optimistic that things would change after the pandemic had ended ranging from human attitudes to the economic sector. “Perhaps the COVID-19 is what we have been waiting for to change the nation for the better,” he said.

Bishop Charles Agyenasare, the Founder of the Perez Chapel International, on radio beseeched the intervention of God in the fight against the canker, saying, there was impossible compassion in God’s mercy. He also prayed for God to give the Cabinet and Council of State wisdom to make relevant decisions for the state amid the outbreak and for physical vitality for those who had contracted the Coronavirus.

Archbishop Nicholas Duncan Williams, the Founder of the Action Chapel, also prayed on the radio for God to forgive humans of their iniquities and spare the land of the calamity. “We believers tell the Coronavirus that, proceed no further. Let no mother or father bury his or her child and let no child remain motherless or fatherless because of you in the name of Jesus Christ. Oh God, please provide your nation with divine immunity and exemption from this canker,” he prayed.

It will be recalled that, the President addressing the nation on March 21, on the COVID-19 outbreak in Ghana said: “Whilst we continue to adhere to these measures and ramp up our efforts to defeat this virus, I urge all of us, also, to seek the face of the Almighty.

“So on Wednesday, March 25, I appeal to all Ghanaians, Christians and Muslims, to observe a national day of fasting and prayer. Let us pray to God to protect our nation and save us from this pandemic”.

Meanwhile, the President recently on called for the suspension of social gatherings including; church activities to reduce the rate at which the virus was spreading.