Ghana holds national prayer and thanksgiving service

Accra, March 13, GNA - Glimpses of national unity characterised the week-long national prayer, fasting and thanksgiving organised at the Independence Square in Accra on Sunday to climax Ghana's 54th independence anniversary celebrations.

President John Evans Atta Mills received the handshake of Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, Flagbearer of the main minority New Patriotic Party (NPP), who led an entourage of party stalwarts during the song and praises ministration to extend courtesies to the Head of State.

The gesture was acknowledged with a rapturous applause by the large number of congregants, who made it to the Square to participate in the thanksgiving service that was characterised by intercessions.

The ruling National Democratic Congress and the NPP

have been on each others throat due to ideological differences

and political rivalry, which often created tension and heat. The presence of Nana Akufo-Addo at the function, which

was the brainchild of President Mills is expected to bring down

the tense rhetoric between the two leading parties. The celebration, held on the theme: 93Ghana, Arise, Act and

Shine," and aired live on national radio and television and

other major media networks attracted the Chief Justice Mrs

Georgina Wood, Speaker of Parliament Mrs Joyce Adeline

Bamford 96Addo, Ministers of State, Members of Parliament,

politicians across the divide, Traditional Rulers, and Members

of the Diplomatic Corps. President John Evans Atta Mills institutionalised the event

last year.

In a sermon the Most Rev Professor Emmanuel Asante,

Chairman of the Christian Council of Ghana reflected on Isaiah

60:1, which explained a gloomy past, the migration of people

from the past and challenged the nation to rise above divisive

tendencies to facilitate progress and prosperity. "This is an occasion when the nation has come together,

devoid of ethnic, religious, political consideration to give praise

to God for all the blessings showered on Ghana for the past 54

years," he said. The cleric condemned acts of hypocrisy and the practice of

evil as the nation sought the face of God with piety, prayer,

fasting and thanksgiving and called for an end to acts that

derailed the progress of the nation. The Most Rev Antwi, urged Ghanaians to put their utmost

trust and confidence in God, because he is ultimate in his

capacity. Sin, he said creates a barrier between God and his people,

and hampers the development of the nation. However, the gloomy story ends in hope, because light has

come to them and they must arise and shine. "The spoken word of God brings a reality; a newness in

life. "I speak light in the gloomy darkness of the nation, in the

name of Jesus," Most Rev Antwi declared. He called for a rise above partisan politics; politics of

insults, ethnocentrism and shaking off the slumber, to a new

dawn of national social and economic progress.

Most Rev Antwi called for all shoulders on the national

development drive and involvement and empowerment of the

people to take part in the decisions that affected them. He reminded political leaders that Ghana mattered more

than political parties, and called on the actors in the nation's

political landscape to let the corporate agenda inspire them to

build a more productive mother Ghana. With a special acknowledgement to Nana Akufo-Addo,

President Mills described the day as special on the nation's

calendar. He expressed his happiness at the sermon, adding 93I kept

myself asking myself did I fail or pass?" He explained that the nation laboured in vain without God's

assistance, because no one could achieve anything with only

human power or might. "I know my answer, what about you?" President Mills asked the nation to let the message

resonate=85 93We should know God is President," he said. He called on those in leadership positions to be humble

enough to let God do their bidding.

"Let's pray fro Ghana. Let's, arise, act and shine to the

glory of God, President Mills exhorted and later made a prayer

request for Ivory Coast and Japan, which was said by Apostle

General Sam Korankye Ankrah of the Royalhouse Chapel

International. Prayers were also said for the Executive, the Legislature

and the Judiciary, the Media, the Security Service, Ghana's Oil

Find, Education, Women and Children and a revival of God's

blessing on the nation. Similar prayers were held by Muslims last Friday.