Pastors Harp On Ceaseless Thanksgiving To God, Enumerate Derivable Benefits

By Frank Oshanugor

Nigerians have been enjoined to always show appreciation to God at all times in spite of what they may call hardship currently pervading the country.

At the annual Thanksgiving Service of Canaanland Divine Ministry International Alapere-Ketu Lagos on Sunday, the General Overseer, Pastor Jude Chuks Itabor and Prophet Sholola Akeem Adewale noted that many people have often taken the goodness of God for granted over certain aspects of life while expecting bigger miracles in their lives.

Prophet Adewale, who was the guest preacher at the service, pointed out that many people did not seem to understand the real meaning of Thanksgiving and Benefits.

Defining the terms in the simplest manner, he explained that while thanksgiving is appreciating what has been given, benefit is what one gets without paying for it.

He went further to state among other things that going to bed at night and waking up alive, without any sickness the next day, going out to work and coming back safely, feeding normally without suffering hunger etc are all benefits from God. “This is because, we do not pay for any of such benefits,” he remarked.

Regrettably, according to him, most people have taken all these for granted with a mindset that it is their right without appreciating God who gave them such “right.”

Speaking on the theme: THE BENEFITS OF GOD, Prophet Adewale emphasised the need for everyone to always appreciate God even in smallest things. He urged

people particularly Christians not to take the mercy of God for granted as every benefit from God is substantial and worthy of appreciation.

He further admonished Christians to emulate the Biblical David, who in spite of his weaknesses continued to show appreciation to God in all situations. Adewale went ahead to buttress this with Psalm 116 verse 12 which says “what shall I render into the Lord for all His benefits towards me?”

Speaking in the same vein, Pastor Itabor urged Christians to learn how to give to the needy without necessarily attaching strings to such giving or deliberately expecting anything in return. He posited that prosperity does not come through prayers alone but principally through selfless giving.

The annual Thanksgiving service attracted worshippers from other denominations. The highlight of the occasion was the appreciation of God with different food items like tubas of yam, rice, egg, plantain, banana, oil and other things including cash.