By Memory Chatonda , MANA
Malawi’s First Lady, Gertrude Mutharika has emphasized on the need for Malawians to show love and care towards people who are in need of different support.
Mutharika made the remarks on Friday when she led thousands of men and women in commemorating this year’s World Day of prayers in Blantyre which was held under the theme ‘ Rise! Take your mat and walk’.
The First Lady said it is disheartening to note that many times, people who are suffering are usually neglected, mocked and judged wrongly instead of being given required support to turn around their situation.
“This is a bad habit. As women and men of God, we need to be touched with such situations.
Let us emulate Jesus Christ by demonstrating love, care and mercy through our prayers, materials or finances towards such needy individuals,” she said adding: “some situations will only require just a meal towards a child going hungry.”
Mutharika read the scriptures extracted from the book of John 5 verses 2-9, encouraging Malawians to cling to God regardless of the situations they pass through citing that: “When torture or any bad situation comes my way, I do not get shaken because I am engraved in the palm of God”.
She then encouraged the congregants to join hands in prayers for themselves, others as well as the nation at large for God’s mercy to prevail in the country.
The First Lady therefore thanked the organizing committee of this year’s World Day of prayers for holding a colourful event.
In her remarks, World Day of Prayers National Chairperson, Esther Grant thanked the First lady for gracing the event, observing that Mutharika’s presence at the function is an honour to people who attended the prayers and interdenominational churches at large.
She echoed the First Lady’s sentiments of encouraging men and women to keep on praying regardless of the afflictions of life they pass through.
“Let us continue praying because we believe our spiritual lives have been energized through the prayers and our situation has completely changed,” she highlighted.
The World Day of Prayers which is an annual event dates back to 1930s. During the day, Christian faithful come together to pray for various issues such as poverty, violence, diseases and hunger among others happening within or outside their countries.
This year’s event was decorated with choruses coming from various churches including Roman Catholic, CCAP and Zambezi Lutheran.
