The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has mandated all its affiliate churches to observe a 3-day session of national mourning, soberness and fervent prayers beginning from Friday 28 to Sunday 30 May, 2021.
The directive was contained in an internal memo dated 11th May,2021, signed by its National general secretary Daramola Bade Joseph to all the body’s national leaders, bloc leaders, zonal leaders, state secretaries and State Chairmen.
“This is to inform you that the CAN President, in view of the continuous killings, banditry and host of other problems in Nigeria has considered it imperative and absolutely necessary that our country needed prayers for God’s mercy and intervention in our land.
“Consequently, all local churches are expected to gather in the evening of each day set aside for the prayers to pray to God in the attitude of mourning or soberness for the bloodshed of many innocent Nigerians most especially Christians.
The recommended prayer points as conveyed by the memo include:
“ That God should forgive our sins wherever we as a church or Nigerians, especially our leaders had sinned against God;
“ That the plans of the evil people in our midst to paralyze human, social and economic activities in this nation and throw the nation into chaos would be foiled by the Lord Jesus Christ;
“Pray that the church would prevail over all threats to her existence in Nigeria. That the gate of hell will never prevail against the church in the name of Jesus;
“That any religious madness or war that would not allow us to worship God in the way we are convinced to worship Him would be nullified by the Lord;
“That our leaders would do justice in leadership and show fairness to all ethnic and religious groups in all their actions so as to douse ethnic and religious tensions we have presently.