President Goodluck Jonathan said on Sunday that he would, henceforth, worship outside Aso Rock Villa Chapel every last Sunday of the month.
The president announced the decision at the headquarters of Dunamis Gospel Church, Garki, Abuja, where he attended a Sunday service.
He said he decided to be going from one church to another every last Sunday of the month to show appreciation to Christians for their prayers.
Jonathan said the decision was neither political nor out of contempt for Aso Villa Chapel where he ought to worship traditionally.
“Traditionally, we have the State House Chapel where I worship every Sunday. If we do not have the chapel, probably, I would have been here one or two times before this time.
“It is only during the Christmas period, may be two Sundays before Christmas and the Sunday before and after New Year that we sometimes close the chapel, and allow people to participate in their church services and that time I do go round.
“This year, we have decided that from now onward, until I leave the State House, every last Sunday of the month I will go to different churches.
“The reasons are very obvious, not because if I worship in the State House I am not worshiping God.
“Yes, that is the State House Chapel presided over by a chaplain and from time to time other men and women of God come to preach to us.
“But I feel that it is good for me to go round and continue to appreciate what our brothers and sisters have been doing”, he said.
The president reiterated his appreciation to Christians for their prayers for the nation.
He said Nigeria had its own share of the negative things but pointed out that the challenges of the country would have been more without prayers and spiritual support from Christians.
He said with the prayers and support from the Church, Nigeria would overcome its present challenges and achieve its potential.
“If you watch television, both local and foreign, we always have negative news as breaking news.
“We have our unfair share of those negative news but your prayers have been helping.
“If not for your prayers, it would have been worse.
“We will get over our challenges, I only urge you to continue to pray for the nation”, he said.
The president also thanked the officiating pastor, Dr Paul Enenche, his wife, Becky, and the Dunamis Church family for their consistent support and prayers for the administration and the country.
He attested to the true apostolic calling of the Enenches, who both left medical practice for the pulpit.
The president corroborated Enenches sermon that the happiest people in the world ‘were not the ones with big names and riches’’ and advised the congregation not to seek fortune or power desperately.
Earlier, Enenche in a sermon titled, “Anti-covenant Practices”, listed begging and borrowing, fraudulent practices, acting without discretion and impossibility mentality as unholy acts.
The pastor anchored his teaching on the Biblical verse in the Book of Jeremiah Chapter 17, verse 11.
He advised the congregation to avoid corruption and fraudulent practices.
Enenche said: “What God has not given to you does not add to you and crookedness of today equals afflictions of tomorrow”. (NAN)
