Africa-Press – Tanzania. RELIGIOUS leaders in the country have envisaged 2022 as the year of grace and success, calling upon Tanzanians to continue praying for the nation and its leaders for the country to attain its objectives.
The clerics who presided over the prayers to welcome the New Year in various churches said the public should also pray for all the country’s development plans so that they can be implemented effectively. The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania (ELCT) Kijitonyama Reverend Dr Eliona Kimaro said that Christians should forget all the challenges they had faced in 2021 and connect to God so that they can collect the blessings.
“We are going to connect with another year 2022; it is a year of grace, it will never be the year of loss, calamities and misfortune,” said Dr Kimaro. He noted that every Christian should believe that they have the final address in their lives that will make them more powerful.
“The mistakes you did in your lives will never stop your final address… your final address is more powerful or beyond science or research,” he said. Rev Kimaro noted that as people welcome in 2022 they should pray to God to change their address so that they head to prosperity.
Preaching during the New Year prayers at Kimara Lutheran Church, Rev Wilbroad Mastai said that Christians should forgive in order to move forward. In addition to forgiveness, they should thank God for crossing to 2022 safely and pray for the year to be of grace and success. During a New Year sermon preached by Assistant Bishop, Rev Dean Chediel Lwiza at the ELCT Eastern and Coastal Diocese’s Azania Front church, he said that people should thank God for the new year.
He said the believers should start anew and overcome fear resulting from emerging diseases that make people afraid of death, describingthe situation as devil’s way to get them away from God.
“As believers, we are supposed to overcome fear of various things; being sick does not mean dying, we should believe in Jesus who has given us a grace to cross to 2022,” he said Retired Bishop of the Evangelist Assemblies of God Tanzania (EAGT) Ipagala in Dodoma, Evance Chande called upon Tanzanians to pray for the funds being borrowed by the government for execution of various development projects so that they can be used for intended purposes for the national interests.
“We should pray for peace in our country, government leaders and clerics so that they can fulfill their responsibilities and uphold the prevailing peace,” he said. Meanwhile, Vice President Dr Philip Mpango has called upon Tanzanians to work hard in 2022 to spearhead the country’s development.
The VP made the remarks yesterday shortly after attending the Holy Mass and celebrations of the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God at St Paul of the Cross Parish, Archdiocese of Dodoma. Dr Mpango who was accompanied by his wife Mbonimpaye Mpango, attended the Mass that was presided over by the Vicar General, Rev Fr Onesmo Wisi, and the Mass was also meant to thank God for the New Year 2022.
“I call upon Tanzanians to work hard in this year because even the holy books have stressed on work … God also blesses those who work hard,” Dr Mpango said, adding that it is difficult to attain development without working hard. The VP further urged the congregation and Tanzanians, in general, to continue being thankful to God for crossing the year safely.
Dr Mpango said that the year 2021 had many challenges, including Covid-19 pandemic, calling upon Christians to continue praying for the nation and its leaders so that Tanzanians are guided by the wisdom of God in serving Tanzanians. He also said that it is important for people to use the ongoing rains to cultivate short-term and long-term crops, depending on the respective areas.
The VP further urged residents in Dodoma to use the rains to plant trees in their respective areas in order to protect the environment and improve the region scenery which is faced with a shortage of rains for a long time. He noted that parents should also guide their children and raise them in good morals including restricting the abuse of social media.
Dr Mpango wished Tanzanians a peaceful 2022, stressing that everyone should fulfill their responsibilities to God and Tanzania in general.
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