AMBASSADORS and representatives of more than 68 nations were on Thursday led in prayers for global peace by General Overseer, Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) Worldwide, Pastor E. A. Adeboye, at the United Nations (UN) headquarters in New York, United States (U.S.)

Tagged "Uniting in prayer for the United Nations," the prayer session was organised by the International Prayer Council. The event was open to all Christians and Moslems at the UN. The theme of the prayer meeting was: "That the earth may be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord" (Habakkuk 2:14)

Adeboye was also expected to lead a prayer walk yesterday at the Twin Towers Ground Zero scene of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attack in New York as the U.S. marks the 8th year anniversary of the attacks.

Also, the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) yesterday in Abuja held an interdenominational memorial service for the victims of the Boko Haram crisis, which engulfed the North-East zone last July.

National President, PFN, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, asked the congregation not to mourn the Christians who died in the crisis as the service was a celebration in the hope of Christ.

He prayed against the country's division, saying: "Nigeria will be one, Nigeria will be great, Nigeria will be strong. If it's not Boko Haram, it could be something else. That is the price that some have paid to make this nation great.

"I believe that a day will come when Nigeria will lift its head high in the comity of nations. May the God of heaven bless this sacrifice that our brothers have made.

"I see a powerful Nigeria, where very soon, we will go to space, a Nigeria that will be competing with great nations, not a Nigeria that will be struggling with ethnic and religious problems. I see a Nigeria that will be a fulfillment of the prophesy of the word of God."

National Secretary, PFN, Pastor Wale Adefarasin said the service was organized to remember the victims of the crisis and identify with their families "for them to know that the body of Christ stands with them."

Chairman of the Abuja chapter of PFN, Dr. Paul Enenche told the widows of the slain men to be strong because God will never forsake them.

The Fellowship gave cash gifts ranging from N50,000 to N150,000 to the family members and widows of the slain men. A special offering was also collected in favour of the families. Pastors Oritsejafor, Adefarasin and Enenche donated the sums of N1 million, N500,000 and another N500,000 in that order to the families of the diseased. A donor from the congregation offered to pay the school fees of the children of the victims for one year while another donor gave three pieces of land to the families of the three pastors killed in the crisis.

The prayer session came ahead of the 64th General Assembly of the UN starting next week, which more than 100 presidents, prime ministers and monarchs are expected to attend.

Ambassadors at the prayer meeting included the UN General Assembly President, Miguel d'Escoto Brockmann and a representative of Nigeria's Ambassador to the UN, Joy Ogwu, Pastor Lawrence Obisakin, a senior Nigerian diplomat at the UN.

RCCG pastors in North America were also in attendance at the prayer session, including Pastor James Fadele, the RCCG representative in North America, Pastor Gandhi Olaoye from Washington DC, and Pastor Daniel Ajayi-Adeniran who is hosting Pastor Adeboye in New York.

Adeboye was the keynote speaker at the session.

Introducing Adeboye, who was listed by Newsweek Magazine among the 50 most influential people in the world early this year, the planners of the event described him as the one "who holds the largest prayer meetings in the world in his country Nigeria."

In his presentations, Adeboye told the gathering that "the greatest problem the world is facing today is not the one we are trying to grapple with here. It is the attack on our youths, our children, our tomorrow, while we are busy planning strategy."

He said the enemy has sneaked in through the Internet, luring children and the youths into such dangerous acts as pornography and how to make explosive weapons, among others.

The cleric said the Internet is now teaching the youths that "the things that their parents value are but attempts to limit their own freedoms. The Internet therefore, has become an avenue for the enemy to attack humanity. This is a problem facing every nation, rich or poor, first world or third world."

He asked: "How do you fight an enemy you cannot see, an enemy you cannot defeat by force of arms, an enemy you cannot legislate against, an enemy you cannot fight with diplomacy?

Providing an answer, Adeboye said: "It is best to use the age-old method of warfare by calling in on the ally. The greatest ally is the Lord Jesus Christ, who is the Lord of hosts."