The Moderator of General Assembly, Rt. Rev. Dr Abraham Nana Opare Kwakye, has delivered a passionate message of hope, urging Presbyterian Church of Ghana members to trust God’s unfailing presence in every season of life.
Preaching on Sunday night at the Global Presbyterian Prayer Marathon at the Ebenezer Congregation, Asawasi, Kumasi, the Moderator first expressed gratitude to the Director of Evangelism, the Director of Church Life and Nurture, and all who helped organise the global prayer gathering.
Turning to Scripture, he read from Isaiah 43:2, declaring: “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned.” He described the passage as a reminder of why believers must trust God completely.
The Moderator explained that true friendship is tested not in moments of celebration but in times of trouble. “Celebrities come with friends to celebrations,” he said, “but real friends stay when you are in difficulty.” In the same way, God proves His faithfulness when His people walk through hardship. Becoming a Christian, he noted, does not eliminate trouble; rather, it often attracts spiritual opposition. Yet God never abandons those who belong to Him.
He emphasised that life brings seasons of “waters,” “rivers,” and “fires”—moments of pressure, fear, and trial. But in every situation, God promises His presence. “Whether it is water, rivers, or fire, He says, ‘I will be with you.’ He is Jehovah—He does not forsake His own.”
The Moderator recalled the story of the three young men in the Book of Daniel who refused to bow to idols and were thrown into a blazing furnace. Though the fire was heated seven times hotter, God preserved them. “The furnace was hot, but they were in air‑conditioning,” he said. “The king saw a fourth man in the fire—the Son of God. That is Emmanuel, God with us.”
He also referenced Daniel in the lions’ den, noting that God shut the mouths of the lions. “Jesus is the true Lion of Judah,” he said. “When you pass through the waters, He is with you. When you pass through the fire, it will not consume you.”
The Moderator connected the message to the church’s journey, noting that the week marked the transition into the eighth month, August, a significant period in the Presbyterian Church of Ghana as it leads into the General Assembly. “This is the month in which we bring to completion the work the Lord is doing in our church,” he said.
He reminded the congregation that God’s covenant name, Immanuel, is the anchor of Christian confidence. “Friends may abandon you; family may abandon you, but Immanuel never abandons His people. If God is with you, no one can stand against you.”
The Moderator ended with a prayerful blessing, declaring that God’s presence would surround His people like “air‑conditioning in the furnace,” shielding them from every attack. “Look up to God who overcomes your challenges for you,” he said. “When you pass through the waters, He will be with you. The victory shall be yours.”
By Jerome Otchere
