Lilongwe, September 2, 2017: First Lady Dr. Gertrude Mutharika has said prayer is a crucial element in bonding and development of families.

She made the remarks at Sunbird Capital Hotel in Lilongwe Friday during the Ladies Fellowship Dinner hosted by the Lingadzi C.C.A.P Praise Team under the theme ‘Woman of Excellency’.

Mutharika said, “My hope is that as we come together in prayers for our country, we begin to understand the nearness of God – the way He desires to draw people close to Himself and delights in our earnest efforts to spread His message of love and grace with as many people as possible’.

“When women pray, something big happens. God answers all our prayers,” she said, adding that it was a tragedy to have the family recklessly broken and dreams stolen through activities of insecurity saying it is the wish of every mother to raise children in a peaceful environment.

“As women, we know the disproportionate double risks that violence poses for our gender, as mothers we raise our children in the hope that they will live to their potential,” she explained.

Mutharika urged the gathered women to recognize their individual responsibilities of ensuring that their personal lives and choices align to the values we espouse and want protected in the society.

Also speaking at the event, Happiness Nkhoma spoke on a gap between old and young generation saying parents are proud and they do not want to listen to their children while children on the hand are also prioud and they do not want to listen to adults because all of us this we are the best.

On cultural issues, she said as parents they stick so much to cultural things than word of God which is nothing in the eyes of God.

During the dinner the First Lady pledged to buy uniforms for the praise team.