Bro. Eddie Villanueva launches noon prayer campaign

When the clock strikes noon, utter the short prayer “God bless the Philippines.”

Beginning Saturday, Filipinos from all over the world are encouraged to recite the short petition daily at noon regardless of time zones to blanket with prayers of blessing the country now being plagued by many crisis.

Christian evangelist Eduardo “Bro. Eddie” Villanueva led the launching of the “God Bless the Philippines Global Prayer Movement” on Saturday at the 33rd anniversary of the Jesus is Lord Church (JIL) at the Quirino Grandstand in Manila.

The event was graced by President Aquino, who also addressed the crowd of tens of thousands belonging to various evangelical church denominations.

In a press conference, Villanueva said the country needed prayers now more than ever as it faced countless problems and trials—from natural calamities and man-made disasters, to the senseless killings and the escalating armed conflict in Mindanao.

“Our President [Aquino] is facing so much problems,” noted Villanueva, citing the ongoing crisis in Mindanao, where scores of soldiers have been killed in a chain of clashes with rebels.

In the same breath, he lauded Mr. Aquino for having the “wisdom to enforce an all-out-justice rather than all-out-war” against the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, saying that to recklessly opt for the latter would harm more innocent lives.

“Our country has been in crisis and it’s high time for the Filipino people to obey the formula of God… to go back to God,” he said.

The global prayer movement would help strengthen President Aquino’s political leadership and unite Filipinos all over the world regardless of social status and religious affiliation, added Villanueva, who twice ran for president.

“I believe it will strengthen the political leadership of President Aquino to be bolder than before in imposing righteousness in governance… so it’s our duty to help the President,” he told reporters.

Under the prayer movement, Filipinos are not only encouraged to make the “noon prayer” a habit to sustain the Philippines every hour for the entire year but also to post their prayers online.  Prayers can be posted on www.GodBlessThePhilippines.com, he said.

Mr. Aquino was the first to post a prayer on the website last night, amid cheers and applause from the massive crowd at the grandstand.

He wrote on the website: “Dear God please make us instruments of your will.”

“So imagine God from heaven, if he can see millions of Filipinos all over the world uttering ‘God bless the Philippines,’ it will make a quick difference,” added the evangelist, who ran but lost in the presidential elections last year.

Villanueva founded the JIL in a school campus, where he was then teaching political economics.